LOCAL GRANDMA is a free-form theater company devoted to irreverent humor, rigorous play, and causing a ruckus.
LOCAL GRANDMA creates and produces live performances, multimedia videos, and other interdisciplinary, genre-fluid projects.
LOCAL GRANDMA is based in Lenapehoking/Brooklyn, NY and led by German-American artist Leonie Bell.
LOCAL GRANDMA is passionate about intergenerational, cross-cultural narratives & process-oriented practices that center equitable artist compensation and multi-hyphen artistic experimentation.
LOCAL GRANDMA got its name when Leonie saw an interview with an older woman on local television whose title card just read “LOCAL GRANDMA.”
To date, LOCAL GRANDMA has produced six projects: three theater productions and three multi-media films. LG has worked with over 60 local and international artists and shared work with over 1000 virtual and in-person audience members. LG is currently developing a fourth multimedia film for February 2026 and their next multi-weekend production for Fall 2026.
LOCAL GRANDMA launched its first sliding scale artist-led workshop series in 2025, beginning with two multi-day clown workshops in January + November. LG’s upcoming workshop aspirations include workshops on financial literacy + multidisciplinary generative processes, and a multi-generational penpal puppetry film project with Brooklyn-based seniors and elementary school students, in which the seniors tell stories and the elementary students theatricalize them in the form of puppetry short films with the participants voiceover.
Every neighborhood has a local grandma. Every neighborhood needs a local grandma.
LOCAL GRANDMA says: Don’t forget your local grandma!
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Fellow LOCAL GRANDMAs include:
Ali Andre Ali + Olivia Bernábe + Caroline Burkhart + Maria Camia + Rawya El Chab + Lianne Elsouki + Sarah Finn + Julliette Holliday + Jesse Koehler + Akvinder Kaur + Celia Krefter + Sifiso Mabena + Marcella Murray + Tzena Nicole + Hanna Westi + many more illustrious clowns
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LOCAL GRANDMA has received support from Brooklyn Arts Council, Target Margin Theater, Mental Insight Foundation, NYSCA, Mr. Pancks’ Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation and 125 private donors.
