Raconteur Ventures: Events for the Adventurous is dedicated to Reviving and Animating Communities (R.A.C.) through cultural programming.
Focusing on the overlap between entertainment and education, Dawson creates bold, interactive events that turn audiences into intellectual communities and provide candid access to acclaimed artists (eliminating the hierarchy that often exists between an on stage guest, or star, and an audience). In addition to film screenings, musical concerts, side show acts, author readings, and theatrical presentations, most evenings include an on stage “conversation” with the featured artist, an audience Q&A, and a meet-and-greet reception.
A popular, recurring program on the RV event calendar is Raconteurs & Roustabouts: Where Culture and Carnival Collide! Live & Inside! a super-charged variety show that features authors, musicians, filmmakers, puppeteers, and sideshow acts.
Raconteur Ventures is currently in residence at Rahway’s Hamilton Stage and the Union County Performing Arts Center, where Dawson is Programmer-at-Large.