Our Partners

Theater of Witness is a form of testimonial performance performed by people sharing their personal and collective stories of suffering, transformation and peace. Developed more than thirty years ago by Artistic Director Teya Sepinuck, the work brings people together across divides of difference to bear witness to each other’s life experiences.

Performers who have survived trauma, marginalization, oppression and the complexity of the human experience address some of society’s most challenging issues from a multiplicity of perspectives. Performances weave together the performers’ real-life stories with music, spoken word, visual imagery and film/video into dynamic theater that humanizes the “other” and cultivates compassion and empathy.

The result is authentic, raw and powerful theater that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. Learn more at theaterofwitness.org.

Jefferson Humanities & Health, a division of Jefferson’s Office of Student Life & Engagement, supports student engagement in the arts and humanities to promote essential competencies related to healthcare, including close observation, critical and reflective thinking, communication and empathy.

Throughout the year, programs highlight the social contexts of health and wellness, lived experiences of diverse individuals and communities, and self-care for health professionals. Learn more at jefferson.edu/humanities.

Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) is a leader in transdisciplinary professional education and home of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, founded in 1824 as Jefferson Medical College, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce. Based in Philadelphia, Jefferson is a national professional university delivering high-impact education in 160 undergraduate and graduate programs to 7,800 students in architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion, health, medicine, science and textiles.

Through the programs of its seven health professions colleges, Jefferson has trained nearly 35,000 medical professionals and annually enrolls more than 5,000 future physicians, scientists, nurses and healthcare specialists.

Following its merger with Philadelphia University in 2017, the new Jefferson is redefining the higher education value proposition with an approach that is collaborative and active; increasingly global; integrated with industry; focused on research across disciplines to foster innovation and discovery; and technology-enhanced.