So, where did the name “Tangible Hope” come from?
I’m so glad you asked! I was introduced to the term by my friend and eco-theater maker, Jeremy Pickard. Jeremy is the founder of Superhero Clubhouse, a small but mighty theater company based in Brooklyn, NY that he runs with co-director, Lanxing Fu. Superhero Clubhouse “unites ecology and theater to enact justice, cultivate hope, and inspire a thriving future.”* The result is eco-theater and they are one of the leading creators of the form in the United States. More than just plays that address environmental themes, eco-theater is a “holistic approach to theater-making in which content, process, and production are tethered to complex environmental questions.”
Jeremy uses “tangible hope” as a guiding principle in the new works of performance that the company creates. As he puts it in their manifesto on eco-theater, “Much of life on Earth and many communities are already facing the worst of climate change, with no option but to adapt. Hope is vital, but it must be tangible; it must be grounded in the abundance of knowledge that exists and work that is happening.”
I had the good fortune to work with Jeremy and Superhero Clubhouse on their Big Green Theater (BGT) initiative. BGT is an “eco-playwriting program for North Brooklyn public elementary students that uplifts the imaginations of young people most impacted by our new climate reality and brings their ideas to life on stage. BGT aims to inspire students to manifest a sustainable and just community by using the power of their creative voice. Superhero Clubhouse runs this program in partnership with The Bushwick Starr.” 
(Yes, that’s me as a caveman.)
Speaking of adaptation, as of writing this blog in April of 2020, the BGT schools that Superhero Clubhouse partners with are closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and will remain so for the duration of the school year. Rather than cancelling the program, Superhero Clubhouse will be making a movie with the students instead. Keep an eye out for it in May.
In many ways, Superhero Clubhouse is a model organization of the kinds of grassroots community building, innovation, and social relevance that characterized the dozens of nonprofits that I met with across the country for “Tangible Hope Project.”
And like the individuals and organizations interviewed for this doc series, there’s a lot more to Superhero Clubhouse than I’ve covered here. Learn more about what they do, how you can get involved as a volunteer, and how you can support their work at www.superheroclubhouse.org.
*Quotes used from Superhero Clubhouse’s website, www.superheroclubhouse.org