ANIMATING DEMOCRACY E-NEWS
March 2005
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Animating Democracy News and Updates |
Animating Democracy announces sessions at 2005 Americans for the Arts convention
www.artsusa.org/events/2005/con_001.asp
Animating Democracy’s sessions at the 2005 Americans for the Arts annual convention (June 11–13 in Austin, TX) will feature case studies, artistic work, and interactive experiences designed to illuminate opportunities and best practices for linking the arts and civic engagement. Sessions include Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project: How Ballet Austin and Its Partners Shined a LIGHT on Bigotry and Tolerance; Traces of the Trade: The Legacy of Northern Slavery and Film-based Dialogue on Race and Privilege; and Civic Engagement through Art: How LAAs Can Animate Democracy. The deadline for early bird registration for the convention is March 29, 2005.
Liz Lerman featured on All Things Consideredwww.publicbroadcasting.net/vpr/news/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=735876
In early February, Liz Lerman was featured on Vermont Public Radio’s All Things Considered as part of a discussion series at Marlboro College on the theme of “Education and Engagement.” Drawing upon personal experience and the political and social commentary in her choreography, Lerman’s presentation, “Breaking Rules, Making Rules: Art in a Democratic Society,” explored the theory and practice of “making art that crosses boundaries between concert and community” and the role of art in democracy.
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News from the Field |
2005 Public Art Network Year In Review application now availablewww.artsusa.org/events/2005/con_001.asp
The Public Art Network of Americans for the Arts is seeking submissions for its Year In Review, which highlights some of the most successful, innovative, and exciting public art projects nationwide. Year In Review has four components: a conference presentation, an online archive of the selected projects, the Year In Review Slide Set, and the Year In Review CD-ROM. All projects completed after April 1, 2004, are eligible. To participate, send slides of up to five projects, a slide script for each project, the completed form (found on the website), and an SASE (if you want your slides returned) to Year In Review, c/o PAN Manager, Americans for the Arts, 1000 Vermont Avenue NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20005. All applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 8, 2005. The 2005 Year In Review will be presented as part of Leading the Charge—the 2005 annual convention of Americans for the Arts—by artist Donald Lipski and art consultant Sherry Wagner at the public art preconference, The Lay of the Land: Public Art, Politics, and the Environment.
Independent Sector announces policy associate for civic engagement position www.independentsector.org
Independent Sector (IS), a coalition of leading charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, seeks an experienced professional for the newly created position of policy associate for civic engagement. This professional will be responsible for all aspects of Independent Sector's work on civic engagement. The work will be focused on the changing social compact and how IS might assist in the efforts to ensure a strong social compact among people, organizations, the public, and commercial sectors to serve the public good. Salary is competitive with excellent benefits, including a generous vacation and retirement plan. To apply, submit letter, resume, writing and web/print publications samples, and salary history to Marcia Wheatley, Director, Human Resources, Independent Sector, 1200 18th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036 or by e-mail to resumes@IndependentSector.org.
Manhattan Ensemble Theater extends Nine Parts of Desirewww.met.com
Nine Parts of Desire, an original work written and performed by Heather Raffo, is a collection of stories from the lives of a cross section of Iraqi women. A culmination of 11 years of interviews with Iraqi-born women, the production explores diverse perspectives in the light of current events. After four extensions, the show is now on an open-ended run in New York.
Teatro Visión announces 2005 Chicano theater training programwww.teatrovision.org
Teatro Visión has announced its 2005 Chicano theater training program, the Instituto de Teatro, July 8–24, 2005, in San José. The Instituto, a two-week summer intensive, will develop skills and knowledge for the creation and performance of Chicano theater. It will include presentations and panel discussions to increase understanding of the indigenous and political worldview expressed in Chicano theater and will also offer the opportunity for students to collectively develop a community-based performance project. To make the training accessible, the tuition is minimal: $500 without housing and $700 for residency; work-exchanges and scholarships are also available. Enrollment is limited to 15 to 20 students.
That Uppity Theatre Company presents Peace Out!www.UppityCo.com
Two weeks before the 2004 election, That Uppity Theatre Company (based in St. Louis) presented Peace Out!, a project designed as an opportunity for artists and the general public to process the concepts of peace and war through artistic presentations and community activities. The primary performance included staged interpretations of selected texts from Poets Against the War; of the site’s approximate 16,000 poems, Joan Lipkin and Deborah Stoddard selected 20 to be featured, including work from poets Philip Whalen, Rita Dove, and Katha Pollitt. Additional hands-on, interactive activities included haiku writing, origami, a curated soapbox/open mic, a peace boutique, live music, and exhibit tables from peace and justice organizations.
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Articles and Publications |
DevArts launches new websitewww.devarts.org
Development and Art (DevArts), a new resource for visual artists working to create social change, seeks to collect, share, and support the ways visual artists everywhere are creating a better world. DevArts is also designed to facilitate the exchange of information between artists and development practitioners who are working to implement the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals. DevArts.org offers a virtual environment for development practitioners and visual artists to share ways collaboration can move the global community closer to realizing the Millennium Development Goals. DevArts.org features online discussion forums, personal blogs, and other tools to augment dialogue and collaboration.
New publication: Exploring Museum Theatrewww.altamirapress.com
In Exploring Museum Theatre, a new publication from Altamira Press, Tessa Bridal explores the challenges of successful museum theater. Topics include philosophical and historical background; how to find your style; developing your first program; costs and funding; working with actors, directors, and other professionals; technical issues; evaluations; promotion; presenting difficult issues; collaborations; and historic interpretation. Bridal is director of public programs for the Science Museum of Minnesota, one of the pioneer institutions in the use of theater as an interpretive technique.
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Events on the Horizon |
Performance Studies international conference #11: Becoming Uncomfortable
Dates: March 30–April 3, 2005
Brown University, Providence, RI www.brown.edu/psi
Performance Studies international (PSi), a professional association founded in 1997 to promote communication and exchange among scholars and practitioners working in the field of performance, will present its 11th international conference on the theme of "Becoming Uncomfortable." PSi is making an open invitation to performance studies artists and scholars to engage with those issues that most challenge our sense of boundaries, our categorical constructions, and our strategies for order. The conference features more than 200 events, including a full range of panels, roundtables, installations, performances, and workshops.
Measuring the Muse: Arts Research from the Frontlines
Date: May 5, 2005
Columbia University, New York, NYwww.allianceforarts.org
No longer a policy afterthought, the arts have made a successful case in recent years for their importance as an industry and an aid to education. But myriad questions remain. What is the real value of creativity in the economy? How are artists and cultural institutions faring, and how are they affecting their communities across the United States? Are young people getting their information about books and music in fundamentally new ways? Is arts participation on the decline? What role does cultural journalism play in the swiftly evolving media landscape? Expanding understanding of how the arts industry works, Measuring the Muse will provide illumination and ammunition for the continuing debate and give researchers, arts managers, arts advocates, students, and journalists a clear, comprehensive, one-day overview of the field.
Americans for the Arts Annual Convention: Leading the Charge
Dates: June 11–13, 2005
Austin, TXwww.artsusa.org/events/2005/con_001.asp
Today’s cultural leaders must work in complex environments to advance the arts as a powerful community development tool. Skilled advocates are leading the charge and shaping the discussions and are now recognized as key decision-makers. They are demonstrating how the arts can be used to solve problems in communities and are establishing partnerships with local, state, and national stakeholders to strengthen our nation’s neighborhoods and cities. Building partnerships is at the core of Leading the Charge, the Americans for the Arts 2005 Annual Convention in Austin, TX. Join us June 11–13 to share your experiences in partnership building and engage in strategic sessions designed to advance your efforts to the next level. Please note: the deadline for early bird registration for the convention is March 29, 2005.
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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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Share With Us! |
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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