The Breaking Bread Project
The Breaking Bread Project was founded in 2022 with the intent of managing Moonbox’s vision for creative community collaboration. The project funnels Moonbox’s domestic resources (space,equipment,network,personnel, funds, etc.) toward identifying opportunities to reach beyond the stage and build with community artists of varying disciplines.
The core ideology of Breaking Bread lies in its emphasis on getting people of different backgrounds (arts based or otherwise) together. Through our programming we aim to provide and promote spaces curated towards activating: interpersonal relationship building, education, self care, accessibility in the arts, community engagement,cultural celebration, performance and more.
February 2022
The Inaugural Breaking Bread Sessions
The inaugural Breaking Bread Sessions were born when need met opportunity. Covid-19 on the rise meant a drop in productions across our industry. Facing a postponement of one of our productions we at Moonbox found ourselves with booked rehearsal space and nothing to rehearse for. Simultaneously, we became aware that there was absolutely no space in the city (at least for the month of February) for our friends from the local Street/ Club social dance scene to train. For two weeks we engaged in facilitating our rehearsal space as a Dance Session training space.We opened our doors to collaborations with local DJ’s, Dance teachers and practitioners to embrace and reappropriate the space.
Breaking Bread is designed to not only provide resources but activate community conversation in hopes of encouraging a richer collective growth within the arts in Boston. At the end of each session we held hour-long -open format fireside chat style round tables to promote this practice in exchange. Conversations ranged from dreaming of creating stage shows to fashion. Stories were exchanged from elders to newcomers in the social dance culture and vice versa. After two weeks about 60 creatives had lent themselves,talents and time to the first iteration of Breaking Bread, founding our project in practice.
June 2022
Breaking Bread Community Cookout
The momentum of the February 22’ Breaking Bread sessions gave way to our June Community Cookout. Co-Hosted by Aaron Myers and Edward Galan aka ” A Trike Called Funk”, the event served as a reunion potluck celebration for the winter sessions. Aarons family graciously opened their home to our community for the gathering . With the support of Edward as DJ Soul Select Supreme, Breaking Bread was elevated into a late night driveway dance club. Ranging from Soul Train lines to original RnB performances the party encapsulated the essence of our project.
The Breaking Bread Gallery at the Boston New Works Festival
The month of June brought Moonbox’s first “Boston New Works Festival” to the forefront. We agreed it would be exciting and important to include community artists of all graphic and 3D material genres in the festivities. This gave way to a curation of 50 plus works ranging from pieces like blown glass and sculptures to canvas paintings, poetry, pressed flowers and photography. Outside, you could find street dance community members amping up the event with a boombox and deep grooves. All in all we broke bread with over 30 collaborators with the mission of enriching the culture of our shared festival spaces and increasing the visibility of our collaborators’ work.
February 2023
Breaking Bread Weekend
Breaking Bread evolved in 2023. Our winter program rang in as a 3 day multi- part event. Day One Opened with a Dance Social which transformed the BCA’s Roberts theater into a dance club. Along with live Dj, MC and of course, food the night was filled with movement. Day two progressed with our accessibility and de-stressing the workspace workshop. Geared towards theater, the dialogue led by Kara Krumrine was engaging and warm. Day Three gave us the first breaking bread open mic. Hosted by the fabulous team of Eliza Liz and Margaux Bertola the event included vacalists, dance, poetry and storytelling. With that, “Breaking Bread Weekend” had engaged in inviting groups from different arts scenes to celebrate,learn and eat together.
