Consensus Organizing
Consensus Organizing for Real Women Have Curves at Pasadena Playhouse, 2015
About
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The Consensus Organizing Model is a method of community organizing which can disrupt polarization, alleviate isolation and restore communication through a deliberate process of surfacing mutual self-interest across divides. Founded by Mike Eichler, this Model has been used to facilitate long lasting systemic change. Seema adapted Consensus Organizing (CO) to her theater productions which resulted in multifarious forms of engagement and mutually beneficial cross-sector and cross-community collaborations.
Results
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Seema has led production-focused, region-focused, and event-based CO projects for organizations of all sizes. Results include achieving 93% audience capacity at Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company; surfacing over 6,000 new audience members, over $200,000 in new ticket sales, and over $2 million in grants from regional and national foundations at Pasadena Playhouse; and connecting playwrights with policy makers at Arena Stage. As a freelance director, cultivating deep partnerships with a diversity of communities through her theatrical productions. Recent examples include a 2021 project with Shakespeare in Clark Park a 2022 production of The Chinese Lady at Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
The sectors Seema has worked with include arts and culture, business, education, environment, local government, health care, humanities, human services, science and technology. She has organized with a diversity of groups from a spectrum of political perspectives including military and Veterans organizations, culturally-specific associations, lobbying groups, think tanks, and faith-based groups.
Articles/Speeches
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Key Note Speech, Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, American University (3/11/2018)
SF Breaking Character Magazine: Get Smart (8/31/2017)
Washington Post: An Arena Stage director on neuroscience for research — and inspiration (6/22/2017)
Washingtonian: Arena Stage Got 40 Local Doctors and Professors to Help Shape Its New Play About Race 4/12/2017)
American Theatre Magazine: For Seema Sueko, Diversity is an Organizing Principle (12/22/2014)
Los Angeles Times: Seema Sueko would like to add a dash of color to Pasadena Playhouse (11/4/2014)
SD Metro: The Theater’s Queen of Green – and Contessa of Community Outreach (2011)
Teaching
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Seema teaches workshops on Consensus Organizing. Participants have included:
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University of Oklahoma (2021)
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts (2020)
George Mason University, Guest Lecture (2016-2020)
Minnesota Opera (2017)
Seattle Repertory Theatre (2015)
Twin Cities Cultural Leaders Group (2015)
University of Minnesota (2015)
People’s Light (2015)
Trinity Repertory Company/Brown University (2015)
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For more information contact Seema here.
Organizing communities for performances of Real Women Have Curves
Consensus Organizing workshop for the Twin Cities Cultural Leaders Group