Sheri Bridgeman
I am Sheri Bridgeman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of Dreamers Inc.
As a wife, mom and social justice advocate, I have dedicated my life to ensuring the betterment of others by providing support, services, training and love through activism and the performing arts.
My passion is youth empowerment work coupled with the performing arts. As a dancer, actress and singer I enjoy utilizing the arts as a way to promote voice, expression and healing.
In the 1970’s through the 1990’s I enjoyed being in dance troupes and being a part of ensembles that rehearsed in my parents basement; being a part of a jazz ensemble as a vocalist at my alma mater the University of Massachusetts or in a band as lead singer. In 1993 when Dreamers was incorporated I was on my way to giving back to the youth who had dreams to perform or to just become someone in life amidst the lack of opportunity in the communities we served. Dreamers inc. has worked with and provided services to organizations including Harvard University, Leslie University, Emerson College, Mattahunt Elementary School, Phillips Brooks House association’s Summer Urban Programs, Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program, Teen Empowerment, Stajez performing arts center and the Elma Lewis Social Justice Center.
Some of the work I am proud of is managing and coaching one of Boston’s best vocal groups “Diva” and taking the artist of the year award at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York City. I am also proud of the work I have the privilege of doing, providing my expertise to youth and community through The Center for Teen Empowerment first as a program coordinator then a Director of Youth Programs where I was able to utilize my skills in youth leadership development and social justice performing arts. While there I Co-Directed and wrote a Boston based film called Senseless Smoke centered on a myriad of issues specific to violence in Boston including education, trauma and mental health. I have had the privilege of providing artist development to youth and adults in dance, vocals and theatre and producing theatre productions that played at historic theatres like the Strand and Paramount in Boston.
It has been a privilege bridging the gap between multigenerational populations, school systems, and communities by using the arts and creative expression approaches to draw out solutions to problems. Dreamers stands for building legacy and inspiring people to realize their dreams and pass the motivation to dream on to others. I hold to the belief - if love is present all will come together for the good of the people involved.
Robert Bridgeman
I am Robert Bridgeman Co-Founder and Co-Director of Dreamers Inc.
Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts and currently living in Boston for almost 25 years, I've always loved and enjoyed serving both cities.
I have made various pit stops along my journey and finally landed working in the human services field where I could use my experience to help others.
My first job in the field was a result of me volunteering with the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) in Cambridge. Through that volunteering opportunity I was hired by a wonderful woman who became my mentor and opened my eyes to a whole new world. I received training in the human service field which exposed me to a number of areas such as youth work, community organizing, social justice work, group facilitation and diversity and inclusion training.
I studied liberal arts at Boston State University and Human Service Management at Harvard. I began to apply this training to challenge the young people I worked with to be the best they could be and to obtain a deeper more technical understanding of my field of interest. While at DHSP I developed a College Tour, City Wide Youth Council and pushed the city to use the youth centers for more than just recreation.
For the next 25 years I used my learned skill as Director of Programs at Harvard University’s, Phillips Brooks House Association. As Director of Programs, I supervised and advised, 140 undergrads who directed 70 human service programs across Cambridge and Boston. I find working in the human service field, doing social justice work and providing diversity and inclusion training as hard work but extremely rewarding.
I also have a love for the performing arts and in the midst of everything else life brought me, as an accomplished dancer, I trained at The Dance Complex, Cambridge, and the Danny Sloan Dance Academy where I studied jazz, modern, ballet, and African dance. I also studied theater arts at Leslie University.
As Artistic Manger/Theatre Director and acting coach for The Center for Teen Empowerment, I managed performing arts programs and events including youth peace conferences held annually at the Paramount Theatre in DownTown Boston, focusing on how social injustice, systemic racism and racial inequality impacts communities of color. I also worked with the Mayor of Boston and a large number of community-based organizations to develop a strategy and summer campaign to bring an end to the violence among our young people in our communities.
One of the things I am very proud to have crossed off of my bucket list is directing a film entitled Senseless Smoke which aired at two AMC theatres in Boston. The film explores a myriad of issues specific to violence in Boston centered around education, trauma and mental health. Senseless Smoke calls us to examine ourselves, and our community with the understanding that we have the power to promote peace and decrease the violence perpetuated in our neighborhoods.
Hello and welcome! We are Robert and Sheri Bridgeman, the Co-Founders and Co-Directors of Dreamers Inc. We are a team married for almost 3 decades with 6 children. We love the performing arts and started Dreamers in 1992 as a human service performing arts company. For the past 30 years, we've enjoyed creating environments where youth and adults feel a sense of community and are able to thrive and take risks to be their best selves. Awet Teame, a former teen Dreamer, now an adult actress on Showtime's Dexter New Blood said "Dreamers was one of the highlights and best memories of my life". We've also shared our expertise and passion with other organizations and schools such as Harvard University, Leslie University, Emerson College, Mattahunt Elementary School, Phillips Brooks House association’s Summer Urban Programs, Cambridge Youth Enrichment Program, Teen Empowerment, Stajez performing arts center and the Elma Lewis Social Justice Center.
