Search Grantees

Abstract or Project Description

Abstract or Project Description

Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) have dysfunctions in gut motility (the movement of muscles in the gastrointestinal tract). Currently, most available therapeutics developed to directly target the gut fail to stabilize symptoms, suggesting that dysfunctions in gut motility could arise from pathological changes occurring outside the gut. Intriguingly, gut motility problems also occur at high frequencies in patients with neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases, associated with dysregulated neural activity in a specific region of the brain—the cerebral cortex. We propose that dysregulated neural activity in the cortex contributes to the emergence of gut dysfunction. We will test this hypothesis by first identifying specific regions in the cortex that are anatomically connected to the gut and then determining if modulating neural activity within these regions alters gut function. Additionally, we will use established mouse models of various neurological disorders and IBD to ask whether restoring homeostatic levels of neural activity to the cortex improves gut phenotypes. Our study will provide anatomical and functional evidence to support the concept that cortical modulations regulate gut motility. Furthermore, the insight gained from the study can lead to novel therapeutics for ameliorating gut motility symptoms in IBD patients.

Abstract or Project Description

A new evening-length performance that utilizes Drag, music, dance and theater to tell a story of trans identity and Chinese-American heritage.

Abstract or Project Description

A performance experiment in social contracts, audience expectation and theatrical framing where the performers are replaced by audience members.

Abstract or Project Description

A new multi-disciplinary dance performance investigating the history of nuclear radiation and its effects through Butoh and contemporary dance, poetry, animation and immersive video installation.

Abstract or Project Description

An evening length contemporary dance work exploring the complexities of food, health and identity within Latinx heritage, simultaneously honoring cultural roots and envisioning a healthier future.

Abstract or Project Description

A new full-length theater production by Biko Eisen-Martin exploring the 1960s Hunter’s Point riots by blending historical events, documentary theater and experimental storytelling.

Abstract or Project Description

An improvisation-based dance performance by three local dance artists inspired by stories of local Iranian-American immigrants.

Abstract or Project Description

A world premiere play by local playwright Christopher Chen that includes local artists and audiences in an immersive play exploring what it means to be human.

Abstract or Project Description

A radically participatory and collaborative world-premiere play set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s disappearing artist spaces. In this timely struggle, a diverse ensemble of creators fights to save a beloved cultural haven from impending closure.

Abstract or Project Description

A dance-theatre collaboration by choreographer Babatunji Johnson, poet Maddy Clifford and photographer Bethanie Hines that reimagines the Phoenix myth to explore resilience as a collective, relational act.

Abstract or Project Description

A genre-warping, sci-fi Wild Western physical theatre work built for the streets, theaters and abandoned lots of the Bay Area. Loud, unfiltered and unrelenting, this Afro-Indigenous reclamation twists saloons, stand-offs and open ranges into something raw, mythic and untamed.

Abstract or Project Description

A multimedia intergenerational performance engaging formative environments of childhood in connection to layers of memory, weight and possibility presented by interdisciplinary dance artists Isak Immanuel and Marina Fukushima alongside community participants. 

Abstract or Project Description

“BCF: Here & Now” supports emerging and mid-career artists in residencies to cultivate innovative dance works.

Abstract or Project Description

A new dance and music work investigating the influence of Black American protest dance and music on contemporary dance forms like House and Hip Hop through intersecting lenses of Dance Cyphers and Afrofuturism.

Abstract or Project Description

Sponsorships for Oakland literacy leaders to attend the 2026 Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning conference.

Abstract or Project Description

Content and technical assistance for Oakland Unified School District’s central literacy team.

Abstract or Project Description

Officially launching in 2026, the Accelerating Literacy Leadership (ALL) Grant supports Oakland schools in dramatically improving PreK–Second grade students’ reading outcomes by strengthening conditions for educators, students and families. This grant provides flexible funding for ALL school site projects including stipends, materials and substitute coverage, while also supporting expert consultation for schools and Oakland Unified School District leadership.

Abstract or Project Description

A new multidisciplinary performance blending Turf Dance and spoken word to explore the emotional landscape of potent emotions, offering a powerful expression of loss, joy, memory and healing.