Artists In Action

Karina, a cultural worker and multimedia artist from Queens, uses storytelling to explore themes of place and transformation. With a history of organizing in housing and education movements, Karina brings a deep commitment to justice. Through the fellowship, Karina is documenting The Action Lab’s convenings by creating three artistic meditations—visual time capsules that capture the energy, contradictions, and collective action driving today’s movements.

A Colombian-born community organizer, musician, and DJ, Julián (Sonido Monarca) blends Afro-Indigenous traditions with contemporary soundscapes to amplify resistance and resilience. During the fellowship, Julián collaborates with organizers and member leaders to write poetry, songs, and stories, culminating in a multimedia music program that celebrates community power.

Alex is a playwright and actor whose work examines the intersections of labor, culture, and identity. As both an Artist in Action Fellow and Playwright-in-Residence at Working Theater, Alex collaborates with communities fighting for social justice, using her sharp storytelling to illuminate struggles within the American steel industry.

Adilka, a spoken word artist and abolitionist, brings over 20 years of organizing experience, particularly with Action Lab anchor partner Make the Road NY. Through the fellowship, Adilka shares her love of facilitation and political education, helping to cultivate leadership and community resilience while integrating artistic expression into movement work.

A comedic performer, writer, and musician, Morgan’s work blends humor and activism, tackling topics from anti-Zionism to queer liberation. With experience in both social justice movements and the arts, Morgan brings their unique lens to The Action Lab, using humor and storytelling to energize campaigns and deepen community connections.

Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of @fistuptv, a media platform amplifying stories from communities that refuse to be silenced. He directed WE STILL HERE / NOS TENEMOS, a powerful documentary about a just recovery in Puerto Rico, and Bakosó: Afrobeats of Cuba, which aired on PBS. Eli’s work is rooted in his commitment to social justice and the transformative power of film.

Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi is a producer at Clenched Fist Productions, dedicated to documenting how music and culture advance social justice. With over 20 years of experience in documentary filmmaking and photography, Kahlil has co-created award-winning films with his brother Eli that have toured globally. He holds degrees in media and education and focuses on creating works that reflect the experiences of the African diaspora.

Jessica Bauman is a Brooklyn-based theater director and community-engaged artist. She co-created The Frontera Project, an interactive bilingual theatrical experience performed by U.S. and Mexican artists that fosters dialogue about life at the U.S.-Mexico border. Jessica’s acclaimed adaptation of As You Like It reimagines Shakespeare’s play as a refugee story, featuring immigrant and refugee performers in New York City and beyond. Her work has been showcased at venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe, New York Theatre Workshop, and Joe’s Pub, blending artistry and activism to spark compassionate conversations on migration and social justice.

Dennis is a writer, director, dramatist, actor, critic, teacher, and guerrilla filmmaker from Queens, born to a Black & Indian Trinidadian couple. He may be best known as the director of the 2001 cult classic underground film, “As an Act of Protest” but post-pandemic he returned to the stage with a vengeance in his on-going tour of Samuel Beckett’s monologue Krapp’s Last Tape and the recent political drama, The Life & Death of Art. He is the artistic director of The Kangalee Arts Ensemble, a 501-c3 non profit theater dedicated to the revolutionary development of the actor and the fusion of radical politics and classical theater aesthetics.