At the intersection of classical training and cultural fusion stands Natie Barret-Mas, a violinist whose journey from Reunion Island to our NYC classrooms embodies the transformative power of artistic dialogue.

Raised between worlds—Spanish mother, Reunionese father—Natie approaches music as a language where genres become vocabularies for deeper expression. Her conservatory training beginning at age 6 later expanded through jazz improvisation, culminating in collaborations with artists from The Sketchy Orkestra to Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

What distinguishes Natie as a CWP teaching artist is how she translates this multicultural fluency—linguistic (Spanish, French, English, Creole) and musical—into educational spaces where students discover their own authentic voices.

Natie continues her artistic exploration with her forthcoming EP “Home: a place within aux parfums d’ailleurs” as well as the curation of her new festival KRÉOL FEST: an artistic celebration of creole cultures.

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Yannerys Castillo serves as the Community Services Manager and has been with FAC since 2011. In this role, she oversees all referrals, intakes, and outreach for benefits and support, including public benefits, financial coaching, legal services and tax preparation assistance. Previously, Yannerys worked at the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership as the Shelter Plus Care Program Representative. Yannerys earned her associate degree in Business Administration from Hesser College in Salem, New Hampshire.

Barbara Ellmann has been a teaching artist at Lincoln Center Education (LCE) since 1980 while painting, exhibiting, and creating public art works. Teaching has taken her around the country and the world training artists and teachers in the practice of aesthetic education. She is a museum educator at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and an adjunct at Hunter College. She is a freelance consultant for orchestras, theaters, private schools, and arts programs, including New York City’s Department of Education. Ellmann is a board member of the Maxine Greene Institute.

Among Ellmann’s other accomplishments are permanent public artworks that are part of the collection of the city of New York, commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Cambria Heights Public Library, as well as the city of Summit, NJ. Her paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the country and beyond including the Haslla Art World Museum in South Korea, Bellevue Art Museum in Washington, the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey, Katonah Art Museum and the Parrish Art Museum in New York, and recently at Listasafn Árnesinga in Iceland.

Justin Freeman is a Brooklyn organizer, veteran, and father of two who works at the intersection of public service and community power. He spent five years as Director of Community Affairs for Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest (AD57) and has supported New Yorkers across tenant organizing, unemployment navigation, immigration casework support, and broader constituent advocacy. He also helps lead Gallery Particulier, a community-rooted art space in Flatbush.

Andrea Gordillo is Chief of Staff at the Freelancers Union. She is a lifelong worker advocate, civic and cultural leader, and a daughter of Peruvian immigrants, shaped by a deep commitment to justice and collective care. A longtime Lower East Side resident, she has led major cultural and civic institutions across New York City. She previously served as Development Director at The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, and Programs Manager at The Loisaida Center. She also serves as Chair of Manhattan Community Board 3, as a trustee to the Public Theater, and a board member of the Fourth Arts Block. With a background in union organizing and coalition-building, Andrea brings bold, grounded leadership to advancing dignity, economic security, and opportunity for freelancers nationwide.

Karlynn Holland (she/her/hers) is a patient advocate for people living with insulin dependent Type 1 Diabetes. She holds a Masters in Public Health with concentration in Biostatistics from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and a member of Delta Omega, the national Public Health Honor Society. She has published with the NIH National Cancer Institute, the Association of Veteran Affairs Surgeons (AVAS), and JAMA Surgery. She is a current member and former chapter leader of New York #insulin4all, a group of patient advocates working with local electeds to make insulin and other essential pharmaceuticals affordable and accessible, as well as a Research Fellow with T1International, a non-profit advocacy group fighting for global healthcare equity.

Skye E. Kowaleski (they/them) is a Brooklyn-based, multidisciplinary creator and facilitator dedicated to cultivating creative spaces for learning, transformation, and liberation. They have over 15-years of experience creating and directing new theatrical work, organizing artistic and educational events, and creatively and administratively supporting artists, educators, and change-makers in New York City. Their theatrical work as a writer and director has been seen at The Bushwick Starr, JACK, Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, The Brick, Ars Nova, University Settlement, The Bowery Poetry Club, and more. Their essays and articles have appeared in publications such as Salty Magazine, Media Diversity Institute, and The Re/Visionist. They have held previous positions at The League of Independent Theater, The Public, The Times Center, Collaborate Consulting (a trans-led DEI firm), and as Associate Director of Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company and Town Stages. Most recently they served as Co-Director of Clinton-Hill performance meets civic space, JACK, and currently serve on the board of the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance. When not in an art space, they consult and educate on gender inclusivity for clients such as Mount Sinai Hospital, teach breathwork, and work with local community organizers. Skye holds B.F.A in Drama and Psychology from NYU (Experimental Theater Wing) and a master’s degree in Women’s and Gender History from Sarah Lawrence College. www.skyekowaleski.com

Clement Mensah is a Ghanaian-born dancer, choreographer, educator, and cultural organizer whose work bridges cultures, generations, and disciplines through movement. Born and raised in Ghana, West Africa, he relocated to the Netherlands at age eleven. After graduating from CIOS (Sports Academy), he earned his BFA from the Amsterdam School of the Arts in 2008. As an exchange student at The Ailey School, Mensah received a fellowship and apprenticed with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Following graduation, he performed nationally and internationally with several companies, including Emerge125 (formerly Elisa Monte Dance). Mensah has taught workshops and master classes at institutions such as The Ailey School, Theatre School Amsterdam, and Codarts Rotterdam. He has served as artist-in-residence at Dancers’ Workshop, Bennington College, and Episcopal School of Jacksonville, and taught in the Centre for Advanced Training (C.A.T.) at Trinity Laban, where he later earned an MA in Dance Performance. After returning to the United States, Mensah worked with Battery Dance, leading the internationally renowned Dancing to Connect program. He also collaborated with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence A Dance Company and appeared as a guest artist with the José Limón Dance Company. Currently, Mensah is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University, a member of Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group and Equus-onsite, and a teaching artist with DreamYard Project. He has performed and taught in over 40 countries and is featured in the documentary films Moving Stories and Imprinted. As the founder of TIKoRO Arts, Mensah uses creativity as a bridge to connect cultures, honor lineage, and bring generations together through music, movement and self-expression.

Leah Reddy is a director, dramaturg, and multimedia storyteller with roots on the westside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Favorite directing credits include Sunbreak at the AMT Theatre and Maria Irene Fornes’s What of the Night. An Accredited Financial Counselor, her research focuses on how drama-based pedagogies can make financial literacy more engaging to students, particularly future artists. She is an expert teaching artist with Roundabout Theatre Company, a mentor with the Arthur Miller Foundation, and teaches in CCNY’s Educational Theatre program. A recipient of the 2023 SU-CASA grant from LMCC, she was the artist-in-residence at the Gaylord White Older Adult Center.

Dylan Ward is the Legal Program Director for the Freelancers Union. He leads nationwide legal intake and case resolution, counseling freelancers on all aspects of legal assistance, including: nonpayment, misclassification, civil rights abuses, copyright and IP infringement, contract questions, and opportunities for collective action. Working closely with our legal partners, and New York City and state agencies, Dylan leads freelance workers’ case management, coordinating investigations into hiring parties that may be in violation of the Freelance Isn’t Free Act. Previously, Dylan led local, state, and federal political campaigns for candidates and advocacy organizations in his hometown of Philadelphia. Dylan is passionate about worker justice, and comes from a family of artists, public school teachers, and union members.

For over 50 years, Brooklyn Arts Council has supported Brooklyn’s artists; we have helped create one of the most eclectic and innovative cities in the world. Our work is activated in three spheres of Catalytic Impact: We champion Creative Experiences because we believe in art’s power; we amplify expression, enrichment, and diversity by empowering artists and audiences in art making, art-sharing, and art-learning. We nurture Creative Ecologies because we know that artists and communities thrive when they are connected to one another. We solve Creative Equations because we envision a world innovated by art; we advocate for sustainable development strategies that include art, artists, and arts institutions to optimize social innovations and solutions to inequity.

Freelancers Union is a nonprofit organization that serves freelancers across the U.S. We provide education, advocacy, and access to tools and benefits for independent workers regardless of industry or income level.