For 20 years, Exposed Brick Theatre has been dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices and bolstering equity in the arts, telling stories that rarely make it to the stage and challenging the norms of Western theater. As one of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation’s grantees, Exposed Brick is a prime example of the kind of work the Foundation is committed to supporting: work that is led by and for the community.

In this interview about equity in the arts, the Foundation sat down with Exposed Brick’s co-artistic directors Aamera Siddiqui and Suzy Messerole, as well as playwright Ehkhudah Zar. In that conversation, they discussed the importance of building equity in the arts and creating a sense of belonging.

Can you begin by telling us about the origins of Exposed Brick? What inspired you to create this space for underrepresented voices?

Aamera Siddiqui: Exposed Brick Theatre is dedicated to telling untold stories, centering omitted narratives and creating art at the intersection of identities and building equity in the arts. The background of why we got started is kind of personal. I was trying to find my place in the Twin Cities theater scene and didn’t see my background reflected in any of the work that I was doing.

Then I had the opportunity to meet Suzy. We both admired each other’s work, and we went looking for a play that reflected both of our stories: her, a white woman from a small town in Iowa, and me, a global nomad raised in a Muslim house. We didn’t find anything like that, so we decided we would start our own theater company to improve equity in the arts.

Suzy Messerole: It’s important to us that early-career artists, and especially those who have been told theater is not for them, have a chance. The theater world has been a place that hasn’t always been kind to a lot of people. So part of what happens when you celebrate omitted narratives is that you create affirmation for the audience member, but you also spark something in artists who maybe didn’t think they were allowed to tell stories or write plays.

Read the full article about improving equity in the arts at Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal.