Under this year’s theme, “Beyond the Frame,” the festival brings together internationally renowned artists and local visionaries for an extraordinary lineup of multidisciplinary performances, conversations, music, dance, immersive installations, and family programming and networking events that invite audiences to experience stories from around the world and from communities in Jersey City.
As the co-founder and executive producer of Jersey City Theater Center (JCTC), Olga has spent more than two decades building one of New Jersey’s leading arts organizations, and the Founder of Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival. Since 2006, Olga has shaped JCTC’s artistic vision through innovative theatre, dance, music, and multidisciplinary programming focused on building bridges among diverse communities through the arts. She is also co-owner of White Eagle Hall, where JCTC presents their main stage productions, festivals, and events.
Under Levina’s leadership, JCTC has created acclaimed programs including Voices International Theatre and Arts Festival, Immigration Arts Summit, Garden State New Play Festival, DirectorsLab, Arts4All, JCTCKids, JCTC Global Music Series, Stories of Greenville, and One City One People. Her directing credits include Mind, Body and Soul, Trojan Women, American Dreamers, and Whispers and Shouts of a Growing City.
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and raised in Belarus, Levina began her artistic career as a dancer and choreographer. She graduated from the Minsk School of the Performing Arts and studied acting, directing, and dance in both Europe and the United States, including at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She holds a BFA in Acting from Montclair State University where she also attended the MA Directing Program with Jorge Cacheiro.
Levina has received numerous honors, including the Belarusian Philharmonic Award for Creative Choreography, the Jersey City Arts Leadership Award, the JCAC Award for Programming of Artistic Excellence, and the Making a Difference: Empowered Women Empower Women Award. A proud member of ISPA, APAP, and the Under the Radar Symposium, she frequently lectures at universities, collaborates with local artists and organizations and internationally with many cultural institutions and artists.
Her lifelong mission is to bring diverse communities together through the arts.
Can you point to one event that triggered your interest in your career?
I remember I was about four or five years old in Belarus. My mother took me to a New Year’s celebration filled with children and parents. At one point, someone asked if anyone wanted to recite a poem. I raised my hand, went up, and performed. Afterwards, they gave me a small toy chicken as a prize. I remember thinking, “Wow! Performing pays well!”
What about this career choice did you find most appealing?
I love bringing people together especially around a good story. There is something magical about taking people on a journey in a dark room we call theatre and making them explore and feel deeply.
What steps did you take to begin your education or training?
My mother brought home an article announcing that a new Belarusian School of the Arts was opening in Minsk, but admission required an audition. On the day of the audition, my mother became ill and could not take me. I got on two buses by myself and traveled to the audition alone. Everyone else arrived with their parents, but I was there on my own. I auditioned for the choreography program and was accepted. That was the beginning of my professional education in the arts field.
Along the way, were people encouraging or discouraging?
Both. I have been fortunate to meet many people who believed in me and encouraged my work. At the same time, there were plenty of people who questioned my decisions, my intentions or thought certain goals were impossible. Both the critics and those who encouraged me taught me valuable lessons.
Did you ever doubt your decision and attempt a career change?
As a founder and executive producer, you put out many fires every day because you are constantly working with people, who made a mistake, who don’t feel like doing something today, who have challenges…It can be exhausting sometimes. Of course, there are moments of doubt. But I truly love what I do, and I cannot imagine another career that would bring me the same level of fulfillment.
When did your career reach a tipping point?
I’m not sure I can point to a single tipping point. I feel that I am constantly growing and learning. Just like the stories we strive to tell, my career continues to evolve. Every project, every challenge, and every success has helped shape the next chapter.
Can you describe a challenge you had to overcome?
One of the greatest challenges was learning English and adapting to a completely different culture and way of thinking after immigrating to the United States. Another challenge is that I am naturally a creative person, yet running an organization requires structure, management, and constant organization. Balancing those two sides of myself continues to be an ongoing lesson.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am proud of many things, but receiving recognition from the Greater Neighborhood Alliance, a predominantly African American organization in Jersey City, meant the world to me. It represented trust within the community that doesn’t trust people easily. Beyond professional accomplishments, I am most proud of my family and my three children.
Any advice for others entering your profession?
Don’t stop doing what you are passionate about, and find people who love what you love. Team up with them and move forward together. Don’t expect perfection or immediate results. Create because you must create. Strive to do the best you can, make mistakes, learn from them, cry when you need to, take a break, and then continue on the journey. Most importantly, don’t spend your life chasing outcomes or awards. Collect experiences. The people you meet, the stories you tell, the communities you build, and the lives you touch will ultimately matter far more than anything else. The journey itself is the reward, not the toy chickens…
For more information on the festival go to Jersey City Theater Center
