A note from Emily: 

Hello friends, 

It's been a while, and I hope this finds you well. As most of you know, I stepped away from SPACE in the fall of 2021. A lot transpired at SPACE between that time and last year when they sadly had to close operations on Ryder Farm. Through a series of fortuitous events, I have recently returned to SPACE's board with a small group of passionate individuals, some of whom have been with the organization from the beginning and some of whom are brand new, all of us excited to reimagine what SPACE can become now that it's no longer a brick and mortar on Ryder Farm.

With this unique opportunity to turn a fresh page, I've been meditating on the beginnings of SPACE. Remembering when it was just an idea - pure curiosity about what was possible when you brought artists together and gave them time and space to create. In this new incarnation, we are more nimble and in a position to return to the original mission of SPACE. The residency opportunity you'll read about here is the first new seed of SPACE's spirit alive in the world, and we are eager to share it with you. I’ll let the Board take it from here.

Emily Simoness

Dear SPACE Community, 

At the start of this year, we were in deep discussion about what the future of SPACE away from Ryder Farm could look like. We were simultaneously watching the devastation in Los Angeles unfold as a result of the Eaton-Palisades fires. We wondered if SPACE could be of service in the face of this disaster. It seemed like there might be an organic opportunity to share the essential gifts of community, care, time, and space with those in need. 

Through a generous partnership with the Colorado Lodge in Big Bear Lake, California, we are thrilled to offer a special Family Residency this fall for artists who have been displaced by those fires. This residency will host up to 6 families of working theatre artists with children aged 3-12 years old for the week of Sept 7-12, 2025. The artists and their families will have time and space to create and to break bread with other families moving through the same difficult time. The artists will be nominated by a SPACE community member (hopefully you) and selected by lottery. Full details and requirements for the residency are here. 

Our humble ask: if you know an artist who fulfills these requirements, please nominate them by June 27 at 11:59 P.M. PT. 

It’s been a year since SPACE announced the cessation of operations on Ryder Farm. This new assemblage of Board Members is excited and energized to chart a new path forward for this incredible organization. We hope this pilot program will illuminate how SPACE can continue to serve the needs of artists and operate on other sites beyond Ryder Farm. 

We look forward to hearing from you,

Therese Barbato, Monet Hurst-Mendoza, Blair Russell, Emily Simoness, and Tamara White