In 2016, WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater Center was founded in by Richard Lawson and Tina Knowles, inspired by their love for the arts and young people.
In 2017, a newly renovated 99-seat theater and art gallery space was opened in the burgeoning North Hollywood Arts District of Los Angeles. To date, WACO has served over 700 artists and 1,000 young people through programs in the community.
WACO Theater Center is one of the few cultural institutions in Los Angeles and the country, providing contemporary performing and visual arts by artists of the African Diaspora.
Our Mission
WACO Theater Center is a performing and visual arts organization, dedicated to empowering communities and building the dreams of artists and young people in Los Angeles and beyond.
We produce and present artistic work, that provides artists a platform to showcase their creativity and share stories and experiences of the African Diaspora.
We provide and facilitate mentorship interventions, that support young people year-round on their pathway to success from 8th grade through high school graduation.
Our Values
WACO programs are driven by four core values. We curate programming that unapologetically:
Centers Black art and culture to interrupt public discourse and cultivate opportunities for community reflection, dialogue and action.
Incubates and launches new ideas to memorialize the past and envision a future for Black life.
Is collaborative and leads with an Ubuntu mindset, “I am, because we are.”
Serves the needs of the community including the needs of young people and the social, economic and civic priorities of our neighbors and Black Los Angeles.
