BmoreArt

A voxel is a term used within the field of 3D computer graphics; it represents a value on a regular grid in three-dimensional space and is used in visualization and analysis of scientific data. “You can think of it like a three-dimensional pixel,” says CEO and founder Chris Ashworth. He explains that The Voxel’s physical space also has three dimensions: art, research, and teaching—elements which he says set it apart from any theater space in the area or beyond, for that matter. 

Not just a theater, The Voxel provides artist residencies for directors and theater groups, which are selected through an annual application process available each summer. “I think the most interesting thing about our model is that we have a curatorial element in picking who is coming through, but we also have a very ‘Step back and support the people we’ve asked to come in model,’” says Ashworth. The Voxel is not currently producing its own shows at the moment, but he acknowledges that it might someday produce shows where he and his team have a more direct influence. For now, Ashworth and his team are all about creating space for others and providing the support needed to realize their artistic goals and reach new audiences.

Resident artists at The Voxel are able to use the 2,200 square foot black box stage, the 1,900 square foot lobby, and 3,000 square feet of production and support space. The best part: it’s completely free. For ticketed events and productions, neither The Voxel nor Ashworth take a cut of their sales. Following the COVID-19 pandemic where most theaters are still facing budget cuts, decline in audience, and in risk of closure, The Voxel exists because of independent funding generated from Figure 53, the small software company Ashworth founded close to twenty years ago from a one-bedroom Bolton Hill apartment.

Ashworth is an artist himself with a background in theater, but he is also a programmer and software developer. Still based in Baltimore, Figure 53 develops digital tools for theaters on a global scale and is the creator of QLab, its flagship product which is now industry-standard theater tech software. QLab offers behind-the-scenes technology supporting video, sound, and lighting which has been used at the Olympic games, the circus, Broadway productions, sporting events, churches, and thousands of theaters around the world. While for years most of Figure 53’s clientele has been international, Ashworth and a majority of his team are local to Baltimore, with the remainder based in New York, Los Angeles, and Madison, and their goal is to make this state-of-the-art technology available to local organizations who might not have access to these kinds of resources.

“We have a support team which is kind of famous in the industry,” said Ashworth, who moved to Baltimore just after grad school. For a long time he and his team just sat at their respective desks with a pair of headphones troubleshooting the various programs that Figure 53 offers. He said The Voxel benefits him and his staff as they’ve grown a need to go beyond their desks. The Voxel Theater functions as a laboratory and incubator for QLab, designed to transform itself into whatever format is needed for any given performance.

Ashworth emphasizes that while the space has technological origins, its primary mission is to serve as a venue for human creativity, allowing individuals to engage authentically and expressively in theater. It’s about embracing humanity in all its messiness and providing a container for artistic expression. All part of a model he says is in great demand in the region. “It’s a unique space for people who are really excited about artists and excited about the art they’re making,” says Ashworth. “It’s for those interested in finding out how to do it together.”

“We’re currently in the process of drafting a document called, ‘So you’d like to build a Black Box?’ that just describes everything we’ve learned about building a theater from scratch.” Ashworth says he and his team have received calls from people in Baltimore’s surrounding counties for tips as they renovate their own arts spaces and he doesn’t want to gate-keep his experience if it could help others make better informed choices in building an arts space.

The Voxel boasts a projection-mapped stage floor, wireless mics, a digital mixer with seventy-two channels, subwoofers, a technical manual for these amenities and many more, along with over a hundred audience chairs. Despite its technical prowess and adaptability in reconfiguring the space to meet user needs, what truly distinguishes The Voxel is its unwavering dedication to community engagement and collaboration.

Recent productions include !Interroban¿ Productions’ I Will Eat You Alive, written and directed by UMBC graduate Katie Hileman, a dinner-party style production about being fat in the age of Ozempic, Acme Corporation’s The First Thing That Happens, an original opera by Baltimore-based Lola Pierson with music by Horse Lords, and the world premiere of Lyra and the Ferocious Beast from Truepenny Projects by Baltimore native Tatiana Nya Ford, which incorporated large puppets, projected scenery, and evocative lighting. 

In addition to theatrical productions, The Voxel has been known to host workshops, concerts, and benefits, working with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, the bands Infinity Knives and Outcalls, and others—which exemplifies The Voxel’s dedication to supporting local artists. In each of these productions, individuals received assistance from The Voxel staff members in transforming their stage concepts into reality.

“There’s so many good artists who come through,” said Ashworth. One of his personal favorites is Funktopia, which explores different characters in an Afrofuturist universe, enacted by Jonathan Gilmore on multiple occasions since the inception of The Voxel. “It’s a little bit church, a little bit opera, a little bit rock concert. It’s a little bit funky,” says Ashworth. “It’s a lot of soul and it is just amazing.” He adds that The Voxel may be a good fit for anyone looking to put on a full production, as long as their audio and video goals are consistent with what the space has to offer. 

Even his neighbors have been collaborators in the space. “There’s a bunch of fashion brands on 25th Street and they approached us last year because they wanted to do a big spring fashion show,” says Ashworth, referring to many of the brands known as Black Wall Street in Baltimore.

The unity that existed between the shops before The Voxel opened in 2020 was something Ashworth said made it a “next level” experience for everyone involved, including him, as he and his team explored curation in a space that doesn’t just do traditional theater productions. “It always gets stronger and better and more interesting with collaboration,” says Ashworth explaining that if the Voxel community and staff are excited about the art happening there, it is due to collaboration and learning. 

Placing experimentation and teaching as a central tenet, along with art and research, will continue to keep The Voxel at the forefront of a national conversation around theater. They host a variety of technical classes and artistic workshops—offering QClass training for anyone who wants to gain a basic working knowledge of the software and a free two-week demo license for those who participate. 

“We want to stay focused on Baltimore primarily but also bring in some of that outside juice,” said Ashworth who acknowledges that attracting national theater groups and projects to Baltimore is a win-win, as it introduces new ideas and strategies. Two years in, The Voxel is the achievement of a lifelong dream which continues to evolve and transform, bringing new energy, technology, and world class resources to Baltimore’s innovative and collaborative theater community.