In partnership with the City of San Francisco, YBCA piloted the San Francisco Creative Corps, a program that puts artists to work in service of the health of our communities.

The San Francisco Creative Corps partnered with Paint the Void, an organization that paid visual artists to promote COVID-19 public health messages through city-wide public art. Along with key performing arts organizations, including San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company (SFBATCO), Dance Mission, and SF Carnaval—organizations led by and that continue serving BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities—we engaged with 30 performing artists to be Community Health Ambassadors.

In Fall 2020, our Community Health Ambassadors engaged their neighborhoods both in person and online, shared critical pandemic safety messages that helped protect our community and inspired them through the performing arts.

During Spring 2021, our Community Health Ambassadors created a series of short videos that encouraged community members to get vaccinated, to continue practicing COVID-safe behavior and to bring joy to everyone. Their dance, creative storytelling, and performances spoke authentically to the challenges of living through the COVID-19 pandemic and how we can work together to keep our communities safe. These videos serve as an archive of when artists encouraged and inspired people to care for themselves and care for others throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

See the full announcement from the Office of the Mayor, London Breed →