Lauren Instenes is a queer activist and storyteller, with a flair for the dramatic. Both of her parents being theatre professionals, Lauren grew up learning the importance of listening to the stories of people from all walks of life and saw the power those stories could have in changing the way observers think and feel. Lauren furthered her passion for learning and sharing the stories of others by studying history and theatre in college, earning her Bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University. While there, she combined her interests of history, theatre and social justice to produce a storytelling project called Facing Intolerance in Springfield, Ohio. Lauren lead a team of interviewers to collect stories from the local LGBTQ+ community, who, at the time, still had no protections from discrimination in the workplace or housing. These stories were printed and distributed as well as made in to a theatrical production that was performed for the community. Because of this project and many other efforts to increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community, sexual orientation was eventually added to the list of protected classes for Springfield, Ohio.

After college, Lauren spent a year working as an AmeriCorps VISTA at an arts education non-profit called P.S. ARTS, in Los Angeles. There she continued to see the impact of storytelling, especially among the youth that the organization served. These students were able to use their own stories and the stories of their families to create rich and educational works of art, music, theater and dance. After jumping back into her theatrical roots over the past year, Lauren was inspired to join Columbia’s OHMA program and learn more about how oral history can be used in conjunction with art forms to further causes of important social movements. Lauren is thrilled to be joining a program full of scholars and professors who are dedicated to bringing to light the stories of others - helping to create more understanding and empathetic communities.