Daniel Banks

Daniel Banks is a Lecturer at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Professional Studies, serving as an Elective Course Instructor and Thesis Advisor for the MA in Applied Theatre since 2010. He is Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of DNAWORKS, a Fort Worth-based arts and service organization focused on dialogue and healing through representation, identity, and heritage projects.

• Courses: Special Topics: My Monument: A Practicum in Devising for Community Connection and Dialogue
• Leadership Roles: Board Chair of Transform 1012 N. Main Street (T1012), Director of the Hip Hop Theatre Initiative, Associate Director of Theatre Without Borders, and U.S. Department of Arts and Culture national cabinet member

His research and practice emphasize community-driven storytelling, social justice, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Current projects include the Fort Worth Lynching Tour (honoring Fred Rouse), a mixed-media adaptation of Joseph Conrad's The Secret Sharer (2019 MAP Fund Award), and The Real James Bond...Was Dominican with Christopher Rivas. He has directed productions across Africa, Eastern Europe, and South Africa, including August Wilson’s Jitney and Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics.

Scientific Awards:

• 2020 Theatre Communication Group’s Alan Schneider Director Award
• Fort Worth Inc. Magazine's 400 Most Influential People (multiple times)

Daniel has served as a thesis advisor for CUNY SPS since 2010 and contributed to dramaturgical work with Camille A. Brown and Dancers. He edited the critical anthology Say Word! Voices from Hip Hop Theater and co-edited Casting a Movement: The Welcome Table Initiative with Dr. Claire Syler.

Organizations: Co-founded DNAWORKS, leads the Hip Hop Theatre Initiative, and directs the transformation of the former KKK Auditorium into The Fred Rouse Center for Arts and Community Healing.