Global Arts & Theology Experience

Austin, TX—The Global Art and Theology Experience (GATE) is an initiative focused on cultivating resources, programs, and pathways for Black girls and women. GATE develops practical and experiential curriculum centered on womanist thought and theology and constructs creative mechanisms for dissemination. Currently, the primary project of GATE is the Beyoncé Mass—a Christian womanist worship service that uses the music and life of Beyoncé as a tool to cultivate an empowering conversation about Black women— their lives, their bodies, and their voices. The Beyoncé Mass is a space that encourages a practice of Christian faith that sees and acknowledges people where they are and for who they are. The mass is a space, story, Scripture, and song that calls for the liberation of all people by creating welcome, fostering healing, and engaging contemporary conversation and culture as a part of Christian identity and praxis.