Meet Jorge Arroyo, a Meter Reader at CNG, and his wife Cristina! For the Arroyos, supporting the arts and its ability to connect, heal and create change is a family affair. Inspired by Cristina’s passion and commitment to its mission as a board member, Jorge nominated the Judy Dworin Performance Project for an AVANgives grant.

Led by Executive & Artistic Director Judy Dworin and based in Hartford, CT, Judy Dworin Performance Project (JDPP) harnesses the arts – on stage, in schools, in prisons and in the community – as a powerful catalyst for creative expression, amplifying voices that often go unheard and telling stories that are rarely told.

JDPP creates impact through three core programs: the Ensemble, that through multi-arts performance on stage examines social and personal issues of our time; Moving Matters!, which brings dance and theater into schools as tools for learning and personal growth; and Bridging Boundaries, a unique arts intervention program that helps bridge the forced separations of families affected by incarceration.

By “Moving for Change”, JDPP is committed to expressing and communicating both what has been, as well as a responsive vision of what can be. Through COVID-19, national calls to action for social justice, and during Second Chance Month, JDPP affirms that in our dimmest moments the arts provide light, inspiration and hope, and unite us in our shared humanity.