Ondas Cultural and Movement Arts (EIN 99-0406453) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Ondas Cultural and Movement Arts (EIN 99-0406453) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Ondas Cultural and Movement Arts (Ondas CMA) was incorporated in 2023 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit . However, this is just the most recent step in the history of the organization. What is now Ondas CMA began in 2014 as Fort Worth Capoeira, a small operation dedicated to sharing the arts of Afro-Brazilian culture to the Fort Worth community, including fee-based classes, free community events, and off-site youth programs. The programs offered quickly outgrew the original concept of Fort Worth Capoeira, and Ondas Community—a BIPOC Woman-led inclusive space committed to authentic culture and safe movement—was formed in 2020, with the goal of incorporating as a non-profit—however, 2020 brought unexpected hurdles to the whole community, and this next step was put off until 2023.
These 10+ years of experience offering cultural wellness arts to the Fort Worth community naturally led to the Ondas CMA mission: to provide the community, and particularly the local underserved youth, with opportunities to interact with cultural and movement arts wherein diverse and inclusive histories are represented and uplifted through authentic and educational cultural exchanges. Additionally, our services provide educational and interactive opportunities for community building, community maintenance, and sustainable practices through programming for people of all ages. This mission has been in practice since 2014 through the continuous service of youth and families through free and low-cost programs in schools, libraries and community centers, and through the collaboration with various entities to offer international cultural festivals.
We have successfully cultivated community partnerships and continually measured our community impact through the years. Youth and adults who participate in our class series gain not only confidence and physical well-being, but also exposure to Diasporic arts, indigenous musical instruments, and foreign languages. Our BIPOC youth, over 90% of our school audiences, learn histories of warriors and community leaders that look like them. Feedback from adult attendees of our cultural festivals and community events includes that they feel at home, feel a part of something larger, and include expressions of gratitude at the opportunities to learn these authentic cultural arts noting our commitment to both inclusivity and accessibility. A part of this commitment to inclusivity and accessibility is reflected in our continued commitment to feature BIPOC leadership, and to particularly make space for Women of Color (WOC) to hold space in the community. Over 90% of our programming features artists and culture-keepers from the BIPOC community, our book club features the voices of WOC, and our Fall Cultural Event looks particularly at the contributions of WOC to the preservation and transmittal of indigenous and diasporic arts across the globe.
Throughout its development from Fort Worth Capoeira (2014) to the 501(c)(3) Ondas CMA, this BIPOC-led and community-focused organization has served the residents of Fort Worth and surrounding areas, including both school-aged youth and adults. Our in-house audience is anyone seeking participation in authentic cultural and inclusive movement practices that represent the global majority. In addition to our in-house services – including fee-based classes in a variety of cultural and movement arts, and regular free programs such as Book Club, Craft Night, Community Day, and two Cultural Festivals each year – we also collaborate with educational institutions, community focused festivals, and cultural events including those focusing on Black, Latinx and Brazilian history.
We regularly offer free and low-cost programming for all-ages through Fort Worth-based after school programs, community centers, libraries, and museums, and also local colleges and universities. We are often asked to speak and present at educational events, and our own in-house programming brings in participants from across Fort Worth and all of Texas, as well as national and international guests. While our focus has always been the Fort Worth community, the organization has been invited to perform, teach, and present around the United States. All of this free and low-cost programming is designed to reach under-served communities.
Youth who participate in our programs not only gain access to representational arts with representative teaching artists, but also gain demonstrable confidence, cultural knowledge, and fitness. For example, our off-site after school programs offer a 6-8 week series that features movement, martial arts, music, and language in Title I schools and local community centers, and culminates in a family program with workshops and student performances. Parents, friends, family and the community get to see their children successfully playing indigenous percussion instruments and singing traditional songs in a foreign language, while demonstrating understanding of the meaning of each song, dancing traditional folkloric dances, and exhibiting teamwork, discipline and citizenship while performing martial arts.
We fund our free and low-cost community program through your generous donations and grants, but also through our weekly fee-based classes, Onsite Program Visits including demonstrations and interactive performances, and our space rentals. Our unique programming offers live music, cultural movement, and an interactive learning experience for adults and children of all backgrounds.