Embracing My Story
Kayla Kim Votapek 김난주 (She/Her/Hers) is a Korean American Adoptee whose upbringing includes a multiracial experience. She is a multi-disciplined and multi-passionate visionary and leader.
Kayla is a change-maker who is leading with who she is and her values. She is constantly searching for new experiences that allow her to have a deeper understanding of the world and the individual in it. Her curiosity about life makes her thirst for knowledge. Kayla wants to learn it all and do it all. She is a divergent, lateral, and visionary thinker which allows her to be a creative problem solver. She thrives on possibility which makes her enthusiastic about individuals’ liberation and healing journey.
She is constantly generating new ideas that allow her to tell authentic stories based on fostering our human experiences. Kayla is an introspective person who is always growing and healing. Her lived experience and her journey of coming home to herself are the driving forces behind her passion for encouraging individual's ability to flourish, show up as their highest self, and feel at peace in their life.
Kayla is currently using her leadership to nurture collaborative learning, promote action, and encourage healing that moves us toward liberation. She works closely with individuals who are a part of the mixed race/multicultural community and mixed families (i.e.: adoption, multi-generation, multiracial parents, interracial relationships, upbringing, etc.)
Advocacy and Leadership
Kayla received her Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts, Psychology, and Education as a Social Science from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She obtained her Master’s degree in Creative Producing from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, UK.
Her time at Central included a Call to Action to the President of the School, Gavin Henderson. She produced, co-created, and led the Central for Change Walk Out in response to racist remarks and the lack of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. She researched, examined, and identified equality issues within their policies and explored the Central community’s cultural environment. Kayla advocated for an intersectional change and met with various staff, students, and executive staff members about creating a new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion action plan. She also created space for the community of Central to express their views, thoughts, and feelings at the walkout.
A month later, she was invited to the Theatre Communication Group’s National Conference where she led the Mixed Race & Mixed Identity Affinity Space and was a part of the Walkout & Call to Action to stop Yellowface at The Muny with The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artist (CAATA).
Those events motivated Kayla to become an Anti-Racist Consultant and developed her passion for advocating for an equitable theatrical environment.
This guided her to leading and supporting many trainings and workshops with artEquity, Nicole Brewer, Kim Pevia, Hannah Fenlon, Menna Malik, Equity Quotient, and others.
Racial Joy & Artistic Evolution
In 2021, Kayla moved to Seoul, South Korea. She was on a personal journey of exploring and celebrating racial joy that has built a stronger foundation for her artistry, work, and life. Her experience in South Korea has grounded her to cultivate new pathways that support her in her journey of racial liberation and healing journey.
In 2023, Kayla celebrated a full-circle moment. She moved back to NJ/NYC and became the General Manager for The Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA).
In addition to her role at CAATA, Kayla is currently leading multiple workshops as an Anti-Racist Consultant. Previously, she facilitated Anti-Racist workshops and Mixed Race & Mixed Identity Affinity Spaces for Conscientious Theatre Training (Nicole Brewer's Anti-Racist Theatre Trainings), Theatre Communication Group, Equity Quotient, Mason Gross School of The Arts, Marymount, Malloy College, NJ Flute Society, and The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF).
As a Creative Producer, Kayla believes in the practice of decolonizing what art has historically meant. She is challenging the standards and the stigma of art by allowing individuals to imagine a diverse range of activities that express conceptual ideas, technical skills, and individual stories intended to be appreciated for their emotional power and aesthetic. She encourages and produces work that finds artistic and innovative ways to use the power of storytelling as a way to empower individuals on their life journeys. She is currently working on multiple projects that will soon be announced.
Narratives of Experiences
Kayla also holds the position of the Associate Director of Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory and Young Actors Workshop at Rutgers University where she created a course that encourages high school actors to explore their identity through their craft.
In addition, Kayla serves on multiple committees including ArtPride New Jersey's Strategic Planning Committee, New Jersey Theatre Alliance's Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Committee, New Jersey Theatre Alliance Stage Festival's Committee, and New Jersey Theatre Alliance's New Jersey's Arts and Culture Administrators of Color.
Previously, Kayla was the Associate Producer at The Tony Award winning® Crossroads Theatre Company which has allowed her to use production skills to produce an abundant amount of high-quality productions.
As a Producer, Anti-Racist Consultant, and Arts Administrator, she has had the pleasure of working with numerous award-winning organizations and companies, such as The Broadway League, The American Theatre Wing, Theatre Communication Group, Paper Mill Playhouse, Two River Theater, Portland Opera, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Gibney Dance, The Wilbury Theatre Group, The League of Historic American Theatres, Cleveland Public Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Local USA 829, TADA! Youth Theatre, THE RIDE, and Improbable.
Nurturing the Tapestry of Identity & Arts
Kayla is committed to fostering the human experience and each individual's ability to flourish, show up as their highest self, and feel at peace in their life.
She achieves this through:
Collaborative Learning
Exploring Experiences & Stories Through Self-Reflection
Advocating & Cultivating Attainable Action Steps
Encourage Healing & Liberation
Through authenticity and boldness, Kayla strives to empower individuals on their journey of coming home to themselves. She encourages determination, openness, trust, and bravery by nurturing collaborative learning and promoting action steps. Her ambition is to foster, nurture, promote, and encourage growth and healing, both creatively and personally that leads individuals toward liberation.