About freeskewl

 
​On March 17, 2020, freeskewl was initiated by Sofia Engelman, Anna Maynard, and Em Papineau as a platform for online movement classes (initially just on Instagram!). Since then, freeskewl programming has grown to include On The House and FERN performances, Pedagogy/Poetic Entry artist conversations, movement classes for Young People, a Reparations Initiative, and outdoor classes in NYC. 

freeskewl prioritizes artists. Income from classes is paid at a sliding scale rate directly to teaching artists with no participants turned away for lack of funds. The freeskewl platform is an experimental and improvisational grassroots effort in adaptation, and in reimagining togetherness and presence in embodied practices. freeskewl is committed to generating access to artistic opportunities and community across geography, class, disability, age, and race.

Land acknowledgment and statement of commitment: 
freeskewl has no physical location but administrators reside on the land of the Canarsie, Munsee Lenape, Massachusett, Nipmuck, Wampanoag, Sissipahaw, and Pequot tribal nations. We are grateful for this land and have great respect for those who have cared for it past, present, and future. We acknowledge that many of us are on this land because of violence and settler colonialism. We recognize that this land acknowledgement is a small but necessary step toward justice.

We, as a team, are committed to continually reimagining how our platform can support Indigenous artists. We intend to break patterns of settler colonialism that are frequently upheld by the dance, performance, and somatics communities. All freeskewl Indigenous teaching artists can supplement their class income through the Reparations Initiative. If you would like to propose programming that centers Indigenous voices, do not hesitate to reach out.

View our Community Agreement.