BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING!
2026 is shaping up to be a transformative year for The Big We and Memphis! As we buckle in for an exciting year, take a look at our latest news, including updates on Historic Clayborn Temple and information about your favorite season of events, In This Place!
THE BIG WE ACTIVATES CROSSTOWN FOR IN THIS PLACE OPENING EVENT
The lobby of Crosstown Concourse came alive with music, laughter, and collective energy as Historic Clayborn Temple and members of the Tennessee Mass Choir gathered Memphians for Community Sing, the opening event of the In This Place 2026: This Is Memphis season powered by The Big We.
GOOD NEWS
CLAYBORN TEMPLE ON PBS ON MLK JR. DAY
Anasa Troutman, founder of The Big We and Executive Director of Historic Clayborn Temple, joined civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. for a powerful national conversation about culture, economics, and the future of Memphis.
CLAYBORN AWARED $3.1 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT
Congressman Steve Cohen recently announced a $3.1 million federal grant to support the rebuilding and preservation of the historic Memphis landmark, a site widely recognized as one of the most important locations in American history.
MEMPHIS CULTURE COALITION TO HOST MAYORAL FORUM
Memphis Culture Coalition (MCC), powered by The Big We, will host State of the Arts: Mayoral Forum 2026 on Monday, April 6th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Memphis Museum of Science & History, located at 3050 Central Avenue.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE!
Each year, The Big We selects an Artist-In-Residence to co-curate the In This Place season and lead one major creative project. In 2027, we return to our beginnings. The selected artist will write an updated script and produce a staged reading of Union: The Musical, originally created in 2018 to commemorate MLK50 and centered on the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike.
We welcome experienced and emerging playwrights who are ready to engage Memphis history with imagination, rigor, and community-centered storytelling.
-
As the 2027 In This Place Artist-In-Residence, you will co-curate the season and lead one major creative project rooted in Memphis history.
You will write an updated script and produce a staged reading of Union: The Musical, originally created in 2018 to commemorate MLK50 and centered on the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike. This work will reintroduce the story to a new generation through bold, community-centered storytelling and artistic vision.
-
The 2027 Artist-In-Residence will receive:
A living-wage stipend and housing to support your time and creative leadership
A dedicated project budget for materials, collaborators, and presentation
Access to community spaces, historical archives, and storytelling platforms
Training in The Big We core curriculum and connection to The Big We community
Professional visibility through The Big We’s communications and networks
The opportunity to shape a widely recognized cultural program rooted in Memphis history and collective power
-
Are you looking to join our team as our Artist in Residence? Click here to fill out the brief form, and a team member will contact you soon! For any questions or concerns, contact our Director of Programs, Sameka Johnson, at sameka@thebigwe.com.
PROGRAM UPDATES
SHELECTRICITY HELPS MEMPHIS GIRLS DISCOVER THEIR INNER ENTREPRENEUR
Inside Freedom Prep Academy, a group of middle school girls gather each week to talk, imagine, build ideas, and discover something many of them have never been told before: they already have what it takes to create something of their own.
CLAYBORN’S CO-OP BUILDING PROGRAM EXPANDS TO A TRI-STATE COHORT
Historic Clayborn Temple’s COIN program, Co-Op Opportunity for Inclusive Neighborhoods, has officially grown into a tri-state initiative, with participants from across Tennessee, Northern Mississippi, and Kentucky joining the newest cohort.
THE BIG WE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT THE CENTER OF MEMPHIS CULTURE
Memphis’ creative economy is gaining new momentum through a powerful collaboration with Crosstown Arts, which provides space, resources, and community connection for a national artist deeply embedded in Memphis’ cultural life.
OUR SOCIAL FEED
