Professional Series intro paragraph

Curated with Purpose

“Incumbent upon us as producers is the responsibility to present programs that speak to our entire community and that entertain as well as educate. Never has this ethic been more important than today when many members of our community are seeking representation in art and others in our community are seeking enlightenment so they can be better armed in the fight against social inequality. We are framing our programming choices with these concerns in mind and hope our audience will embrace this program that celebrates and showcases community.”  – Scott & Shannon Guggenheim, Producers

When we first set out to try to produce anything under the header of “entertainment” during the pandemic, we figured all anyone would want is fluff; something to take our minds off all the negative stuff. But, as the months went by and the daily news shined a light on the ongoing social injustices that too many in our community face, we wanted to produce programming that makes a difference. And then we realized, we can and need to do both.

Movies and music are not going to change how injustice is understood or experienced but experiencing entertainment does not happen in a vacuum, and the right film or song presented in the right environment has the capability of completely changing one’s worldview. A film about race or immigration or gender or sexuality or just about anything else can make the difference in how our society acts. A shared experience that promotes joy as well as thoughtfulness, that highlights injustice and at the same time inspires us to do better, will provide every viewer with a new perspective on how to think and talk about hard subjects. And if you’re entertained by outstanding performances in all areas of visual and performing arts along the way, even better.