How we can partner with artists and culture-bearers to increase the power of municipal engagement processes?
Many have not lived through a time in history when engaging the community in critical conversations has been both so hard – and so needed – all at the same time. But if there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also seen an explosion of thoughts and ideas for how local governments can connect with residents in both meaningful and sustained ways.
Artists are often at the heart of these innovative efforts. In this 5-session cohort we’ll explore how local government staff can partner with artists, arts organizations, and culture bearers to build community, bridge divides, and identify core community narratives which projects can build from.
Are you looking for ways to expand your toolkit? Or maybe pick-up a totally new toolkit that can work in concert with the traditional ways you engage your community?
Join us for our five-week exploration of how the arts can bring a new dimension to the work you do! We will:
- Explore basic creative placemaking practices in local government.
- Examine a typology of arts-based engagement practices.
- Understand how arts-based engagement practices complement and support traditional practices.
- Learn to talk about arts-based outcomes in ways that our colleagues understand.
- Share project ideas and insights from cohort members themselves.
- Develop project plans that each cohort member can take with them for future inspiration.
Fee
$125 full cost or $75 with ELGL membership
Cohort Dates
This cohort will run from October 5th to November 2nd.
- October 5
- October 12
- October 19
- October 26
- November 2
*Session Times: 10:00am PST/ 12:00pm CST/ 1:00pm EST
Structure ( 5 Online 1 hour sessions)
Each of the 5 sessions will focus on a specific topic that will help cohort members build an arts-based engagement project plan they can use as a template for future projects. Cohort members will be given space and time to work collaboratively on their project plans and to get feedback from other cohort members (who are some the greatest resources out there!)
Who Should Apply?
This cohort opportunity is offered for anyone interested in rolling up their sleeves and figuring out how traditional local government practices can be expanded in ways that can help it address many of its current challenges, such as: creating inclusive and engaging forums, developing trust between staff and community members, and building capacity amongst residents so that they can actively engage in current and future civic issues.
About the Facilitator: Dr. Lynn Osgood
Lynn Osgood is an urban planner and researcher that works at the intersection of placemaking, civic engagement, and the arts. She teaches about community engagement and qualitative research at the University of Texas at Austin, and is the Executive Director of Civic Arts, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and foster the integration of arts and culture strategies into the ways we envision, plan, and develop healthy, equitable, and vibrant communities.
About Civic Arts
Civic Arts’ mission is to support the integration of arts and culture strategies into the ways local governments envision, plan and develop healthy, equitable, and vibrant communities.