Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people.
Meet Jon Adam Ross, Executive Director and Founding Artist of the In[HEIR]itance Project. Jon, an actor and playwright, uses his talents to build bridges in communities, linking people across faith traditions and other siloes to identify, engage with, and tell their shared stories through collaborative theater projects. Don’t miss this short documentary about the work of Jon and his team, and stay tuned for a full-length PBS documentary coming soon!
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? Is your faith or practice bringing special inspiration or insight for you in this current moment?
I'm Jewish. One thing I love about Judaism is the value it places on questioning. We each have agency to ask questions about inherited wisdoms, about laws of observance, about faith, etc. It's a gift to not feel pressure to be certain, and to have space to find myself and my own perspectives within the rich traditions of my faith and community.
Where do you live?
I live in Harlem, NYC with my wife and our 2 year old.
What's your favorite pastime?
I love watching sports, and I play the banjo.
What are you working on currently?
The In[HEIR]itance Project is finishing up a process in Memphis, devising a new play with nearly 800 local co-creators as part of the National Civil Rights Museum's commemoration of the 55th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.
What question are you thinking about these days?
The question we're exploring is about the impact of inviting neighbors into collaborative space together. Most audiences only experience art when it's finished. But what if the experience of art happens not from the perspective of 'audience' but the perspective of 'co-creator' in a way that puts someone in relationship with their neighbor as another 'co-creator'? Does having agency in a participatory playmaking process that explores the experience of living in a place, and turning that exploration into storytelling, lower the barrier of entry to relationship with one's neighbor? Could collective agency be a tool for bridging societal silos? Each project we undertake is another chance to test our hypothesis and try to answer these questions.
How can people find you?
We love what Jon does so much that we gave the In[HEIR]itance Project an innoFaith award back in 2021. So in addition to his interview above, you can read our story of the inspiring work being done by him and his team.