BABS'LAB Vision to Grow Campaign
Celebrate where we've been. Invest in where We’re GoinG.
Goal: $10,000
A Personal Invitation
I created BABS'LAB to be the kind of place I wished existed in our city, a place where storytelling is at the center, where people Can play, improvise, connect, and communicate authentically.
Ten years ago, I came to the community with a request to invest in making that vision a reality. Nearly 200 people stepped forward and donated, helping to transform an empty room in Jacksonville's CoRK Arts District into the creative home BABS'LAB has become today.
What we've built together has exceeded anything I imagined.
Today, BABS'LAB is home to Story Slams, workshops, coaching, original performances, exhibitions, and soon, an additional offering: the JAX Film Salon.
On the ten year anniversary of BABS’LAB, I'm inviting you to help write the next chapter of our story.
Why BABS'LAB Matters
For the past ten years, BABS'LAB has become a house of story — a third space where people gather to learn, experiment, and truly Feel heard.
I’ve dedicated my career to helping people discover their own stories and bear witness to the stories of their fellow human beings, whether through oral storytelling, improv, theater, or art. BABS'LAB creates opportunities for people to develop confidence and presence as communicators, together in a community of others who are doing the same. The result is a space where we are witnessed and bear witness to others.
At BABS’LAB people surprise themselves. They stop rehearsing life and begin to inhabit it.
And it’s fun!
What Your Support Makes Possible
1) Updates to the Studio
For ten years, BABS'LAB has welcomed storytellers, artists, students, and audiences into its space. As the lab continues to grow, these updates will strengthen the environment where performances, exhibitions, classes, workshops, and community gatherings come to life.
Your support will help fund:
Supplemental track lighting for art exhibits
Stage lighting fixture replacements
Paint and studio supplies
Loft and kitchen improvements
Technician fees for installation
2) JAX Film Salon
BABS'LAB is expanding its storytelling mission into independent film with the launch of the JAX Film Salon — a new monthly series bringing award winning Jacksonville filmmakers together with audiences for intimate screenings and conversations at a time when independent film spaces are increasingly needed in our city.
Did you know? Jacksonville filmmakers are earning recognition at film festivals around the world. The JAX Film Salon invites you to discover the artists, hear the stories behind the films, and celebrate the creative talent living right here in our own community.
We are looking for 50 Founding Supporters with a gift of $100 or more to help launch the JAX Film Salon. With your donation you will be recognized as a Founding Supporter on our website and lobby display during the inaugural season (with permission).
Gifts of any amount are appreciated and will help bring this new monthly series to life.
Your support will help FUNd:
High-quality film projector
Projection screen
Dedicated computer
Mounts, hardware, and cables
Professional installation and technical support
A Decade of Partnership
BABS'LAB has never worked alone. Over the last ten years, the studio has cultivated relationships across Jacksonville's civic, cultural, and artistic landscape, collaborating with organizations that share a belief in the power of story to connect and transform individuals and the community.
A selection of partners and collaborators:
Community & Civic Partners
Women's Center of Jacksonville · Partnership for Child Health · Yellow House · Northeast Florida Immigrant Resource Alliance (NEFIRA)
Arts & Cultural Partners
The Cummer Museum of Arts and Gardens · Florida Theatre · TEDx Jacksonville · Five & Dime Theatre Company · Lumen Repertory · Jax by Jax · Happy Tapir Publishing
Local Business Partners
Wolf & Cub · Castaways Vintage to Modern · YaYa Productions · Wildcrafters Kava Bar · Manifest Distilling
Individual Artists
Jennifer Chase · Derek Coghlin · Jason Collins · Rudi Francisco · David Girard · Julia Ivanisova · Larry Knight · Al Letson · Tiffany Manning · Mark Creegan · Bobbie O’Connor · Kimberly Gomi No On’nanoko Philip Pan · Madeline Pauman · Reese the Poet · Chloe Smith · Kelli Suzanne · Robert Arleigh White · Nikesha Williams · Jason Woods
