Meet Grey Box Collective | interdisciplinary performing arts organization that makes weird art about tough stuff

We had the good fortune of connecting with Grey Box Collective and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grey Box Collective, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The inception of Grey Box Collective was a convergence of passion, serendipity, and a drive to create meaningful art. In 2007-2008, Molly W. Schenck, while working in a sexual assault awareness office during her university years, crafted a performance piece titled It’s Not That Simple. This marked the beginning of her journey in using dance and theater as powerful tools for social change. The experience of merging her artistic talents with social issues planted the seeds for what would eventually become Grey Box Collective.

Fast forward to 2015, while immersed in her MFA program and juggling a full-time career, Molly found herself inadvertently applying for an arts incubator program while seeking funding for her thesis. This “accidental” application became the catalyst for officially forming Grey Box Collective in 2016. But the groundwork was laid earlier, during what Molly calls “Season Zero”—a whirlwind of creativity fueled by the relentless hustle and chaos of academic life.

Amidst the demands of grad school and a full-time job, Molly’s drive to create art with purpose led her to build a company that would amplify the voices of artists tackling difficult topics. The collaborative spirit she discovered during her MFA fueled her vision for Grey Box Collective, where artists could come together to create art that challenges and transforms. Today, GBC continues to produces innovative, interdisciplinary projects that act as artistic vehicles for embodied activism and social transformation.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Grey Box makes weird art about tough stuff. Our projects are created at the intersection of both arts-based and non-arts disciplines to explore new forms of expression that investigate broad ideas. The works are considered artistic vehicles for social change that spark conversations inspiring transformation, embodied activism, and strengthen community connections. We aim to cultivate brave and supportive spaces for creatives and our audiences to engage in difficult art. Through our actions, reflections, and art-making, we aim to challenge and re-shape the status quo in our organization, our bodies, and our communities. We believe this leads to a just society.

The journey to get to where we are today has had its fair share of ups and downs, GBC Founder, Molly W. Schenck, goes into the journey of being an arts entrepreneur and navigating COVID in our most recent season of our podcast Any Other Anythings. Highly recommend checking that out for anyone who is curious or on a similar path.

Within GBC, we focus on creative process and being in the messy evolution of it all. That sentiment also spills into our organizational structure. Grey Box Collective is undergoing significant changes as it evolves toward a more project-focused model. This shift involves establishing two new boards: a working board for the 501(c)(3) side and an advisory board for the LLC, both aimed at sustaining the organization between projects.

Founder Molly W. Schenck is focused on transitioning organizational leadership model to support the mission and long-term vision. Looking ahead, Grey Box Collective plans to continue producing original performances, foster new work through mentorship and training, and explore artistic activism. There’s an emphasis on nurturing creativity and developing innovative organizational models that challenge traditional arts business practices. This vision includes maintaining a virtual presence, potentially revitalizing a physical studio space, and creating a more dynamic and supportive environment for both the organization and its community.

Molly envisions a future where Grey Box Collective adapts and grows, balancing her long-term goals with immediate needs and trusting the unfolding process. The focus is on maintaining the core vision while allowing for flexibility and new opportunities. We currently have an open call for board members under the “Get Involved” section of our website for anyone interested in being a co-conspirator in this journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One perk to not having our own studio and performance space, is that it’s allowed us to float around to different venues, embrace non-traditional performance spaces, and partner with various organizations.

Since forming, we were in residency and performed nue[BOX], the Phoenix Center for the Arts, and the Network of Ensemble Theatre’s annual conference at Childsplay. We have partnered with the Singh Meadows, the Gray Atelier, Artist’s Box, Z-Room, The Movement Project, The Phoenix Hostel and Cultural Center, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Prison Law Office, the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, Take Back the Night Phoenix, and La Frontera (EMPACT)’s Trauma Healing Services Division.

One of our favorite places to perform has been Mesa Arts Center. We’ve performed in their outdoor spaces three times in the past few years and there is something magical about being on that campus for an outdoor performance. One of our go to places for rehearsals is Escalante Community Center in Tempe where we can always find a space to rehearse that fits the need of our performers.

This year, we are excited to have our first performance of the season this November 15-16 at Childsplay in Tempe. The City of Tempe has been a supporter since the very beginning and we are grateful to continue to produce work in this part of the valley. We will also be returning to Scottsdale Neighborhood Arts Place for the launch of our third coloring book in February 15, 2025. The multi-purpose space is absolutely ideal for our dynamic evening of performance, dialogue, and coloring in community. Check out our website for details on those events: https://www.greyboxcollective.com/events

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This shoutout has to be dedicated to the 100+ individuals that have poured their time, energy, and creativity into making Grey Box Collective what it is and what it has been over the past eight – going on nine years. None of these projects would have been possible without them.

Website: https://www.greyboxcollective.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greyboxcollective

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreyBoxCollective/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@greyboxcollective748

Other: https://www.greyboxcollective.com/podcast

Image Credits
All photos by Jamie of Little Den Studio