Cultural Organizing for Community Change 
Saturday, April 27, 2013 
10:00AM - 4:00PM

Presented by: Arts & Democracy Project, Kentucky Foundation for Women‪, Alternate ROOTS: KY Rhizome

In partnership with: Women In Transition, The STAY Project, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth , Mujeres Unidas, Clear Creek Festival and Kentucky Dream Coalition

KY Domestic Violence Association Training Center 
111 Darby Shire Circle
Frankfort, KY

Description: Cultural Organizing for Community Change (Frankfort, KY) provided a space where artists, activists, cultural workers, organizers and educators from across Kentucky came together to strengthen their relationships, and deepen their capacity to use the tools of creativity, imagination, and culture for social justice organizing. This participatory workshop featured case studies, tools, strategies, networking and relationship building. Over the course of the day, workshop participants created a pages that have been compiled into a zine that reflect their diverse communities and approaches to cultural organizing.

                       Check out Kentucky Workshop Zine here


Agenda

10:00          Welcome, Context & Logistics

10:10          Introduce Workshop Zine & Map Activity

10:15          Introductions & Connections

 

11:15          Opening Presentations & Discussion
                  Moderator: Kathie deNobriga, Arts & Democracy Project 
                  Presenters:
                         - Ethan Hamblin, Down Home Divas/STAY Project
                         - Lindsay Gargotto, Women in Transition
                         - LeTonia Jones, KDVA/Swallow Tale Project
                  Respondents:
                         - Mark Kidd, Appalshop
                         - Carrie Brunk, Clear Creek Festival

12:30          Lunch (provided)

1:15            Unpacking Cultural Organizing

2:00            Close Encounters (small groups): CHOOSE ONE

• Theater of the Oppressed with Lindsay Gargotto. Participants will engage in a series of verbal and non-verbal techniques with bodies, minds, and voices to look for new ways of expression to legitimize complex human life experiences. TO is an artistic approach for both organizing and self-healing for social injustices.
• Story Circles with Mark Kidd & Kathie deNobriga. Story circles are a generative process for grassroots advocacy and can be used to create new artistic work rooted in the lived experience of a community. They are a simple and effective way to negotiate power imbalance, while creating a space for community conversation.
• Photo Voice with Mari Mujica. Photo Voice is an advocacy tool that uses images (and sometimes a complementary text) to bring attention to a social problem.

3:15-3:50     Closing Circle

3:50-4:00     Finishing Touches on Zine Project

Workshop Planning Team: Javiera Benavente and Kathie deNobriga (Arts & Democracy Project); Judi Jennings (KY Foundation for Women); Mari Mujica (Mujeres Unidas); Lindsay Gargotto (Women in Transition); Ada Smith (Appalshop & STAY Project) & Bob Martin (Clear Creek Festival)

Arts & Democracy Project wishes to thank The Nathan Cummings Foundation for its generous support of all our programs, and this workshop in particular.