Sonia Brunner, interim board chair of The 418 Project and Santa Cruz City Council member, speaks at a special 418 Project event. (Courtesy photo — Jacob Wilkens)
SANTA CRUZ — Since 1993, the 418 Project has been a hub for supporting the arts in Santa Cruz County. More than 30 years and a relocation later, that commitment remains the same.
Additionally, the organization has many more plans for the future, including an expansion to their current building. Additionally, at a reception earlier this month, they announced that they have paid off their current mortgage with the help of the community.
“Today marks the first step in our long-term vision,” Executive Director Ann Marie Yap said at the event. “Now we get to the real work: transforming our eternal home into a jewel of California's arts community.”
The organization's overall goal is to re-envision the current building as a community hub with dining options, seven working studios, an adaptive performing arts center and a green rooftop deck overlooking local landmarks like the San Lorenzo River, San Lorenzo Park and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Executive Director Laura Bishop encouraged participants to imagine a space that offers affordable classes, workshops and performances, and where everyone feels welcome.
“If you find a place like this intriguing, open your eyes wide and look around,” she said. “This is your home.”
The 418 Project was founded in 1993 at 418 Front Street, offering affordable dance classes and workshops that anyone could attend, but the announced plans for a new apartment complex along Front Street forced the nonprofit to relocate in 2021. It now operates out of 155 River Street, the former location of DNA's Comedy Lab.
Today, the organization offers a variety of dance classes, including Afro-Brazilian, swing, tango, salsa and hula, as well as weekly contact improvisation sessions, karaoke, open studio nights and more. It also has two theatres and a dance floor that can be rented out.
Speaking at the announcement, Gregory Speed, a local poet and host of the monthly show “Mic Drop,” said he has seen firsthand the difference the 418 Project is making to the Santa Cruz community.
“I see people getting up on stage and presenting their work, many of them for the first time, and I see how we're creating confidence and a sense of belonging and making a difference,” he said, “and I see that change making our world a better place.”
At the event, Interim Board Chair and Santa Cruz City Council Member Sonia Brunner spoke about the important work the center does.
“I serve on the board of The 418 Project because I understand and believe in the power the arts have to uplift and unite communities,” she said. “I see 418 as a hub that will make Santa Cruz and our region more vibrant, safe and inclusive, and I'm thrilled to be a part of this project.”
For more information, visit The418project.org/.