Applied Mechanics Awarded $75,000 Project Grant From William Penn Foundation For 'Other Orbits'

Applied Mechanics, Philadelphia's visionary, multiracial collective of queer and genderqueer theater artists, is pleased to announce that they are the recipient of a $75,000 grant, through fiscal sponsor Headlong Dance Theater, from the William Penn Foundation for "Other Orbits," an immersive performance project. The grant is a major milestone for the fourteen-year-old organization, as it allows the collective to effectively work in a range of mediums to reach audiences across Philadelphia.

"Other Orbits" started over four years ago with questions about generations and middle management: what does it mean to be of a "middle generation" in relationship with both elders and offspring? How do we collectivize our power as we strive to take care of generations both above and below us? The show will feature a fantastic immersive set where audiences interact with alien species who are trying to work together to avoid planetary disaster. On this planet, conflict resolution can look like anything from an intense group discussion, to DNA swapping, collective singing, and even dance battles to the tunes of a sentient microphone DJ. It is Applied Mechanics' most ambitious show to date, and will take over an entire film studio in North Philadelphia where audiences can wander through the elaborate immersive world.

"When we formalized Applied Mechanics, we chose to structure the company according to a shared belief in the artwork and a commitment to prioritizing our collective artistic brains," notes Applied Mechanics member Thomas Choinacky who has been with the company since 2009. "Through our various transformations over the years, we have always put the focus on the work, the group, and a culture of generosity and abundance, over competition and money.

"I am proud that our scrappy style and non-hierarchical structure persists," he adds. "We continue to invest in each other as artists and as humans, and we continue to maintain a collective that prioritizes shared artistic visioning and management."

Choinacky first appeared with Applied Mechanics in It's Hard Times at the Camera Blanca at Murph's Bar in Fishtown. He later appeared in Ses Voyages Sauvages, operating radio equipment amidst bricks of ice (cardboard boxes painted sky blue) in member Becky Wright's West Philly apartment. Receiving the William Penn Foundation grant opens new doors for the collective, who are presenting the world premiere of their multi-modal project "Other Orbits" this July.

More details on "Other Orbits," coming to Philadelphia July 12-22, 2023, will be announced in the coming weeks. Applied Mechanics is currently holding a Matching Gift Challenge; all donations received prior to February 14, 2023, will be matched by an anonymous donor (up to $15,000). For more information visit http://www.appliedmechanics.us.

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