Artist's Bio.
The daughter of a Cambodian refugee and a Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran, Simone Cottrell is an independent multidisciplinary theatre-maker in Fayetteville, Arkansas. As the former Director of Outreach with The Artist's Laboratory Theatre, Simone led theatre programs with the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, Marshallese Educational Initiative, A+ Residency, Teen Action Support Center, and many other regional partners. Simone earned her B.A. with honors in Communication-Theatre from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2008 and then trained at Lexington Children’s Theatre. She later studied English and creative writing at MSU and received further training a Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing. Simone has held positions with MSU’s College of Arts & Sciences (research, graduate studies), Trike Theatre (Academy Manager), and served as a teaching artist and director for various youth theatre projects in her home state of Mississippi. Simone has received the Interchange Grant 2019 (Mid-America Arts Alliance and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Artist 3 60 2019 (M-AAA and Walton Family Foundation), and is an Artist Inc 2019 Fellow.
Artist's Statement.
The arts came to me as a young child in the form of necessity and rebellion. Both of my parents survived atrocities (father from the Vietnam War; mother from the Khmer Rouge conflict in Cambodia) and developed PTSD, so my need to emote was often met with resistance. The safe way to express my feelings - and those of my family members - were through stories: oral storytelling around a dinner of freshly picked crabs, Khmer folk dances to tell origin stories, reading books and then performing them with my sisters for the neighborhood. The arts created a safe channel to explore my individuality, my place in community, and it was (and continues to be) fun! My artistic foundations are rooted in theatre, creative writing, and music. I can unite my skills with the needs and resources of a community to develop original pieces, awaken and reveal new ways of creating theatre, and examine how the arts strengthen an individual's self-awareness.
Artist's Values.
Innovative | Passionate | Accessible | Fun
Khemera | Published by The Tischman Review, April 2016
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Awards & Recognitions
Artist 3 60 2019
Mid-America Arts Alliance & Walton Family Foundation
Project: Lotus Rising
Emphasis: Southeast Asian Youth Theatre in Northwest Arkansas
Mid-America Arts Alliance & Walton Family Foundation
Project: Lotus Rising
Emphasis: Southeast Asian Youth Theatre in Northwest Arkansas
Interchange Grant Recipient 2019
Mid-America Arts Alliance & Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Project: Lotus Rising
Emphasis: Southeast Asian Youth Theatre in Northwest Arkansas
Art Forum Article
Mid-America Arts Alliance & Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Project: Lotus Rising
Emphasis: Southeast Asian Youth Theatre in Northwest Arkansas
Art Forum Article
| Mid-America Arts Alliance Press Release |
Artist INC Fellow 2019
Mid-America Arts Alliance
Mid-America Arts Alliance
Artist 3 60 Finalist 2018
Mid-America Arts Alliance
Proposal: Mekong Kraibai Southeast Asian Youth Theatre
Mid-America Arts Alliance
Proposal: Mekong Kraibai Southeast Asian Youth Theatre
Planetree International 2018 Global Person-Centered Innovation Award
Transformational Collaboration with VA Community Partners
(Veterans Healthcare of the Ozarks + The Artist's Laboratory Theatre + Crystal Bridges)
Transformational Collaboration with VA Community Partners
(Veterans Healthcare of the Ozarks + The Artist's Laboratory Theatre + Crystal Bridges)
PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers Nominee 2016
Nominated by The Tishman Review
Short Story: Khemera
Nominated by The Tishman Review
Short Story: Khemera
Resume |
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Sample Lesson Plan |
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Sample Script for Youth Theatre |
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