“We saw our artistic and organizing work as a rehearsal for the lives we wish to live together.”
In June 2025, The Haus of Glitter Dance Company transformed a corner of Providence into a vision of what a liberated future could look like.
During PRIDE SZN, they hosted a free series of events celebrating Queer creativity, wellness, and community not only in Rhode Island and New England, but also the diverse national community of Black, African & Afro-diasporic dance conferences, festivals, and preservation communities. Through Vogue and ballroom workshops, Queer yoga, West African dance with live drumming, and intergenerational dialogues on collective care, the series brought together people across generations and identities — not just to celebrate, but to organize, rest, and reimagine.
Haus of Glitter’s work isn’t just performance; it is practice. Their work reflects Just Transition and a living economy: keeping resources rooted locally, centering cultural knowledge, supporting Queer and BIPOC artists with fair pay, and using public space for joy, healing, and connection. Their programs uplift cultural heritage while cultivating the kind of vibrant place-based community that makes resilience possible.
Externally, their commitment to community power is equally strong. In projects like PRIDE SZN, Haus of Glitter serves not as a gatekeeper but as a facilitator of collective visioning.
One organizer shared, “The stakes are higher than ever – and it’s not only the Queer community at stake. We need solidarity, connection, and intention more than ever. This programming is a collective invitation to rehearse taking care of each other; to rehearse safely gathering together in mass; to rehearse the empathy of seeing and celebrating one another in our fullness; to rehearse the conviction to step into courage, authenticity, and fierce radical truth-telling.”
By honoring Queer Afro-Latinx traditions and creating spaces of inclusion, Haus of Glitter models how to move toward a more just and livable economy from the ground up.
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Why this project was selected for funding in the Spring 2025 Grow grant round:
Over the past two years, Haus of Glitter has received both Seed and Grow grants from the Grassroots Fund, in recognition of their deep alignment with the Fund’s Guiding Practices. Their application for PRIDE SZN 2025 reflects the principles of Just Transition by building an arts ecosystem that centers healing, cultural memory, economic justice, and community care. Their programming resists extractive models and instead nurtures life-affirming culture. They keep resources rooted locally, support Queer and BIPOC artists with fair pay, and use public space to foster joy, connection, and visibility.
But it’s not just what they do – it’s how they do it. Haus of Glitter embodies Equity in Participation by ensuring the whole community, especially those whose needs can be overlooked at large public events, could participate fully. Not only was the event free, the group provided live interpretation and many of the offerings showcased the multiple, vibrant languages and cultures of the greater Providence region. The group also made special accommodations of sensory sensitivities. As a result, the group made it possible for more people in the community to connect and celebrate together.
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If Haus of Glitter’s story makes you think of a grassroots group in your community (maybe even your own!), please share our Grow grants with them. We’re hosting bi-weekly office hours over the next month to answer questions about the program. The fall deadline to apply is Tuesday, Sept 16.