Our History

HALA stands for Heritage Activists & Liberation Artists. We produce salons, cabarets, open mics, dance parties, and film programs in San Francisco with global reach. We pay our artists, keep tickets sliding scale or free, and build stages for artists who won't take money from funders that conflict with their values.

HALA is a collective of queer and trans artists - mostly people of color - working across drag, music, poetry, comedy, dance, writing, and film. Founded in 2022 with an open mic at Harvey Milk's historic camera shop.

We create spaces where queer and trans artists, Indigenous, Black, and Global South artists, can perform, get paid, and say what they actually think. Every event is sliding scale, and Indigenous folks and anyone with limited income always get in free.

Our Vision

We aspire to be a transformative force in the arts, promoting liberation from colonial narratives, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, and sustaining joy and activism through intersectional, equitable, and innovative artistic expression. hala collective envisions a world where decolonized art empowers communities and sustains the pursuit of freedom and justice for all.

Our Mission

We are dedicated to decolonizing art and centering the voices of Trans and gender variant activist artists, particularly from indigenous communities and the global south. By fostering joy, resistance, and cultural education, we aim to dismantle colonial narratives and build long-term community resilience and sustainability.