Hello fellow EALs,
Mark your calendars because October is Arts & Humanities month & EAL/LA is hosting a Creative Conversation. Right now a hub from the EAL/LA network is in the planning stages. Read on to find out what we are planning and to get involved. Check out our minutes from a Creative Conversations Hub Meeting, held Aug. 20, 2008, then share any questions & ideas you have with the planning committee. Also, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN A SUB-HUB! WE’D LOVE YOUR HELP!
What is a Creative Conversation?
Creative Conversations are local gatherings of emerging leaders in communities across the country and are part of a grassroots movement to elevate the profile of arts in America during National Arts & Humanities Month every October. Started in 2004, some of these local convenings have grown into cohesive, organized emerging leader networks. This local tool empowers emerging leaders to take a leadership role in their own community by both designing programming and galvanizing their peers to connect professionally. Feedback and ideas from these Creative Conversations help assist Americans for the Arts in planning for 2009 events, such as Arts Advocacy Day, peer group meetings, and other emerging leader activities taking place at Americans for the Arts 2009 Annual Convention, June 17–20 in Seattle, Renewable Resources: The Arts and Sustainable Communities.
-- Americans for the Arts
Meeting Notes:
Members Present: Becca Ansert, Marlita Hill, Anne Huyck , Letitia Ivins, Cybele Garcia Kohel, Michelle Mierz & Matty Sterenchock
I. Identify Possible Goals & Outcomes of October 2008 Creative Conversation
• Continuing dialogue from Americans for the Arts (AFTA)’s Animating Democracy workshop (held at the Skirball Cultural Center, June 2008)
• Conflict resolution
• Civic engagement and community building strategies
• Uniting a diverse group of emerging arts leaders (EALs)
• Promoting real connections between organizations & individuals
• Identify commonalities & opportunities for collaboration between organizations & individuals
• Exposure to the arts community at LA
• Forum to look at bigger picture issues & identify next steps
• Set action tasks for change and or project development either within one’s organization or through EAL
• Set goals for EAL community
• Build exposure for EAL network
• Action planning session to identify next steps & set concrete goals
• A handout with short answer questions will be distributed to guide planning and as a worksheet (see materials distributed at Animating Democracy workshop)
II. Select an Engaging Format/Logistics
• Format
o Icebreaker, breakout workshop #1, panel discussion, breakout workshop #2
o Will look into charging for event & providing lunch/providing a catering option
• Set date/time
o Saturday Oct. 18, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Discussion of venue type & location
o Farmlab, Center for the Preservation of Democracy, The Brewery, Herb Alpert Foundation, REDCAT
III. Identify potential panelists & panelist roles
• Potential panelists
o John McGuirck, Program Officer for the Arts, James Irvine Foundation
o Al Nodall, President, Farmlab
o Lauren Bonn, Farmlab/Social Sculpture
o Karen Mack, LA Commons
o Josephine Ramirez, Music Center
o Rene Williams, Music Center
o Adrian Ellis, President, Jazz at the Lincoln Center, NY
o Lee Wochner, USC professor
o Ferdinand Lewis, Cornerstone (?) USC Professor
o An EAL (TBD) Michelle Mierz
o Janice Pober
o Side Street Projects (John Lapointe)
o Fabian Wegmeister (sp?), Artist
o Anne Bray, LA Freewaves
o LA Bicycle Coalition
o Carel Stakenas, LACE
• Panelist roles
o Discuss development of new artistic work and programming approaches, including innovative artistic work integrating art and dialogue with an emphasis on community engagement
o Discuss how cross-disciplinary and socially-minded efforts deepened understanding and promoted civic engagement in arts
o Sit in on workshops/breakout sessions or stay for networking lunch.
IV. Develop rough draft of Creative Conversations format
9:45 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Registration
10:00 a.m. Introduction to EAL/LA network & Creative Conversation
10:10 a.m.- 10:45 a.m. Icebreaker & Facilitated discussion led by Cybele Garcia Kohel/Peggy Bert
Identify key issues, stumbling blocks, etc.
o Possibly use groupings formed during icebreaker to dictate first breakout workshop session
o Meet in workshop groups and discuss issues (this will warm everyone up for the panel discussion)
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m. Panel Discussion
12:00 p.m. Networking Lunch
12:45 p.m. Q & A Session with panelists?
1:25 p.m. Revisit key issues & set action items
o EALs will work in groups
o Possible formation of hubs
o Develop concrete action items
o Share plans, solutions and approaches with the entire group
1:50 pm. Closure & fill out evaluations
V. Form sub-hubs
• Logistics (food, venue) – Becca Ansert
• Panel– Letitia Ivins, Matty Sterenchock
• Marketing/Promotion – Michelle Mierz, Anne Huyck
• Resources – Cybele Garcia Kohel, Marlita Hill
PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN A SUB-HUB! WE’D LOVE YOUR HELP!
VI. Form action items
• Select venue & look into catering options (Logistics)
• Identify more panelist options (Panel)
• Approach potential panelists (Panel)
• Develop a more streamlined topic for event, panel theme and tight description of the event (Marketing)
• Develop a title for the Creative Conversation (Marketing)
• List of materials to provide (Resources)
• Post LA’s Creative Conversation on AFTA website (Letitia)
VII. Set next meeting to recap on progress and address big planning questions
• Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008
o 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
o To be held at Far Bar (347 E 1st St, next to Chop Suey Café)