About crowned
crowned is a brave space for creative risk and profound growth
Crowned Arts Academy is a multidisciplinary arts and empowerment academy created to cultivate confident, creative, and courageous young people through performance, storytelling, healing-centered engagement, and cultural exploration.
At Crowned, we believe the arts are more than performance — they are a pathway to self-discovery, leadership, confidence, and liberation.
Our scholars engage in theatre, dance, spoken word poetry, photography, fashion, and creative expression while also building social and emotional awareness, public speaking skills, collaboration, and a deeper understanding of identity and historical relevance. Rooted in restorative practices and community-centered values, Crowned Arts Academy creates brave spaces where young people are encouraged to explore their voice, embrace their creativity, and show up fully as themselves.
Through weekly sessions, live productions, community showcases, and future summer intensives, scholars develop both artistic skill and personal transformation — learning not only how to perform, but how to lead, express, and believe in themselves. At Crowned Arts Academy, we are not just developing performers. We are nurturing the next generation of confident creatives, storytellers, visionaries, and changemakers.
Artistic Directors
Nyabingha Zianni is a multidisciplinary artist, liberatory facilitator, youth mentor, spoken word poet, and creative visionary dedicated to cultivating brave, healing-centered spaces where young people can discover the power of their voice, artistry, and identity.
As the Co-Artistic Director of Crowned Arts Academy, Nyabingha brings over a decade of experience in performance, youth development, restorative practices, and culturally grounded facilitation. Her artistic journey began through spoken word poetry, where she competed in the Regional Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam, winning two consecutive years and advancing to compete on national stages with youth poets from across the country. These experiences deepened her understanding of storytelling as both an art form and a pathway to healing, empowerment, and social transformation.
Nyabingha has performed in over ten theatrical productions incorporating theatre, poetry, movement, music, and multimedia expression. Throughout her artistic career, she has written original monologues and performance pieces rooted in identity, liberation, healing, and Black storytelling. She also wrote and produced her own original play, Bag Ladies Butterfly Blues, a transformative production exploring womanhood, struggle, resilience, and self-discovery through layered artistic expression.
Her passion for cultivating creative ecosystems led to the development of the RYSE Lounge — an expansive, youth-centered artistic space designed for young people to explore multiple creative mediums, build confidence, and experience joy, freedom, and belonging within an arts-centered community.
Beyond the stage, Nyabingha is deeply committed to healing-centered youth empowerment work. Through her Sistaaz Heal Mentorship initiatives, Black Girl Affinity Groups, and community facilitation practices, she has developed a liberatory model rooted in restorative practices, social and emotional development, cultural affirmation, and brave space cultivation. Her work centers the belief that creativity, storytelling, and collective care are essential tools for personal transformation and community healing.
Through Crowned Arts Academy, Nyabingha continues her mission of nurturing the next generation of confident creatives, courageous storytellers, and visionary leaders — empowering young people not only to perform, but to fully embody the brilliance of who they are.
Nyabingha Zianni
TeShawn "Shawnii" Johnson’s lifelong love affair with the entertainment industry began at just nine years old on a school talent show stage in Bakersfield, CA. That early passion for performance evolved into a dynamic, multi-faceted career spanning dance, modeling, and acting across California.
After refining her presence through local fashion shows in Fresno, Shawnii relocated to the Bay Area in 2002, where an acting course at Laney Community College ignited a deeper calling for the dramatic arts. To hone her craft, she pursued rigorous professional training at John Robert Powers in San Ramon, specializing in TV On-Camera Acting, Commercial Readiness, Monologues, and Improv.
Shawnii’s dedication and versatile talent quickly translated into a robust professional resume. She has starred in local theatrical productions and music videos, and appeared in major feature films including Rent and The Pursuit of Happyness. Her commercial appeal also landed her featured roles in national campaigns for household brands like Allstate Insurance and Coca-Cola. As Co-Artistic Director, Shawnii brings decades of diverse, on-camera and stage experience, a sharp creative vision, and a deep passion for guiding the next generation of artists.
TeShawn "Shawnii" Johnson