After almost five years of operation, re:imagine/ATL has had a changing of the guard with Kimberlin Bolton becoming the new executive director.
Since launching the organization in 2014, its founder Susanna Spiccia has worked hard to identify the needs of the Atlanta community, listening to stakeholders across neighborhoods, industries and organizations. And thus, re:imagine/ATL has evolved from a one-off summer camp music video program into a year-round workforce development initiative focused on equipping a new generation of highly-skilled storytellers representative of metro Atlanta.
“I am so proud to be an Atlantan, surrounded by many incredible people who have changed my life and helped guide me as I created this organization,” Spiccia says. “Since hiring Kimberlin Bolton in 2017, our organization has grown in structure and strength. I always knew I would not be running re:imagine/ATL forever, and I can’t imagine anyone more qualified to lead us into the future.”
As re:imagine/ATL has established itself, the need for Spiccia’s visionary strengths has shifted. Now, moving into the future with a clear vision and renewed focus, Bolton is stepping into the executive director role with a deep internal knowledge of the organization and extensive experience in creative management. Bolton brings her unique background as businesswoman and artist into her new role with over ten years of experience in the arts and entertainment industry.
Prior to joining re:imagine/ATL, while operations manager for The Muddy Water Group, Bolton founded the Muddy Water Rep Program in 2008, which has created a network for students interested in working in the entertainment industry. She has performed with the Franco-American Vocal Academy Theater, and worked as Personal Assistant to Grammy and Oscar-nominated artist Janelle Monáe.
“I am excited to continue working towards a more sustainable future for our young storytellers.” says Bolton. “We are building an infrastructure that will elevate and amplify stories that are typically overlooked, in order to ensure legitimate representation. If Atlanta truly wants to be a leader in global changemaking, we have to make sure that we are creating opportunities for our next generation to thrive.”
The work of re:imagine/ATL — equipping the next generation of content creators in Atlanta through in-school and out-of-school programming designed to cultivate creative storytelling through film and digital media production — is funded by grants, sponsorships, and increasingly through the investment of the re:imagine/ATL Alliance, a network of twenty-seven companies committed to building a more inclusive and representative workforce for the film and entertainment industry. The Alliance was officially launched last spring with supporting partners, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and TURNER.
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