Free Soil Arts Collective

The mission of Free Soil Arts Collective is to amplify and strengthen the voices of artists of color in the Merrimack Valley. Frustrated by having to travel to Boston or other cities for work and to experience BIPOC arts, Lowell-based theater director and actor Christa Brown founded the organization in 2019. Investing in a network of local artists helps create more opportunities for Black and other BIPOC artists to invest in their craft, develop new work, and share with the public in the place they call home. Lowell has a majority BIPOC population, with diverse ethnic communities and different immigration experiences. Free Soil believes theater and other artistic expression can lift up voices from these communities to create a place of belonging for those who are most marginalized. Free Soil’s work resonates locally, and the organization is a leading voice in the changing cultural community of Lowell.