Hurricane Gap Community Theatre Institute 2016
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The first annual Hurricane Gap Community Theater Institute was held on July 19-24, 2016. The institute is an opportunity for organizations to come together, share work, and learn from each other.
The Hurricane Gap Community Theater Institute, named for the pass in Pine Mountain between the two organizations, offered four days of workshops lead by theater professionals from across the country. Workshops included lighting design, stage design, directing, stage management, band/music directing, script writing, character development, and community engagement. Workshop leaders included Richard Geer [Community Performance International], Robert Martin [Clear Creek Creative], Anne Shelby [writer], Kevin Iega Jeff [dancer, choreographer], Paula Larke [community music], and Peter Kallok [lighting designer]. Additional workshops included community organizing, planning, asset mapping, and administrative organizing. In addition to workshops and learning exchanges, the institute included a series of performance showcases by Monkey Dumplings [Clay County, KY], Homesongs [Owsley County, KY], Cowan Creek Community Group [Letcher County, KY], Higher Ground [Harlan County, KY], and Divine Urban eXpressions [Knoxville, TN]. The 2016 Hurricane Gap Community Theater Institute was funded in part by the Kentucky Arts Council, Berea College Partners in Education, and the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Appalachian Program. 
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Hurricane Gap Community Theatre Institute 2017
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Hurricane Gap is the region’s only gathering for community-based theater artists to share skills with each other and with artists and educators visiting from farther away. Topics for this year’s institute include:
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Hurricane Gap: 2021
Hurricane Gap Community Theater Institute was held in July of 2021. Named after the mountain pass between Pine Mountain and Southeast Community and Technical College, it brought together artists and organizers from across the region for four days of hands-on workshops and performances. Led by theater professionals from all over the country, these workshops included directing, script writing, Aerial Silks, community organizing, and asset mapping. This work helps lay the groundwork for sustainable, community driven storytelling. The Institute also featured a wide arrangement of performances including a series of guided nature walks and a special production of “Ezel”, an original play brought to life by Clear Creek Creative. We shared in fellowship and meals together, honoring community care while observing COVID-19 safety protocols, reminding us that even in times of restriction, joy and fellowship are possible. It was more than just a theater event, it was a place for rebuilding connection, courage, and creativity during a time when we all needed it most. Taking place at Pine Mountain Settlement School Hurricane Gap was presented by Clear Creek Creative & Higher Ground in partnership with Carpetbag Theater. Support for this project was also provided by: Brook & Pam Smith, The Chorus Foundation, and the National Theater Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts.