Deborah Asante

Deborah Asante is a storyteller, "Keeper of the Culture," and a lifelong advocate for justice. Raised in a global military family, she began her journey by using stories to entertain her siblings, a practice that remains at the heart of her work today. Influenced by the Black Power Movement in the San Francisco Bay Area, Asante moved to Indianapolis in the late 1980s. In 1990, she founded the Asante Children's Theatre, which has since evolved into the Asante Art Institute. For over 30 years, Asante has been a transformative force in the Indianapolis arts scene. Through Deborah Asante & Artists (DA&A), she operates on the principle of "ART by any means necessary." Her mission is to expand professional theater spaces, empower home-grown talent, and intentionally mentor future generations of creatives in her community.