Austin undoubtedly is THE creative capital of Texas. We are home to giant music festivals, regular mainstream visits, and more. Despite these truths, local Austin creativity often only has one face: white, cisgender, straight, and able-bodied. Interfaces is different because we don’t see diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility as dollar signs or an afterthought; we see these as a way of life.

Since January 2019, we have hosted a monthly artist showcase & open mic at various venues around Austin. Each event exclusively features artists of underrepresented groups, and our lineups highlight a curated mix of emerging and established artists, including but not limited to musicians, poets, and essayists.

At Interfaces, we practice inclusivity—to women, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, and people of color—by carefully selecting the artists that we showcase. We prioritize accessibility by making all of our events free, ensuring that our venue is on a bus route, and including a detailed accessibility statement in all of our marketing materials. We champion equity by sharing community guidelines with our audiences and intervening in any actions at events that may compromise our vision. Finally, we honor diversity by exclusively featuring artists of underrepresented groups.

A $1000 grant from the Awesome Foundation will allow Interfaces to provide ASL and Spanish interpreters, a two-foot ramp for the stage, printed copies of poems/essays/song lyrics at events for deaf/hard of hearing/ADHD communities, and stipends for both artists and organizers of the event.