Arts & Culture Roundtables
The Arts and Culture Roundtables return for a three-part series in June, 2023
Building Bridges: Steps Toward Meaningful Community Collaboration
In this three-part series, we will build a dynamic dialogue around ways to foster equitable, inclusive, and respectful cross-cultural collaboration within our community. Following the theme Building Bridges, we seek to deepen our understanding of the structural racism that affects us all, to lessen the division, and begin to flourish in the strength of our diversity.
- Educational Roundtable (June 5th) – Join local community advocate and educator Eric Richardson, as he calls on participants to reflect on their roles and perspectives within their community and ways to become an active participant in creating equity in society.
- Arts Panel Roundtable (June 12th) – Actively engage with a panel of collaborating artists, which includes Marta Clifford and Theresa May of illioo Native Theatre and Carol Dennis and Stanley Coleman of Minority Voices Theatre, who will bring their lived experience as collaborators and creators within the local community, and answer participant questions in an open, facilitated discussion that builds on the Educational Roundtable.
- Discussion Roundtable (June 15th) – Wrap up the series with a facilitated community conversation, led by Isis Barone and Maree Beers, where participants can bring their ideas and thoughts inspired by previous Roundtables into a dynamic discussion of ways we can all work to actively take steps toward creating a more open and just collaborative atmosphere right here in Lane County.
Attend all three Roundtables
We strongly encourage those interested in participating make the commitment to attend all three parts of this series. However, if circumstances do not allow you to do so, please register for the day(s) on which you plan to attend. Structure and flow of the workshops are dependent on an accurate count of those who will be participating.
About the Workshop
Eric Richardson will lead a thoughtful conversation around history, civic engagement, and the links between art and activism. Participants will take time to look back at the legacy of advocacy in American history leading to the context we are operating in today. Through a mindset of possibility and opportunity, we will discuss the roles each of us can play in being responsible community members and collective advocates for progress. The arts, by nature, build bridges of connection and empathy. By advocating for a just society that is inclusive and respectful of all members, we in turn advocate for the heart of the arts.
Details
Monday, June 5th, 4-6pm
Ways to attend:
- In-Person at the Midtown Arts Center (174 E 16th Ave., Eugene)
- Florence Watch Party at Florence Regional Arts Alliance (120 Maple St., Florence)
- Virtually via Zoom link (provided upon registration)
About the Presenter
Eric Richardson has a long history of social activism in Lane County. Married 31 years, Tamara (Eric’s wife) and he raised five children, as they practiced the idea of holding African cultural value and dignity. Eric has had a lifelong love of history and community and works to facilitate conversations on identity, cultural inclusion, and issues of social significance. Highlights of Richardson’s activities include his work as Multicultural Program Coordinator for Lane Community College student government, Early Board member/musician at the Jazz Station in Eugene, and work with Beyond Toxics to bring attention to Environmental Climate Justice. After serving 9 years with the Local NAACP, Richardson continues to serve the community by sitting on the Habitat for Humanity Oregon and United Way of Lane County Boards. Currently Richardson has started a new position at the Oregon family Support Network as their first DEI Organizational Strategist.
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Artist Share
m5 vibe is an up and coming Hip Hop Artist and Spoken Word poet by way of Georgia! m5 vibe is currently touring his highly anticipated latest release “Messier 5” which takes his discography to another dimension. His music is universal, his energy is high, and his sound reflects his world experience!
Roundtable Description
Creative leads from illioo Native Theatre and Minority Voices Theatre will sit down to answer questions you have about building bridges in the creative process. Both of these theatres have a mission of raising voices of underrepresented stories in our community and are co-led by a BIPOC leader and white advocate. It takes thought, intention, selflessness, and good communication to work in effective partnerships. Questions from and conversations with the audience will be welcomed and encouraged!
Details
Monday, June 12th, 4-6pm
Ways to attend:
- In-Person at the Midtown Arts Center (174 E 16th Ave., Eugene)
- Florence Watch Party at Bromley Room, Siuslaw Public Library (1460 9th St., Florence)
- Virtually via Zoom link (provided upon registration)
About the Panelists
Marta Lu Clifford is a tribal elder and member of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (Chinook, Cree). She is co-founder of illioo Native Theatre, and committed to ensuring Native plays and playwrights are shown, developed, and shared in the community. She serves as the Tribal Elder-In-Residence for the University of Oregon Native Theatre classes taught by Theresa May. She also assists in coordinating the public readings of Native plays at the Many Nations Longhouse on campus. In 2011 she played the role of Rose in the production of Salmon Is Everything, and in 2019, she appeared in the role of Nana in HomePlanet, both at the University of Oregon. Publications include: “Becoming Rose,” in “Salmon Is Everything: Community-based Theatre in the Klamath Watershed” (2019) and “Circles of Relation” with Theresa May in Western Humanities (2021). She is collaborator/developer of the WaterWays Project and the work-in-progress play, “BlueJay’s Canoe.” When she’s not busy with Native theatre she works full-time as a Procurement Counselor with the Oregon Procurement Technical Assistance Center in Springfield, Oregon. She holds an Associates Degree from Pioneer Pacific College.
Theresa May is Professor in Theatre Arts at the University of Oregon where she received the Thomas F. Herman Distinguished Teaching Award in 2021, and the 2022 Sustainability Award. She teaches Native theatre, Latinx dramatic literature, ecotheatre, as well as devising and performance courses. Her publications include: Earth Matters on Stage: Ecology, Environment and American Theatre (Routledge 2021) and Salmon Is Everything: Community-based Theatre in the Klamath Watershed (OSU Press 2019); an edited volume, Readings in Performance and Ecology (with Wendy Arons) (Palgrave 2014); as well as articles and chapters that bridge performance studies and environmental humanities. She is co-founder of the EMOS Ecodrama Playwrights Festival, and is currently working on a new play in collaboration with Native tribal members of Oregon.
Carol Dennis (Co-Founder – Minority Voices Theatre) has worked in professional theatre since 1970 as an actor, singer, stage manager, and director. Raised in Miami, Florida, her first professional show was a Florida tour of West Side Story in the role of Anybody’s (the only role she ever played that suited her non-binary identity well!). After leaving college in 1973, Carol moved to NYC where she was cast in several national tours and off-off-Broadway plays, and worked as a stage manager in a few productions out of the Public Theatre. Carol moved to LA in 1980 with the musical I’m Getting My Act Together… and stayed for 10 years. During that time, she had the opportunity to stage manage at the Mark Taper Forum and the Las Palmas theatres, working with some amazing actors like Nan Martin, Richard Dreyfus, and Kathy Bates. In 1990, Carol decided to try living in a smaller city and moved to Eugene where she started directing. She created Little Apple Productions which was active from 1993 to 2000, and whose focus was to produce plays by and about women. Now, as the co-founder of Minority Voices Theatre at the Very Little Theatre (along with her friend Stanley Colman), Carol remains committed to theatre that presents marginalized voices and stories creating a sense of belonging.
Stan Coleman is an actor, theatre director, and musician. He taught and directed theatre for LSU and Nicholls State University. He has portrayed Paul Robeson in a one-man show, directed and acted for VLT and the University of Oregon, and is a co-founder of Minority Voices Theatre. Stan is the 2022 recipient of the Eugene Arts and Letters Award. He is scheduled to direct the play, Alabama Story, this next season at the VLT. He resides in Eugene with his supportive partner, Bill Winkley.
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Artist Share
Sat Pavan Khalsa has been teaching and performing dance for over 30 years. In 1998, she formed Eugene Bhangra and over the last 25 years has been part of the greater Eugene dance community as well as other parts of Oregon, including the India Day Festival in Portland and the Salem World Beat Festival. She sees dance as a way to express her love and creativity and her deep appreciation for Indian culture. She was born into an Eastern philosophy that her parents adopted, and spent her childhood in India. She is passionate about sharing and teaching her love of dance. She sees dance as something that is diverse, personal and healing as well as a universal way to connect to humanity. She continues to perform and teach and work with her dance group, Eugene Bhangra with dancers of all ages.
About the Workshop
In this final Roundtable of the series, facilitators Isis Barone and Maree Beers will lead all participants in a lively and engaging conversation reflecting on the previous roundtable presentations. This gathering is an opportunity to synthesize all the valuable information shared by previous presenters and consider ways to realistically integrate them into daily work and future planning. Through this debrief attendees will begin the independent work of implementing the content presented while also hearing new perspectives from fellow community members.
This Roundtable was added in response to feedback provided by past Arts and Culture Roundtables attendees requesting more time for discussion, conversation, and planning.
Thank you to the Eugene Ballet for their in-kind support of the Discussion Roundtable!
Details
Thursday, June 15th, 4-6pm
Ways to attend:
- In-Person at the Midtown Arts Center (174 E 16th Ave., Eugene)
- Florence Watch Party at Florence Regional Arts Alliance (120 Maple St., Florence)
- Virtually via Zoom link (provided upon registration)
About the Facilitators
Isis Barone was born in Oregon and has lived in Eugene all of her life. Isis grew up in this community and is now raising her own children in this community. She is a strong advocate for under served communities and those who often don’t feel represented. She is currently on the state of Oregon board for Habitat for Humanity and serves as a member of board for Lane Community Health Council. Isis is a member of The Community Advisory Council (CAC) and works with multiple community organizations on projects she is passionate about. She currently work as a care coordinator for HIV Alliance. Isis is dedicated to creating a more inclusive environment for the community she lives in and serves.
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Maree Beers lives on the Siuslaw watershed with her partner, Jesse, and her two kids, Ramil and Zhade. A self-proclaimed social justice and economic justice warrior, her heart and passions resonate deeply with current happenings in her community and broader society. When she isn’t busy with work, teaching financial literacy to underserved and marginalized communities, she enjoys volunteering with local organizations like Siuslaw Outreach Services, teaching musical theater with CROW, and performing with her jazz band Hip Pocket.
The 2023 Arts & Culture Roundtables are a partnership of Lane Arts Council, Florence Regional Arts Alliance, Minority Voices Theatre, Wordcrafters in Eugene, and local community members. This program was made possible in part by grants and funding from Oregon Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, United Way of Lane County, Umpqua Bank, and City of Eugene Cultural Services. In-kind support provided by Eugene Ballet.
Please consider a donation to support the continuation of these vital conversations.
About Arts & Culture Roundtables
The arts are an integral and powerful tool in helping communities reflect, grow, and heal, but first, we need to examine how our local arts community excludes some of the most relevant voices. The roundtable series began with two community-guided conversations to get a sense of the perceptions and realities within our arts community. Following roundtables have been planned in response to the needs that arose from those initial conversations. Ultimately, we hope participants will gain new perspectives and information, find inspiration to create change in their organizations and communities, and garner a newfound connection with other artists and arts professionals for support and resource-sharing.
Arts & Culture Roundtables are planned in response to the larger need to address harmful systems of power. It is our responsibility to acknowledge our community’s history and actively gather to have courageous conversations about its current state of exclusion, inclusivity, and representation. Through this series of roundtables, we want to better understand and acknowledge the inequalities that exist in Lane County’s arts community. We are striving to:
- Take an honest look at the issues and challenges in our own arts communities
- Identify strategies to improve equity, accessibility, and representation in our own practices, programs, operations, and organizational cultures
- Recognize gaps and identify existing resources and support for artists and arts professionals
- Cultivate space for the voices of black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented community members to be heard
Previous Roundtable Topics & Presenters Included:
- Roundtable Kickoff Community Conversations, led by Ritu Roy and Eric Braman
- Empowered Spaces – a Panel Discussion with local BIPOC Artists and Advocates
- Finding Our Why, led by by Sarai Johnson
- Two-part Series on the Tenets of White Supremacy, led by Ayisha Elliott
2021 Two Part Roundtable Series with Ayisha Elliott, Recordings
We encourage you to watch this series with presenter Ayisha Elliott.
Together we explored a conversation around white savior complex and where our relationships to privilege can complicate our intentions and our collective impact. In this two-part series, Ayisha, skilled in creating spaces where vulnerability, honesty, and courage can thrive, provided essential reflection and inquiry to support all attendees in understanding the deep and layered relationship of privilege and racism.
Please contact Eric Braman at eric@lanearts.org with any questions.