ANIMATING DEMOCRACY E-NEWS

 Animating Democracy News and Updates

Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture: Findings from Animating Democracy available through the Americans for the Arts Bookstore!

www.americansforthearts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/reading_room/reading_004.asp
Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture is one of seven new books from Animating Democracy. Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture synthesizes findings from the experiences of 37 arts- and humanities-based civic dialogue projects supported by Animating Democracy. Projects were realized by a wide range of cultural organizations and explored such issues as race relations, economic inequity, gentrification, school violence, the role of same-sex couples in society, and the influx of immigrants and refugees in communities, among others. Drawing upon the analysis of participating artists, cultural and community leaders, and dialogue practitioners, Civic Dialogue, Arts & Culture contributes to deepening understanding of the artistic, civic, and organizational dimensions of the work; dialogue approaches; common challenges; and the principles, theories, and practices that underpin effective work. The book also includes essays by artist Suzanne Lacy, dialogue practitioner Patricia Romney, and philanthropy leader Michael Marsicano that contextualize this work in artist activist history, dialogue theory, and communitywide cultural development.

To purchase copies of these new publications, visit the Americans for the Arts Bookstore, www.AmericansForTheArts.org/bookstore.

Allen County launches ALLEN 2020 website

www.allen2020.org
Since the culmination of the Allen County Common Threads Theater Project in 2003, citizens of Allen County, OH, have been working toward a goal of greater civic engagement. The new website published by the Common Threads Community Development Action Team, allen2020.org, has been launched as part of a comprehensive grassroots, citizen-based plan that aims to promote conversation on questions that matter in Allen County. Check out the website for a collection of resources and information from the project, including a section on how citizens of Allen County can get involved and a thorough Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

To read more about the Allen County Common Threads Theater Project, check out Art, Dialogue, Action, Activism: Case Studies from Animating Democracy. This new publication from Animating Democracy opens with an essay by the Detroit-based activist, cultural worker, and nonagenarian Grace Lee Boggs. Other case studies in this book include projects by the Los Angeles Poverty Department on the advent of crack in the United States and drug policy reform, The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center on engaging disenfranchised people in dialogue and action on current issues of cultural equity and democracy, and Out North Contemporary Art House on the role of same-sex couples in society. Art, Dialogue, Action, Activism can be purchased in the Americans for the Arts Bookstore, www.AmericansForTheArts.org/bookstore.

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 News from the Field

Peace Child Israel to tour Six Characters Searching for a Plot

www.mideastweb.org/peacechild/pressrelease_eng_aug.html
Peace Child Israel (PCI), a Tel Aviv-based organization that has used theater as a tool for cross-cultural dialogue since 1988, is currently developing an original play, Six Characters Searching for a Plot. Written by Mohmmed Thaher, Six Characters Searching for a Plot emerged from a PCI conference in January 2005, where each staff member wrote a monologue connecting themselves to the Arab-Jewish conflict. These monologues were developed into a full-length script in the style of Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello’s signature 1921 play, Six Characters in Search of an Author. The central questions of the play ask: What role does history play in cross-cultural dialogue and reconciliation? How can we reconcile our disparate histories toward a just co-existence for the Arab and Jewish sectors of Israeli society? Six Characters Searching for a Plot will be directed by Dr. Billy Yalowitz , director of the Community Arts Program at Temple University in Philadelphia. An English-language version of Six Characters Searching for a Plot is also expected to tour the United States in fall 2006.

International Museum of Women announces Imagining Ourselves

www.imow.org
The International Museum of Women has announced a new project, Imagining Ourselves, which will ask women in their 20s and 30s to ask the question, “What defines your generation?” Launching on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2006, the Imagining Ourselves project will include a published anthology featuring the photography, painting, collage poetry, and essays from women all over the world; an online exhibition; interactive conversations; and a series of worldwide gatherings.

The organizers of Imagining Ourselves have issued an open call for submissions and invite women in their 20s and 30s to submit creative works in any language and any media by November 20, 2005. Literary arts, visual arts, music, spoken word, recorded accounts, and film and animation submissions are all welcomed. Full details about submission guidelines and requirements are available through the International Museum of Women’s website.

Faith opens at Real Art Ways

www.realartways.org
Faith, a new multidisciplinary project addressing the political, cultural, and social questions surrounding the place of religion in contemporary society, opened earlier this month at Real Art Ways in Hartford, CT. At the center of the project is an exhibition organized by independent curator and artist James Hyde, with paintings, drawings, videos, sculptures, photography, and documentary works that engage the territory between theology and religion. The project will also feature a series of nine films addressing religious and secular aspects of faith, each including a facilitated discussion.

Race is the Place to air on Independent Lens on PBS

www.pbs.org/independentlens/raceistheplace
Race is the Place, a new one-hour documentary that explores race in America, will air on Independent Lens on PBS in November. From the point of view of artists, poets, rappers, performance artists, and comedians, Race is the Place combines racially slanted clips from old Hollywood movies with interviews and performances that examine the pain, frustration, and humor of racism in America. Airing weekly on PBS, Independent Lens features new documentaries and dramas made by filmmakers who find untold stories in unexpected places.

AMD&ART awarded Phoenix Award for Community Impact

www.amdandart.org
AMD&ART, a community enhancement initiative that brings public participation to the design and construction of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) treatment systems, has been awarded the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Phoenix Award for Community Impact on Mine Scarred Lands. The award was made based on AMD&ART’s work with the community of Vintondale, PA, to develop the former Vinton Colliery site into a 35-acre public park and AMD treatment system.

Groundworks opens at Carnegie Mellon

http://3r2n.cfa.cmu.edu/groundworks/index.htm
A new exhibition has opened at the Regina Gouge Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Groundworks: Environmental Collaboration in Contemporary Art seeks to clarify the role of artists in questions of nature and culture. Curated by Grant Kester, the exhibition features artworks that, in their own capacity, function as case studies in social and ecological change. An accompanying catalogue of the exhibition will be published, featuring an introduction to the exhibition and five essays written specifically for Groundworks. A special DVD wil also be published, featuring documentation of each installation as it appears at the gallery, as well as highlights from a two-day symposium to be held at the Miller Gallery on October 15–16, 2005 (see below).

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 Articles and Publications

Study Circles Resource Center announces new website

www.studycircles.org
The Study Circles Resource Center—a national nonprofit organization helping communities develop their own ability to solve problems through dialogue across divides of race, income, age, and political viewpoints—has redesigned its website. Among the website’s new features, professionals and community members can check out the program assistance section and learn to make study circles happen in their own community with step-by-step advice; search the study circle program directory by location and issue area; read stories of communities creating change through study circles; share study circle experiences in the Tell Us Your Story section; and explore the Resource Room to find a discussion guide that best fits your community's needs.

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 Events on the Horizon

Shifting the Paradigm: The Groundworks Monongahela Conference
Dates: October 15–16, 2005
Pittsburgh

http://3r2n.cfa.cmu.edu/groundworks/conference
Shifting the Paradigm: The Groundworks Monongahela Conference will bring together artists, designers, planners, community activists, professionals, and students to explore the roles of artists to create or manifest social change. The conference will consist of short presentations in four ecological topic areas: trails, parks, water planning, and land planning. It will also feature responses by elected officials, experts, and activists, followed by audience discussion. The keynote for the event is Tom Finkelpearl, author of Dialogues in Public Art and director of the Queens Museum of Art. The conference will close with a summation by Grant Kester, author of Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art.

The Role of Arts in Community Development
Date: October 17, 2005, 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
New York City

www.fdncenter.org/newyork/artcomny.html
The Role of Arts in Community Development will feature a panel discussion focusing on local and regional nonprofit theaters and arts organizations that are helping to either revitalize or define a community, both culturally and geographically. Guest speakers will include representatives from CHARAS, Inc. (a multi-ethnic and community organization in New York City); MUD/BONE (a cross-cultural theater company based in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx, NY); Passage Theatre Company (Trenton, NJ's oldest professional theater company), and RedHawk Native American Arts Council (a grassroots nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn, NY, and maintained by Native American artists and educators who reside in and around New York City).

The NEA at 40: Cultural Policy and American Democracy
Dates: October 28–29, 2005
Austin, TX

www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/events.hom/nea_2005.shtm
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum will host The NEA at 40: Cultural Policy and American Democracy, a public symposium in Austin, TX. This two-day symposium will bring together scholars, artists, and policymakers to discuss issues of arts and American democracy, government and cultural policy, and the legacy of the "culture wars.” Sekou Sundiata will serve as the symposium’s artist-in-residence. All events are free and open to the public.

Democratic Practices as Learning Opportunities: Comparing International Experiences and Understandings
Dates: November 4–5, 2005
New York City

www.tc.columbia.edu/ceoi/fall05/DPLOconf/purpose.html
In early November, The Teachers College at Columbia University will host Democratic Practices as Learning Opportunities: Comparing International Experiences and Understandings in order to explore how people learn to engage in democratic practices within their cultural and historical contexts. The conference is organized to include:  keynote addresses; dialogue; and panel discussions with scholars from around the world engaged in civic education, adult education, political science, sociology, public policy, and international and comparative education.

Harwood Institute announces 2006 Workshop Schedule

www.theharwoodinstitute.org/join/event.html
Beginning in spring 2006, The Harwood Institute will present new workshops that aim to expand knowledge on creating change in communities.

Public Life Retreat
Dates: February 3–4, 2006; April 21–22, 2006; June 16–17, 2006
Baltimore–Washington Metro Area (Site TBD)

The Public Life Retreat will be a casual convening that offers participants the opportunity to interact in a small group setting with Rich Harwood, who will facilitate this conversation. The workshop will offer opportunities to bring your own ideas and challenges into the space, question Richard Harwood, and explore in-depth those issues currently facing our communities and country and what can be done to change them.

Public Innovators Lab
Dates: May 22–25, 2006; September 12–15, 2006
Baltimore–Washington Metro Area (Site TBD)

The Public Innovators Lab is an intensely focused, highly interactive experience where participants will become familiar with the concepts and practices of the Harwood Institute. Further, attendees will discover how to activate these principles for themselves, their organization, and their community. The experience is organized during 3–4 days, around a set of modules that represent the most comprehensive collection of core frameworks to date. It is designed particularly for those people who want to expand and deepen their knowledge around creating change.

Creative Action: Gender and the Arts
Dates: March 30–31, 2006
Greensboro, NC

http://wgs.uncg.edu
Sponsored by The Women's & Gender Studies Program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Creative Action: Gender and the Arts will examine how the arts can be used for social and political action, as well as how the arts are used to raise social consciousness and rethink identity norms such as of gender, class, and sexuality. Featured events include: a performance by the Guerilla Girls on Tour, “Feminists Are Funny,”a culmination of a two-day residency that includes a poster/performance workshop; and a session exploring the creation of short dramatic pieces used street theater.

A call for papers has also been issued for the event. For more information, visit the Women’s and Gender Studies website, http://wgs.uncg.edu or e-mail Womens_studies@uncg.edu.

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 About Animating Democracy

Animating Democracy is a four-year initiative of Americans for the Arts and is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation.

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Do you have news you would like to share with Animating Democracy and the broader world of art and civic engagement? Send an e-mail to adi@artsusa.org with "Animating Democracy E-News" in the subject line. Please be sure to include full contact information.

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