On Saturday, June 13, 2015, at Café Coop, 42 North Sutter Street, Stockton, CA 95202 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM will be one of more than fifteen cities to host an “Imagining” this summer as part of a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the nation’s newest people-powered department. Imaginings are vibrant, arts-infused events that invite community members to envision their towns and cities in the year 2034 and to spark ideas about how to get there, starting now.
“We are excited to engage our neighbors, fellow artists and community leaders in a provocative conversation about how we activate creative change,“ said Natalie Johnson, the USDAC’s local Cultural Agent and co-founder of #CultureFix. “This is not your typical performance, art opening, music recital or town meeting. We’re looking forward to a lively, creative gathering of community members envisioning the year 2034, when art’s power to engage, connect, uplift, and transform has been woven into all aspects of our hometown.
Imaginings inspire community action and contribute ideas and visions that will shape the USDAC’s policy platform and future programs. Each Imagining is hosted by a local USDAC Cultural Agent. Natalie was selected through a competitive process and appointed in December 2014.
Everyone is invited to attend this unique event: “Do you want to think in fresh ways about how we can address economic inequality, climate change, education, criminal justice or other issues that are impacting the people in Stockton? Then, join us. You don’t have to be an artist, just to care about our future quality of life here in Stockton. We promise serious fun, light refreshments and great company.”
#IMAGININGStockton will include a youth arts workshop, community forum, and a networking mixer.
ABOUT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE (USDAC)
Launched in October 2013, in the midst of the government shutdown, the USDAC has no federal line item or governmental affiliation. The USDAC is a national action network of artists and cultural workers mobilizing creativity for social justice. Organizing on both a local and national level, the USDAC exists to spark a grassroots, creative change movement, engaging millions in envisioning and enacting a world rooted in empathy, equity, and social imagination. More at www.usdac.us/
#CultureFix
A global cultural consultancy and network of artivists, influencers, and cultural producers who use arts and culture for social change. We believe in the power of arts, in the intersectionalities of sociopolitical issues, in cross-border collaborations, and in supporting each other's movements and projects. #CultureFix assists traditional organizations in developing arts for change strategies, facilitating social media communities for outlets like Al Jazeera and ONE, etc.
Café Coop
Café Coops's mission is provide a collaborative workspace, launch pad for ideas, and the resources to help entrepreneurs, creatives, non-profit, and businesses achieve their goal.