The 418 Project

The 418 Project The Place To Move & Be Moved In Downtown Santa Cruz, Since 1993
www.the418project.org Looking for studio availability? www.the418project.org

http://the418project.org/calendar/

The 418 Project is an incubator space for local and regional talent, offering performances, classes and workshops, supporting emerging artists and providing local masters a welcoming place to meet their audiences. Home to Dance Church too, the studio is the heart of a creative community.

We’re not just giving away T-shirts. Nope, it’s bigger than that. We’re calling in allies to show up.To take a stand. To...
08/18/2025

We’re not just giving away T-shirts. Nope, it’s bigger than that. We’re calling in allies to show up.

To take a stand. To go beyond words and into action.

⁣In a world where voices are silenced, we amplify.

When safety is threatened, we protect.

Where expression is stifled, we celebrate it louder.

We believe in the strength of difference, the power of inclusion, and the necessity of equity. And we know these values don’t protect themselves… We do. Together.

Support our artists. Fuel our programming. Be part of something that builds belonging from the inside out.

🎁 Donate $10/month or more and receive an Ally Campaign t-shirt as a thank you:

🧵 Wear your values.

💥 Take real action.

💖 Help create a world where everyone belongs.

👕 Claim your free shirt + more by donating at the link in our profile

⁣ ***rally

08/06/2025

Dare or Dare? ✨️ One spin could change everything... ⚡️

Spin the wheel, accept your flirtatious fate 🔥🌀

WIE Foreplay Soiree: Playful Ritual, this Friday! Tickets in bio.

Welcome to Foreplay Soirée™ - a What is Erotic® experiential salon.Friday, August 8, 20257:00 PM - Doors - Ambient Sh***...
08/06/2025

Welcome to Foreplay Soirée™ - a What is Erotic® experiential salon.
Friday, August 8, 2025
7:00 PM - Doors - Ambient Sh***ri, Pole, & Gogo Dancing
7:30PM - Opening Zensual Ritual
7:45-10:30PM - Offerings & Performances
10:30 PM - 12:00 AM - Dance Party
Suggested arrival by 7:20pm to participate in a collective sensual drop-in.
At this year’s Foreplay Soirée, we invite you into the world of Playful Ritual—where curiosity, embodiment, and erotic expression meet in a vibrant playground of possibility. We're expanding our spectrum of offerings to create a richer, more intentional palate of experiences: whether you're bold or shy, subtle or brash, you’ll find invitations to explore your desires, connect through shared ritual, or simply watch and soak it all in.
Wear what makes you feel sexy & playful… lingerie, B**M attire- whatever turns you on and makes you feel delicious!
Doors open at 7:00 PM.
At 7:30 PM, we begin playing together with a Zensuality teaser, a guided somatic experience to awaken your senses and welcome you into the night. Led by Tina Powell.
Shy Vo**ur Section: take a seat and observe from seats and cushions in our theater riser area. There’s no pressure to interact in any way.
Dungeon Photo Booth: Expose Yourself in the Privacy of your very own photo dungeon. You're in charge with your personal remote control, ensuring total privacy as you create your intimate memories. Your high-resolution photos are delivered directly on a flash drive- to share or not to share, as you wish. First come, first play- come early!
Stroll and sip a beverage to keep you cool as you enjoy our hot experiences—and let your senses wander to our snack table when your lips, tongue, or fingertips need a little something to explore.
Partial Event Line Up
Sensation Stations – For Your Body
Flog Massage & Dungeon Play with Cherish
Lapdancing with Shane Kephart
InapproPirate Strip Plank with Captain Chaz
Playful Pole Tricks
Visual Treats For Your Eyes
Dance Seduction by Scarlet Daimon
Silks & Slow Burlesque Mini-class by Dom the Switch
Ambient Sh***ri by Inky Void
Pole Doubles by The Shadow Sugar Pu***es
Go go dancing and poling: Ava Upside-Down, Bijou Wyld, Icarus Fallin,’ Kiki Sterling, Red Raven, Shane
Going Deeper – For Your Emotions
Energy Alignment with Stan
Tarot with Travis
A Soirée Classic: The Dare or Dare Wheel with Martin- Take a Spin, and act out wherever you land on our Dare or Dare Wheel. Various levels of daringness to fit your predilections.

🩸🌚 Bloodlust! The Musical is coming… and it wants you.A mysterious mansion. A deadly invitation. A full moon.Oh, and did...
07/22/2025

🩸🌚 Bloodlust! The Musical is coming… and it wants you.

A mysterious mansion. A deadly invitation. A full moon.

Oh, and did we mention it’s a musical?

We're casting actors, singers, stagehands, and production crew for this spooky, campy, blood-splattered comedy. No experience needed, just show up ready to play.

🗓 Auditions: Sunday, August 3 at 2 PM

📍 The 418 Project – Small Theater

🎤 Bring a 90-second monologue or song (or use what we’ve got on hand!)

📢 Know someone who lives for the drama? Tag them. Text them. Drag them.

Let’s make some musical mayhem together.

🧛‍♀️ Show Dates: October 17, 18, 24, 25

📧 Questions? Email [email protected]

***rtheater

Welcome to Foreplay Soirée™ - a WIE® experiential salon.At this year’s Soirée, we invite you into the world of Playful R...
07/19/2025

Welcome to Foreplay Soirée™ - a WIE® experiential salon.

At this year’s Soirée, we invite you into the world of Playful Ritual—where curiosity, embodiment, and expression meet in a vibrant playground of possibility. We're expanding our spectrum of offerings to create a richer, more intentional palate of experiences: whether you're bold or shy, subtle or brash, you’ll find invitations to explore your desires, connect through shared ritual, or simply watch and soak it all in.

Friday, August 8, 2025

7:00 PM - Doors - Ambient Sh***ri, Pole, & Gogo Dancing

7:30PM - Opening Zensual Ritual

7:45-10:30PM - Offerings & Performances

10:30 PM - 12:00 AM - Dance Party

Suggested arrival by 7:20pm to participate in a collective sensual drop-in.

Get Tickets Now!
$25 General Admission
$45 Generous
$85 Extremely Generous
Bring cash to tip performers
Your tickets support our sex-positive, body-positive programming, so get your tickets at the highest price you can afford!

Get Tickets Here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foreplay-soireetm-2025-playful-ritual-tickets-1478855359189?aff=oddtdtcreator

The 418 Project complies with local health regulations.

No photography is permitted at the event without the express permission of those being photographed.

Thank you so much to our performers and organizers:



tits


inky.void

We want to hear your stories 🧡 Or even how The 418 has been an ally to you.
07/12/2025

We want to hear your stories 🧡 Or even how The 418 has been an ally to you.

🌈 Happy Pride Month from The 418 Project! 🏳️‍⚧️If you’ve been feeling like the world is a lot lately, we get it. It’s ea...
06/01/2025

🌈 Happy Pride Month from The 418 Project! 🏳️‍⚧️

If you’ve been feeling like the world is a lot lately, we get it. It’s easy to freeze up in the face of so much uncertainty. But this month, we’re choosing something else:

We’re choosing joy.

We’re choosing visibility.

We’re choosing each other.

Joy isn’t a distraction.

It’s fuel.

And when we come together in celebration, we remember our collective power.

💥 At the Emerald Ball, our incredible community showed up BIG, raising over $13,000 for the Trans Mutual Aid Fund and reminding us that even in turbulent times, generosity and solidarity still lead the way.

✨ As Pride Month begins, we’re holding fast to this momentum. We’re dreaming up the next event in our Ally Series, and we want YOU with us… dancing, decorating, donating, lifting one another up.

Let this be your invitation:

To get involved.

To get loud.

To get joyful.

The work continues and so does the celebration.

***rjoy

And 100% of that money will directly support local trans individuals in need. 💖So, what is the Trans Mutual Aid Fund?Thi...
05/31/2025

And 100% of that money will directly support local trans individuals in need. 💖

So, what is the Trans Mutual Aid Fund?

This fund provides direct support to local trans people facing critical needs, including loss of housing, gender-affirming care, assistance with travel documents, and supporting opportunities for growth. 100% of the money goes directly to those in need, ensuring that our community is supported in the ways that truly matter.

This initiative was born out of conversations with Dual Demons and The 418 Project during our Ally Campaign, and it’s amazing to see how the whole Ally Series came together to take action. 🙌

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort and helped us provide real, tangible support to the trans community. Your generosity is creating lasting change.

04/24/2025

Trans people, immigrants, and undocumented people are being targeted. To those not directly affected, it may seem like a niche issue.

But make no mistake. What’s happening right now is a test.

As Lex puts forth here, if these policies succeed, they won’t stop there.

This moment isn’t just about one group of people or another.

It’s about all of us.

Being an ally means understanding that our struggles are interconnected. That the erosion of one person’s rights opens the door to harm for everyone. That trans liberation is tied to your freedom, too.

If you want to help build a world where everyone is safe to live and thrive, it starts with showing up now.

💚 Join us at the Emerald Ball: a celebration of visibility, solidarity, and joy in support of trans and q***r community members.

This event, free to attend, is a time to remember, celebrate and support. We will raise $12,000 for Dual Demons Trans Mutual Aid Fund, to provide resources for our Trans community members who are experiencing strife in these difficult times of attempted erasure and dehumanization.

📍April 25th, 7pm, at The 418 Project

🎟️ Tickets by donation

🪩 Costumes, dancing, and powerful community

***rliberation ***rjoy

04/22/2025

What’s the Emerald Ball really about?

Yes, it’s a party. It’s glitter. It’s karaoke. It’s green. It’s your favorite “Wicked” characters in full costume.

But underneath the sparkle, this night is holding something much bigger.

🌈 The Emerald Ball is about three things:

1. Raising critical funds for trans and q***r individuals facing hardship through the Trans/Queer Emergency Fund at The 418 Project.

2. Celebrating allyship and the powerful role allies play in protecting LGBTQIA+ lives.

3. Building joyful, connected community across identities, organizations, and walks of life.

This event was born from one person’s wish to do something meaningful on their birthday. And now, it's become a collective act of care, expression, and resistance.

💚 Whether you're coming to dance, table as an organization, or show up in solidarity—this night is for you.

🎟️ Admission is by donation. Every dollar helps us create the kind of Santa Cruz we believe in: inclusive, expressive, and radically welcoming. 🔗 is on eventbrite and in the comments

***rjoy

04/16/2025

Somewhere over the rainbow, dreams really do come true—and on April 25th, we are coming together for a night of magic, love, and boundless celebration benefiting trans and q***r community causes.💗💚 Join us on April 25th for The Emerald Ball: A “Wicked” Evening in OzMusic, costumes, games, fashion, allies, and YOU.Wear your most imaginative Oz-inspired attire or just add a touch of green to join the festivities. From live music to a costume contest and even a "Defying Gravity" karaoke singalong, this evening promises to be nothing short of magical.🗓 Date: Friday, April 25th🕖 Time: Starts at 7 PM📍 Location: The 418 ProjectCome celebrate, meet new friends, and be part of a night where love and allyship are the real magic that binds us. ticket, every donation, supports our LGBTQIA+ community during these crucial times. It’s a ball, and a benefit.Your participation means everything. See you in Oz for a night where every moment is about more than just fun—it’s about making an impact. 🌈

We’re building something bigger than ourselves. And you’re invited. 💚 tag a local org who might be interested!The Emeral...
04/16/2025

We’re building something bigger than ourselves. And you’re invited. 💚 tag a local org who might be interested!

The Emerald Ball is more than a party. It’s a chance to come together, make new connections, and celebrate the power of community and allyship for the LGBTQIA+. Whether you’re an ally, an artist, or a local organization doing important work, this is a night to stand in joy and solidarity, together.

Local orgs: we’d love to have you with us! Free tabling spots are still available to share your mission and connect with our community. And we’re still looking for donors and sponsors for the event! 💌 Send us a message for more info. Let’s lift each other up while raising funds for trans and q***r lives.

📅 April 25 | 🎭 Costumes encouraged | 🎶 Music, mingling, karaoke + more
🪩 Admission by donation
Message us for more details!

***rjoy

Address

155 S. River Street
Santa Cruz, CA
95060

Opening Hours

Monday 6pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Wednesday 7pm - 10pm
Thursday 7pm - 9pm
Sunday 11am - 1pm

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The 418 Project — Our Story

“Move and be moved.”

The 418 Project builds community in Santa Cruz county and beyond by fostering physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing in a creative and collaborative environment through movement art and dance

We value an inclusive and heartfelt community, personal and artistic growth and expression, and consciousness that encourages support and safety. The 418 Project is an incubator space for local and regional talent, offering performances, classes, technique classes, and workshops. We support emerging artists and provide local masters a welcoming place to meet their audiences. It is home to What is Erotic?, Dance Church and Ecstatic Dance, Grateful Dead dances, and more—the studio is the heart of a creative community.

Move and be moved with The 418 Project.