Piper Anderson is a writer, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural organizer who has spent two decades creating works that activate collective imagination, inspire civic dialogue, and gather communities to repair systemic harms. They studied creative writing as an undergrad at The New School and completed a Masters in Applied Theatre from CUNY. Both programs were formative in developing Piper’s interdisciplinary toolbox of techniques for artistic composition and cultural organizing.

Piper began their career working in educational theatre. As a company member with The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life program, they performed an educational theatre adaptation of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and adapted James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk into an interactive educational theatre production commissioned by Harlem Stage. Piper’s work in educational theatre was an important training ground for honing their facilitation skills, translating their work with young audiences into a transformative facilitation practice with communities nationally.

In 2018, Piper co-founded the Rikers Public Memory Project. RPMP stewards the largest archive documenting the narratives of people who have experienced Rikers Island. Through public programs, a fellowship program, an educational curriculum, and a multimedia exhibit, the project educates New Yorkers on the legacy of Rikers, makes the case for its permanent closure, and explores its place in New York City history. 

She is the founder and President of Create Forward, a social impact firm that produces creative experiences to advance equity and justice. Her career over the last 20 years has traversed the arts, youth development, community organizing, education, and the healing arts, providing her with an interdisciplinary toolbox of cultural strategies to advance social change.