Solidarity Summer School 

“It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.”

-Angela Davis

Who are we in these moments of global upheaval? Who can we be? Let’s build collectivities to move cultural and structural change in the arts and culture sector. Together we will locate our personal and political selves to uncover pathways that shift power, engage productive conflict, and that lead to solidarity and transformational change. Participants in this three-part series will leverage the writing and art of BIPOC thinkers and creatives to guide somatic and creative engagement with the principles of solidarity practice. Together we aim to de-center Whiteness and white supremacy values to build actionable strategies for collective liberation.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Embodying the work of anti-racism – participants develop a deeper understanding of what it means to embody anti-racist leadership. They will engage in creative and somatic practice and guided visualizations to explore how they might engage with the work of anti-racist leadership as whole human beings.

2. Building critical consciousness- participants engage in guided reflection and exploration that facilitates a deep analysis of personal and political identity and the ways that different forms of discrimination overlap. They will understand the source of their power and practice power analysis.

3.  Creating a culture shift- participants understand and gain tools and tactics that support cultural change and power shifts within traditionally white-led organizations. They will engage in conflict analysis, risk and failure exercises, and creative practice.

Session 1: Collective liberation requires that we each do the personal work necessary to understand the ways we have been shaped and misshapen by an ideology of white supremacy. In this session, participants will engage in a healing-centered approach to reflection that supports discernment around the ways we engage in lateral harm even as we aspire to antiracist change. Together we will reflect, map, and create to set a basis for coming into greater alignment with our stated values and vision for collective liberation.

Session 2: The ideology of white supremacy is a web of extraction, colonialism, violence, and othering. This session will provide an opportunity for all participants to reflect on who they are individually, the ways they are entangled in this web, and the impact of this entanglement on not only their everyday lives but also the lives of others. In this session, we will also take a deep dive into an analysis of racial capitalism and its manifestations in the arts sector. This analysis and its application to a set of case studies will position participants to understand how they might source their power to disrupt the forces of white supremacy within their lives and workplaces.

Session 3: Who are we without white supremacy? The final session of the Solidarity Summer School series will explore methods for leveraging conflict productively and tactics for harnessing personal and collective power to move from commitment to action. We will open space for imagining, creating, and strengthening solidarities across the arts. This culminating workshop makes space for the application of the various tools and frameworks offered in earlier sessions to articulate and share accountable action with a network of peers. *Participation in the first two sessions is required for enrollment in session three.* 

Duration: Three, three-hour sessions with approximately 45 minutes of pre-work. Participants will receive a workbook and workshop materials via email in advance of the workshop series.

Participation requirements: Interested participants should have completed the equivalent of a minimum of one, one-day introductory workshop on race and racism. Participants will be asked to stand, move about a room, and engage in light movement. In-person workshops require masks. 

Workshop fees: $175 per workshop, enroll in the three-part series for $500 ($25 discount)

Workshop dates: Mondays, July 15, 22, & 29 from 1p-4p