Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
Thresh’s mission is to empower individual voices within the context of a global community. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations, Thresh creates theatrical productions and outreach programs dealing with issues of gender, immigration, and race, representing marginalized and underserved communities in the US and abroad.
Vision
Thresh envisions a world that brings together different cultural voices to celebrate diversity while appreciating individuality. Through the performing arts and storytelling, Thresh fosters a democratic way of working together, increasing confidence, tolerance, and curiosity within a pluralistic society.
About
Thresh is a New York-based, female-led arts impact nonprofit producing work about storytelling in all its forms. The two-fold mission of Thresh is to educate and to entertain. From creating cross-cultural productions that deal with issues of identity, race, gender, and inclusion, to outreach programs for marginalized and underserved communities in the US and abroad, we represent the underrepresented.
Founded in 2005 by award-winning cultural storyteller and choreographer, Preeti Vasudevan, Thresh creates a provocative dialogue between traditional art forms and contemporary arts connecting heritage cultures with contemporary lives. Thresh’s work on and off the stage and online provides a safe space in which individuals from diverse groups can explore their own personal stories, gaining confidence and authentic leadership skills as a result. Thresh has recognition and support from leading US foundations and institutions including Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, US Department of State, National Endowment for the Arts, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, and arts leaders like world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Jacques d’Amboise,
amongst others.
Arts & Advocacy through cultural diplomacy is key to Thresh’s work. Thresh’s artist collaborators represent a diverse range of artistic skills and expertises that they bring to educational and outreach programs. Educational programs are created collaboratively seeking to use the arts in an intercultural and interdisciplinary manner to encourage participants to express their own voices building confidence and leadership skills. From in-school programming, digital online programs, to specialized workshops, Thresh partners with institutions nationally and internationally to reach communities to provide opportunities to have a unique experience about identity and leadership.
Team
Preeti Vasudevan: Founder & Artistic Director
Award-winning choreographer and cultural storyteller Preeti Vasudevan's provocative theatrical works redefine individual identity, uniting artists and audiences alike. Her creations have been lauded as a refreshing collision of Eastern and Western aesthetics pushing for a new expression in art-making. Using just about every mode of the performing arts (including dance, music, poetry, visual art, mime, and theater), Preeti invites cutting-edge collaborators to form a 21st-century language of expression. Her unconventional storytelling challenges the status quo of dance-theater, bridging ancient traditions with the contemporary world.
Known for igniting groundbreaking artistic partnerships, Preeti frequently collaborates with celebrated artists such as legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Guggenheim awardee Paul Kaiser and with leading ensembles like Silkroad. Preeti’s works have been commissioned by distinguished institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art NY, Glimmerglass Opera Festival NY, Guggenheim’s Works & Process NY, New Victory Theater NY, Morph Dance Company UK, and The Alliance Francaise, among others. She has been invited to sit on panels at the National Endowment for the Arts US, US Consulate panel on women creatives, Joyce Theater, and Asian American Arts Alliance.
Felicia Reid: Design & Strategy
Felicia Reid is a creative visionary with over seven years of experience in visual design and communication strategies. Based in New York, she holds a Master’s in Design Management and Communications from Georgetown University and runs Creatively Inclined Designs, LLC, crafting digital and print materials for diverse clients. Passionate about impactful work and the arts, Felicia serves on the Thresh team as the Strategy and Design Manager, contributing her expertise in digital design, brand strategy, content marketing, and social media management.
Fun Fact about Felicia:
"I am a music lover and I make it my duty to see at least one live artist/band performance a month."
Shikera Usher: Development
Dynamic and experienced nonprofit leader with over 20 years experience in Education, Leadership Development, Fundraising, Strategic Planning, Performance Management, Governance and Operations. Extensive work with a variety of nonprofits on impactful projects, from developing strategic plans to conducting in-depth research and optimizing organizational performance. Shikera's expertise has helped nonprofits achieve their missions more effectively and efficiently.
Fun Fact about Shikera:
"I am the eldest of 13 children, an avid lover of literature, nature, art, poetry, dance and music AND the Self-Proclaimed Car Karaoke Champion of the North East."
Terri Bruce: Development
Terri Bruce is a human services professional with over 20 years in the community, economic, and workforce development arenas, with expertise in nonprofit evaluation, organizational development, strategic planning, grant writing, grants management, and fundraising. She currently resides in Downeast Maine.
Mary Serbe: Educational Advisor, Grant Writer, and First Voices Advisory
Board Member
Mary Serbe is a certified art educator with an MAT from the Art Institute of Chicago who has taught in schools, museums, and arts organizations with students from preschool age to adulthood. For four years, she was Education Director at the Yellowstone Art Museum, overseeing all aspects of education and learning including partnerships, classes, tours, docents, a dedicated gallery to art of young people, and all online learning and engagement. Currently, she is curator and co-proprietor of Kirks’ Grocery, an alternative art gallery, performance venue and gathering space where she also teaches and manages educational programming. At Montana State University Billings, Mary teaches Fundamentals of 2D Design.
Mary Serbe has had the privilege of being part of the Advisory Board for the First Voices project since 2020. She currently serves in that capacity in addition to writing grants and developing documentation and educational resources for First Voices.
Fun Fact about Mary:
"I was a baton twirling captain in high school, including fire baton."
Say Solace: Arts Administration Assistant
Say Solace is an arts administrative assistant with backgrounds in performance, directing, arts administration, and education. Originally from Florida, they hold degrees in Theater, B.A., and Psychology, B.S., from the University of Florida. They are now based in Brooklyn, NY where they support Thresh’s storytelling mission and attend the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory.
Fun Fact about Say:
"I love playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends, and have a collection of dice sets!"