Karesia Batan, Queensboro Dance Festival

IndieSpace is fearlessly taking ongoing gaps in our field head on with direct, actionable solutions. They are proof that it is possible to get it done and get it done quickly; you simply need to care. They are setting the example of how an organization can make a direct impact by paying attention to the needs of our field. As an AAPI artist with a dance group, my dancers and I immediately felt safer and relieved being able to use their transportation fund after night rehearsals, during the height of hate crimes. As a previous recipient of Pay Your People, we felt cared for, validated, and empowered at even the gesture of having funds specifically intended for our BIPOC leadership and staff. IndieSpace is an example of what funders' values should be in order to make change for the better in our field.