New Home for Leftys
Originally published in Time Out New York, November 25, 2004
Since opening its doors in 1975, the Brecht Forum (originally known as the Marxist School of New York) has provided office space and resources for many lefty non-profit organizations. Now the Forum hosts a wide range of community outreach programs as well, such as humanities and arts classes, guest lectures, and theatre performances open to the public, which makes their current location on West 27th Street a crowded spot nearly every day of the week. Given the enthusiastic response for newer programs like the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory and an increasing demand for more discussion panels, the Forum recently announced its plans to move to a new building in order to expand its curriculum further. After a two-year search, they finally have found a site perfectly suited for their needs in the already artistically-minded Westbeth community, in the heart of the West Village.
The Brecht Forum’s mission to promote social justice is not at odds with its artistic agenda—as Outreach Coordinator Liz Roberts explains, “We see the necessity of bringing together activism and culture,” and the Forum welcomes art and performance that is not political in content. Since classes seem to be the most popular component of the Forum’s programming, 1,636 square feet will be allocated for classrooms in the Westbeth space. The new facility will also enable the Forum to accommodate more non-profit groups, and several organizations, such as the Rainforest Relief Project, have already expressed interest in joining forces with the Brecht.
To cover renovation and relocation costs and support the projected operating budget, the Brecht Forum is launching its most ambitious capital campaign to date. As they approach their thirtieth anniversary, the Forum plans to appeal to both people who have already taken advantage of the center’s resources and those who have yet to experience them. The Westbeth space will give the Forum street-level visibility, which hopefully will bring in some new faces. Why should New Yorkers unfamiliar with the Brecht Forum lend their support? “The role we play as a non-sectarian place for dialogue is unique,” Roberts says, “and we’re at a historical moment where people need to come together to develop their ideas.”