BRIEFING CALLS
Stories & Placemaking
Cultural practice and artistic expression breathe life into communities.They create opportunities for individuals and institutions to transform their sense of self and relationships with one another, and share their local traditions and ways of being.
This conference call looks at the power of place-based culture to create community narratives, advance racial and economic equity, promote participatory democracy, and foster self-determination and inclusion in rural communities. We will hear from five presenters about culturally-based work in a diverse range of contexts addressing themes that include traditional practice, opportunities for young people as emerging leaders, cultural economies, ecological and cultural stewardship and cross-sector partnerships.
Call Organizers:
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Amalia Deloney, Arts & Democracy Project
Lori Pouier, First Peoples Fund
Walter Mack, Penn Center
Ada Smith, STAY Project
Bineshi Albert, Southwest Organizing Project
Matthew Fluharty, Art of the Rural and Rural Arts & Culture Working Group
Placemaking and Belonging
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 3pm EST, 12pm PST
Cosponsored by Arts & Democracy Project, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, and Network of Ensemble Theaters.
We hear a lot about creative placemaking these days. Some like the term and others don't. On this conference call, presenters discussed what sorts of creative placemaking practices strengthen self-determination and belonging within a community. The call illustrated the power of place-based arts and culture as an integral part of equitable, democratic, and culturally vital communities and explored placemaking in the digital sphere.
Call Organizers:
Aggie Ebrahimi Bazaz, NAMAC
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Co-Facilitators:
Karen Mack, LA Commons
Kathie deNobriga, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Presenters:
Gretjen Clausing, PhillyCAM
Roberto Bedoya,Tucson Pima Arts Council
Robert Gipe, Higher Ground, Appalachian Program at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Anusha Venkataraman, El Puente Greenlight District
Caron Atlas, Naturally Occurring Cultural District Working Group (NOCD-NY) and the Arts & Democracy Project
Respondent:
Maria Jackson, Claremont Graduate University
- Creative Placemaking and the Politics of Belonging and Dis-Belonging by Roberto Bedoya
Northeast , West , Southwest , Community / Regional Development , Multi / Inter-disciplinary , Community Engagement , Policy / Law Change
Program
Relief & Recovery: The Transformative Power of Arts & Culture Conference Call
We all know the power of arts and culture to heal and transform, connect people and build community. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, artists and cultural organizers are stepping up to use their creativity to rebuild the city and rebuild community. They are helping people tell their stories and sing together, offering cultural and wellness activities in evacuation shelters, organizing benefits, and providing leadership to recovery efforts. They've helped to restore dignity, build community, make connections, and heal.
Call Organizer
Caron Atlas, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Facilitator
Kathie DeNobriga, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Presenters
Michael Premo, Occupy Sandy
Rachel Falcone, Sandy Storyline
Caron Atlas, Armory Wellness Center
Casey Shae, Armory Wellness Center (artists' experience)
Melanie Cohn, Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island
Marina Tsaplina, artist project for Occupy Sandy
Jessie Reilly, Timebanks NYC
Lili Trenkova, Dixon Place Benefit
Mimi Pickering, Creative Recovery Arts Corp. (on behalf of Feral Arts)
Stephanie McKee, Junebug Productions (New Orleans, LA)
Shereitte C. Stokes, Cradleboardfoundation (New Orleans, LA)
International , Democracy , Human Rights / Social Justice , Multi / Inter-disciplinary
Program
Election Call: This is What Democracy Looks Like
This call highlighted the great work that is happening in civic participation and arts and culture, and shared opportunities to get involved. It addressed elections, but even more so the ongoing work that is happening to strengthen our democracy. The call featured presenters from across the country who are working to protect voting rights and make sure that those who have been historically disconnected from decisionmaking have opportunities to participate. Artists and media makers who are using their creativity to increase inclusion and participation also shared their work. And we heard from people who are working on what happens after the election to make sure that democracy can thrive in our daily lives.
Call Organizer
Caron Atlas, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Facilitator
Kathie deNobriga, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Presenters
Rachel Bishop, League of Young Voters
Richelle DeVoe, National Voter Registration Day
Nelini Stamp, Dream Defenders
Robert Karimi, Peoples Cook
Tracy Sturgivant, State Voices
Laura Muraida, Southwest Workers Union
Erin Potts, Air Traffic Control
Melanie La Rosa, Futura Media Group, America by the Numbers
Andrew Morton, Shop Floor Theatre Company
Cultural Organizing: Integrating Arts & Culture with Organizing
Cultural organizing is a core practice of the Arts & Democracy Project that exists at the intersection of arts, culture and activism. Cultural organizing integrates arts and culture into organizing strategies. It is also about organizing from a particular tradition, cultural identity, and community of place or worldview to advance social and economic justice. This call will focus on four different approaches to to this practice.
Call organizer/moderator
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Presenters
Carlton Turner, Alternate ROOTS
Michelle Miller, SEIU Artist Residency Project
Myrna Martinez Nateras, Tamejavi Festival & Fellowship
Tufara Muhammad and Marquez Rhyne, Zilphia Horton Cultural Organizing Project
Creative Engagement: From Civic Dialogue to Direct Democracy
March 7, 2012 3pm EST, 12 noon PST
The conference call focused on creative engagement through civic dialogue, cultural asset mapping, and participatory budgeting.
Call organizers/moderators
Caron Atlas, Arts & Democracy Project
Pam Korza, Animating Democracy
Call Presenters
Town Hall Nation: Michael Rohd, Sojourn Theatre
Participatory Budgeting: Donata Secondo, Participatory Budgeting Project and Caron Atlas, Arts & Democracy Project
Tuscon Meet Yourself, Marbel Alvarez
Arts, Culture & Environmental Justice Organizing
January 24th, 2012
This conference call focused on how people and organizations across the country are bringing the power of arts and culture to bear on the environmental devastation that is disproportionately affecting poor communities and communities of color.
Call organizer/moderator
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Speakers
Monique Verdin
Nick Slie Mondo Bizzaro (New Orleans, LA)
Laura Muraida Southwest Workers Union (San Antonio, TX)
Hodari Davis Life Is Living (San Francisco, CA)
Occupy Movements: Art, Culture & Creative Action
This conference call focused on how arts, culture and creative actions are being used as part of the 99% movement across the country.
Call organizer/moderator
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Yolanda Hippensteele, Arts & Democracy Project
- See a compilation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Creative Responses to the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
This conference call focused on the 10 Year Anniversary of 9/11 and the programs, cultural convenings and artwork that have helped to heal, facilitate dialogue, build community and move us forward.
Call organizer/moderator
Caron Atlas, The Arts & Democracy Project
Javiera Benavente, The Arts & Democracy Project
- See a compilation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
National , Economic Justice / Labor , Human Rights / Social Justice , Film / Video / Audio / Digital , Theater / Performance / Spoken Word , Traditional Cultural and Spiritual , Visual Art , Multi / Inter-disciplinary , Education / Awareness Raising , Alliance / Movement / Field Building , Direct Action
Program
Radio for Community, Art and Culture
This conference call was focused on the power of radio in fostering art, culture and community. It provided informattion about an exciting upcoming opportunity for community groups to start their own radio stations.
Call organizer/moderator
Yolanda Hippensteele, Arts & Democracy Project
Call Speakers
Jeff Rousett, Prometheus Radio Project (national)
Hugo Morales, Radio Bilingue (national)
John Freeman, KOCZ Radio (Opelousas, Louisiana)
- See the slide presentation associated with the call
- See a compilation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Arts & Economic Justice
This nation-wide conference call was focused on the role of the arts, culture and media in economic justice organizing and movement building in communities across the U.S.
Call organizers/moderators
Javiera Benavente, Arts & Democracy Project
Michelle Miller, SEIU
Call Speakers
Michael John Garces, Cornerstone Theater/Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras (Los Angeles)
Christine Lewis, Domestic Workers United (New York City)
Todd Wolfson, Media Mobilizing Project (Philadelphia)
- See a compliation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Pro-Democracy Organizing in the Middle East & Beyond
Focusing on events in Egypt and the extraordinary pro-democracy movements sweeping across North Africa and the Middle East, this conference call highlights how artists, art spaces and cultural organizers in the region and in the U.S. are participating and responding, and how more cultural workers can engage in positive ways.
Call organizers/moderators
Andrea Assaf, Art2Action
Todd Lester, freeDimensional & the Creative Resistance Fund
Call Speakers
Dr. Dalia Basioun, http://egyptvu.com (Egypt)
Khaled Mattawa (Bengazhi, Libya / University of Michigan)
Ahmed Issawi, Alwan for the Arts (Egypt/New York, NY)
- See a compliation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Arts & Equitable Development
November 2010
This conference call focuses on the arts and equitable development work that is being conducted in Brooklyn, NY; Harlan County, KY; Skid Row, Los Angeles; and beyond.
Call organizer/moderator
Caron Atlas, Arts & Democracy Project
Anusha Venkataraman, Arts + Community Change
Call Speakers
Robert Gipe, Higher Ground
John Malpede, Los Angeles Poverty Department
Michael Premo, Housing is a Human Right
Rise Wilson Laundromat Project and Leveraging Investments in Creativity
- See a compliation of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Arts & Culture Resources for Election Participation
- See a compliations of resources and highlighted projects on the call topic
Immigrant Rights Organizing
National , Southwest , Immigration , Theater / Performance / Spoken Word , Visual Art
Program
Image from the Art Dept. Chronicles
Open Internet
National , Cultural / Media Policy , Film / Video / Audio / Digital , Policy / Law Change
Program