Marrying sacred text and civic conversation, the In[HEIR]itance Project opens pathways for change

We are thrilled to announce the In[HEIR]itance Project as the winner of the innoFaith award, given as part of Soularize Live in October 2021. The In[HEIR]itance Project—co-founded by Jon Adam Ross, Chantal Pavageaux, and Ariel Warmflash—uses participatory artmaking as a way to lower barriers to relationship. They build bridges in communities, create space for difficult conversations, and open pathways for change in one of the most creative models we’ve seen for interfaith engagement toward social impact.

Jon tells us that their work aims to “marry civic conversation and sacred text… reclaiming sacred texts as useful, magic, constructive texts for conversation.” The In[HEIR]itance Project has worked in numerous communities across the country, going only where they are invited, and then bringing into conversation a diverse array of faith communities, artists, students, and civic leaders and organizations. The end product is a thought-provoking theater performance about a topic of civic relevance to the local community, produced out of the wisdom and stories of the community, refined by the community through open public rehearsals, performed by local artists, with the proceeds benefiting local artists and art organizations. But the impact is in the process of community members of diverse backgrounds and perspectives stepping out of their silos, engaging with each other, learning about their respective experiences, understanding their neighbors and communities in a deeper way, and tackling tough issues together.

In recent years, the In[HEIR]itance Project has done a series of projects using the Biblical story of Exodus as the rooting sacred text. In Omaha, they explored exodus in the experience of refugee resettlement in this midwestern meatpacking city. Currently, Jon and his team are working in coastal Virginia exploring a different kind of exodus story in the history of white flight from Norfolk to Virginia Beach. But contrary to expectations, this is not a homogenous group of liberal artists and organizations discussing issues of social justice. In the mix are also conservative congregations, traditional arts organizations, local politicians, law enforcement, civic leaders, schools, and more. The In[HEIR]itance Project methodology brings everyone into the conversation.

In an era of deep political polarization, the In[HEIR]itance Project feels countercultural in the best possible way. When asked how they do it, how they get people of different perspectives, including political persuasions, to engage in this creative process, Jon points to their use of sacred texts: “The faith community is politically diverse. Sacred text is the Trojan horse that gets us in the door.” And though the conversations and performances touch on deeply political issues, the In[HEIR]itance Project doesn’t come at the issues from a political point of view. Turns out faith, art, and conversations that matter can connect us in powerful ways, opening space for us to see each other, learn together, and collaborate to help our communities thrive.

We encourage you to check out the In[HEIR]itance Project website to learn more about their work and the communities where they’re active. Jon tells us there are three ways to support their work:

1) Funding - As they provide all the proceeds of the performances to local groups, they rely on other funding to cover costs and grow to more communities. If you can give, please do. Or if you know a funder who would be interested in this work, please share with them.

2) Artists - If you’re an artist (of any age) and would be interested in doing this work, reach out to them. They need more artists in more places across the country to be able to grow their efforts.

3) Participation - If you happen to live in one of the communities where they are currently or will be working—including coastal Virginia, Palm Beach, Key West, Philadelphia, Memphis—lucky you! Join the creative process by participating in the public events or bringing your institution or community into the conversation.

Photo from the In[HEIR]itance Project