Norristown, Pennsylvania: Theater horizonThe Board of Directors announced that MyDera Taliah Robinson was appointed executive director. The previous artistic director, Nell Bang-JeansenTheater horizon which left autumn 2024 to serve as CEO of the FRIGEN PHILLY festival. In its new role, Robinson will develop initiatives that raise local artists, widen access to artistic education and deepen community commitment through self -expression, narration and performance.
“As a native of Norristown, Mydera's trip with Theater Horizon is a testimony to what is possible when we invest in artists and leaders of our own community,” said Chad Eric Smith, chairman of the board of directors, in a statement. “Since her inception as education coordinator to her last role as director of community investment, she has been an engine of programs that deepen our impact and expand our scope. Now, as an executive director, she will take us to our next chapter, shaping the future of our organization with daring ideas, a strategic vision and an unshakable commitment to inclusiveness and artistic innovation. ”
Robinson joined the full -time staff of the theater in 2019 as an education coordinator and was then raised to the Director of Community Investments in 2022. In this role, she directed programs and partnerships that invite community members to actively participate in arts and decision -making, instead of simply being spectators. She played a decisive role in the expansion of the Autistic Theater Autistic Program of Theater Horizon and on -site educational programs, as well as the launch of Thread (Theater Horizon's Reshizon for Educational Artistic Development), the organization's first residence program to support and amplify artists based in Bipoc Normotown. She also supervised the Community Advisory Council, ensuring that local voices contribute to the formatting of the programming and the decision -making of the theater.
“I am honored and humiliated to participate in the role of executive director at Theater Horizon, a place that has shaped my artistic and professional trip in a deep way,” Robinson said in a statement. “To play poetry before the shows to become an educational artist and then a staff member, this theater was more than a workplace – it was a home. I am delighted to advance this vision, guaranteeing that Theater Horizon remains a place of belonging, creativity and limitless potential for Norristown and beyond. ”
Robinson was recognized for the first time as a spoken word artist, with his first album Confessions of a caterpillar Win a nomination for the poetry album of the year in the 12th Awards Annual Independent Music Awards. An educator at heart, she taught creative writing through programs at the University of Pennsylvania and at Villanova University, sharing her gift with youth and university students. In 2021, she opened Haya Ground Studio Art Gallery, a creative space in downtown Norristown who helped artists and emerging entrepreneurs develop their scope and bring their visions to life.
Theater Horizon will soon announce a search for a new artistic director, with details on this position to be announced on a later date. The acting co-founder and artistic director, Matthew Decker, will continue to direct artistic initiatives until a new artistic director is hired.
Founded in 2005, Theater Horizon uses the transformative power of the narration to promote empathy and create an inclusive house for artists, the public and the students. In 2024, they had an operating budget of $ 1.3 million.
