CAPA Community Creates
CAPA Community Creates invites adults with an interest in the performing arts to explore different artistic practices, including dance, theatre performance, written/spoken word, and more.
Each session includes a conversation with local guest artists who are working professionally in their field. At the conclusion of the conversation, participants will have an additional hour in the Lab to practice a new or familiar art form with the teaching artists. Guest artists will lead the lab through the lens of their conversation topic, encouraging participants to try something new in a safe, guided space, and providing resources for further exploration of the art form. Sessions are intended for participants 18+.
Each session is unique and can be taken as a standalone or you can combine sessions for a curated experience.
All workshops are free, but registration is required.
2026 Program Dates:
All sessions take place at Idea Foundry (421 W State St, Columbus, OH 43215)
Thursday, December 3
5:30-7:30pm
The Objects We Hold: Writing from Artifacts & Memory
Participants use a meaningful object, photograph, or keepsake as a starting point for exploring memory and storytelling. Through accessible prompts, participants create a short poem or piece of creative writing inspired by the stories their objects hold, with an optional share-out at the end. No writing experience required.
Sunday, December 6
12-2pm
Permission to Play: Finding Your Story on the Page
A low-pressure introduction to creative writing through playful prompts around memory, place, identity, observation, and imagination. Participants experiment with poetry and short-form storytelling, with an optional share-out at the end. No writing experience required.
Thursday, December 10
5:30-7:30pm
From Page to Stage: Spoken Word & Performance
Using their own writing or a provided text, participants explore how breath, pacing, emphasis, movement, and delivery can bring words to life. The focus is on authentic expression and becoming more comfortable using your voice, rather than polished performance. No prior experience is required.
Sunday, December 13
12-2pm
Courage in the Room: Confidence, Presence & Public Speaking
Using short existing stories, poems, or texts, participants experiment with read-aloud, embodiment, movement, and interpretation while building confidence and presence. An alternate brief writing and reflection exercise can also help participants connect these techniques to their own voice and everyday communication. No prior experience is required.
Elizabeth Sugawara - Perennial Movement Group
Elizabeth Sugawara (they/she) is an interdisciplinary performance artist, intermedia experimenter, fun seeker, and dance improviser. They hold an MFA in Dance from The Ohio State University highlighting intergenerational processes, community dance-making, and K-12 adaptive curriculum. Through her creative practice with people, Elizabeth is deeply invested in organizing, facilitating, and developing experiences for multiple populations. As an artistic practice, she focuses on cultivating dance making in partnership with community spaces that support meeting people where they are on their learning journey.
Elizabeth began teaching in early childcare classrooms in Seattle in collaboration with Creative Dance Center (Founder: Anne Green Gilbert). At Creative Dance Center, they deepened teaching practices with early childhood education and Adaptive Dance practices for all ages and abilities. Elizabeth also developed as a maker and performer inside of spaces such as On The Boards, Velocity Dance Center, The Seattle International Dance Festival, Studio Current, BASE Theater, and The Northwest Film Festival in collaborative work alongside creatives such as Alicia Mullikin, Veronica Lee Baik, Corina Dalzell and SOTO+TOWER. She is currently a teaching artist in Columbus, Ohio in spaces with Perennial Movement Group, the Delaware County Jail, and Columbus Dance for Parkinson’s while also bringing artistic collaboration to middle school drama clubs and high school dancers with disabilities through Art Possible.
Krista Lively Stauffer
Krista Lively Stauffer, an Otterbein Theatre graduate is an Actor/Coach/Director/Producer/Casting Director/Intimacy Choreographer and probably should take a vacation. She has performed professionally with Short North Stage, CATCO, Available Light Theatre, CCT, as well as in several films, commercials, and industrials. She is represented by Heyman Talent, Wink Talent and The Talent Group in Pittsburgh. Krista teaches privately in her studio for all ages of actors on stage and screen. Up next, she will be onstage traveling the nation with “What I Didn’t Say (The Parkinson’s Play)”.
Chrissy Turner
Columbus-based artist Christina ‘Chrissy T’ Turner is a multifaceted vocalist, actress and educator. Her soulful and eclectic voice blends various genres captivating audiences across local to international stages.With nearly two decades of experience, she has showcased her talents in numerous theatrical productions, earning acclaim and two prestigious drama awards for her performances. She is also currently nominated for 3 esteemed awards. In 2024, Chrissy released her debut EP, “Metamorphosis,” featuring her breakout single, “Stuck in Limbo,” which reached #1 on Amazon Music’s UK R&B Hot Releases Chart; her debut album has also reached an overseas audience in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. As a dedicated performing arts teaching artist in school communities as well as organizations such as CAPA, The historic Lincoln Theatre and The Ohio Arts Council, Chrissy has spent over 13 years teaching, nurturing and inspiring young creatives in Central Ohio. She uses her voice and artistry to inspire and uplift others, especially through creativity, authenticity, and community impact.
If you have questions, contact ekassa@capa.com.
