FirstBank’s Post

'Community arts became my initial quest in the 1980’s as a reaction against the commercial art world. How can art participate in a functional way to connect not just art educated people, but our overall communities on issues affecting them that have meaning and purpose. Can we just speak about these issues or can we actually have it be transformative in some way to actually lead to some kind of social or policy change within the community by bringing people together and getting them working together.' Felicia Young runs Earth Celebrations, a non-profit organization engaging communities to effect ecological and social change through the arts. Felicia has developed a methodology utilizing the arts and the theatrical pageant art form, form of street art - along with civic engagement and activism. She’s a 3rd generation New Yorker, with deep roots in the City of New York, as well as much inspiration from the festivals, ceremonies, and mythic dramas from her mother’s native land of India. Now I’ve never met Felicia in person but I know about her work through years of viewing social media such as the YouTube video Celebrations Director Felicia Young - 30 Years of Cultural Organizing for Ecological Changem which is linked in the episode notes. I was moved by Felicia’s response to a question I ask all of my guests about how to prepare for the end of the world as we know it and in particular the issue of doom and gloom and defeatism: 'I don't just see it as doom and gloom because I have been directly involved in 30 years of local people who've just moved forward with implementing these solutions without waiting for the government … My involvement has always been at the grassroots level. And on that, I'm encouraged, but where I'm afraid is the overall political system where we see our elected officials owned by the industries that are doing all of the polluting and controlling the bigger picture, but are we just going to be paralyzed because they're doing the wrong thing and not go ahead with what we know is right?' This is the first in a series of conversations about one of my favorite art forms and one which I think will be especially important and useful in the future : community engaged arts Felicia suggested the following reading and listening materials : Center for Artistic Activism resources William Cleveland’s podcast on community engagement and the arts  eco art space publications  Artists and Climate Change facebook page

"If you don’t think your museum has anything to do with civics, you probably need to expand your definition of the word." Learn from Sarah Jencks, founder of Every Museum a Civic Museum, about why your museum should consider getting into the "democracy business" by connecting the stories you tell to the issues your community cares about. 🌟 Discover how this approach can deepen your museum’s impact and relevance in today’s world: https://lnkd.in/eGq9XNEj

EVERYDAY CREATIVITY - ELTHAM LIBRARY, GREENWICH “You have to really have a belief in the creativity of people. People are innate creators” Eltham Library was founded in 1906, it is funded by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and run by GLL under the brand name Better. Alongside delivering core library activities, staff encourage members of the community to bring their ideas to the space and work to support their projects or group activities. Examples include community-led reading groups, poetry events, projects that support groups to connect with schools with library support and a Crotchet and Natter group - all of which have a ‘ripple effect’ on engagement and the building of connections. Library Manager, Miriam, notes how overturning perceptions about what a library service is and can be is an ongoing challenge, and therefore nurturing relationships externally is vital. However, ‘no conversation is wasted’ as these build towards the library’s reputation as a space that is open and inviting of other people’s creative ideas. Miriam says “We need to reframe what creativity is. Creativity presents itself in such a wide range of ways. Everyday Creativity is about the things we do everyday. That’s not necessarily things on a grand scale. You might not be able to go to the opera everyday but you might be able to listen to it on the radio or come to the library and read a book about it. That’s creative. I led a canvas making workshop on Saturday. I’m not trained as an artist and got asked ‘what’s your artistic background?’ but we all have an artistic connection and all those people created something. It’s about rethinking how we can access creativity on a daily basis on our terms”. Creating practical ways and platforms for individuals and groups to showcase their work is frequently requested and therefore the library is in the process of developing a permanent community gallery wall and sourcing display cabinets. Where this has been the case, exhibits have ‘opened up all sorts of conversations about #creativity #libraries #community #connections Arts Council England Diana Edmonds Daniela Hislop Carol Valentine. At thedesignconcept we design with and for creativity! https://lnkd.in/erFkWDQd

Another tremendous nudge in the right direction from David Maggs, Metcalf Foundation. To which I can't help but respond with the same argument I've been making for years ... Just as Vicki Stroich brilliantly puts it: "Our collective imagination needs to work harder. We need to go beyond imagining new technologies, we need to imagine new ways to live and form community, and new ways to invite people into those stories and visions." YES. And she says, "Dramaturgy for me has always been about helping artists open up a pathway to the most potent expression they can possibly make ..." To which, again, I say YES. But I can't help but feel that we are not going far enough when she says that thinking beyond bias is thinking in story. Art-as-story is already our bias. And it is a beautiful and wonderful bias to have. But I think it's a continued failure of imagination for western dramaturgy to keep storytelling on a higher pedestal than audience experience. This is especially magnified by citing David's other essay(s) which implore the actual practical engagement of the audience. Western story structure is an argumentative structure. The tradition of multi-act dramatically active dialogue is intentionally rooted in spreading political bias. And, sometimes, that's fine. But if we want the arts to catalyze a cultural shift of thinking around our approaches to the climate crisis, then we could stand to demonstrate the possibility of such shifts. Story itself (if used at all), has to be one humble tool, not the whole shed.

If you are considering getting your art into a community art center, here is how you can do it.

Green Dreams—Art for Earth Exhibition @ New York has been successfully hosted at New Colors Academy in Long Island, NY. 🥰🤩🥳 Spring Zheng as a volunteer organizer and sponsor for this exhibition, emphasized that as parents we encourage our kids and more youths to contribute their services and values to society as responsible citizens. Instead of attending more academic and extracurricular contests for awards, social services and community projects like this are more meaningful for kids' growth in their arts, creativity, leadership, and values. Ambrose, a 12th grader from Brooklyn Tech High School, presented biking healthy lifestyle and safety presentation and his photography of NYC through biking. Athenia L, a 10th grader from LaGuardia Arts High School, led the art craft workshop on site, wrote an article for the event (included in the description of the video), and marked at the end of this highlight video: "Change takes time, but every little act grows into something bigger. So let's start small and work our way up." https://lnkd.in/erKUUXRP This global project is ongoing. Our earth is in our own hands. We are blessed creators and protectors of it! ******* #ArtforEarth, #Exhibition, #EnvironmentProtection, #Arts, #GreenDreams, #NewYork, #CityEnvironment, #Lifemeaning, #Wellbeing, #Health, #Youth, #SocialProject, #SpringZheng, #Coaching, #Mentoring, #NonProfit, #Volunteer, #Sponsor, #GlobalYouthPhilanthropy, #Worktogether, #Blessing, #Leadership, #Citizenship, #Entrepreneurship, #Community, #Empowerment, #Transformation, #Abundance

Need help designing an exhibition or experience that covers complex histories or topics? We’re no stranger to helping institutions surface difficult conversations. Quatrefoil works with culturally significant places, historic sites, and other institutions that challenge past narratives. We are well aware of the importance of honoring place and taking cues from the community to re-evaluate how stories have been passed down. Convening an inclusive and insightful team of storytellers is key. Through decades of work with marginalized communities, we have developed design processes and an interpretive approach that encourages visitors to think critically and compare different points of view, from the past and the present. Send us a note if you'd like to brainstorm about an upcoming project. https://lnkd.in/eR5kZiP8

Great piece on the vital role that museums can (and should) play in inspiring civic engagement. One key strategy that is near and dear to my heart: storytelling! https://lnkd.in/eWKrFuVs

Big questions! I wish we allowed ourselves more space to tackle big questions. I think we'd be surprised by the amount of things working in our favor to change the things not working in our favor. (Read that again) It is no coincidence that our nation is exhibiting all the markers of political and social change OR collapse as we approach 250 of national identity. If it feels like it's bursting at the seams, well, it's because it is. How lucky are we to live at such a time as this!? (I ACTUALLY mean that) We have the power to change the course of human events. So, what are you going to do? Check out the Kennedy Center "Promise of Us" website: https://lnkd.in/gKWZJEM6

Revolution is coming from the top down: The power of the Arts as a result of studies into Neuroaesthetics and well-being. To stay ahead of the pack in thought leadership, now is the time to starting to learn about what the arts do for Humanity.