January 29th - February 2nd, 2018
Conference Tracks
Track 1​​​
The Art of Social Change:
with International Social Artistry Facilitator & Technology of Participation Co-Author, Janet Sanders & Community Builder & Acclaimed Poet Tannur "SheWrightz"Ali
For one full day, participants will learn to embody social change using tools for personal growth and community involvement.
Beginning with a 2-hour mini-intro to Social Artistry, including the Four Lenses of Awareness, we will dive into exciting new ways to use imagination and creativity to expand our powerful individual and collective capacities for improvement.
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Following the Introduction to the Four Lenses for Awareness, a full range of Social Change workshops are scheduled. Participants can design their day by joining workshops, Open Space discussions and Collab Labs on topics including:
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Entrepreneurship
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Environmental Stewardship
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Performing Arts for Social Change
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ICA Participation Technology
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Community and Civic Engagement
and more!
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We'll hear from previous participants who are currently using this work in the fields of activism, education, parenting, politics, social work, and performance.
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​Led by Jan Sanders, co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Affairs and co-author of Technology of Participation facilitation methods, participants will benefit from 30+ years of experience bringing this work to communities throughout the US, Canada, East Africa, Nepal, and beyond. The cultural intelligence that she brings to bear will awaken participants to deeper ways of embodying the change that is needed in our world, now more than ever.
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Tannur Ali, co-facilitator, poet, and home-school mom, works with participants to tease out their desires for change and the projects that arise from that passion. She communicates with depth and passion and challenges participants to dive deep.
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Track 2
Story Bridge Theater
Community Theater Pioneer
Dr. Richard Geer
and Story Bridge Facilitator & Author Dr. Qinghong Wei
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In this session, you will be immersed in the power of story, as a teller, a listener, and a creator of the retelling of story. You will gather stories and then chose selected stories, music, and props that will make these stories come to life. Then you and your group will perform these stories in an evening staged performance. One participant stated: “Richard Geer alone is worth the trip to Colquitt.”
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Jonathan Nguyen, a Florida State University College of Social Work student, wrote: “Nothing I learned from a textbook could ever compete with the knowledge and wisdom I received from the speakers and inspirers of Colquitt, Georgia, and Swamp Gravy.”
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We Are All Assets!
Visit the Social Artistry Connections Website. here
2017 Guest Presenters
Each year at Building Creative Communities Conference, we recognize the importance of gatherings like this to build and maintain growing networks of change agents. We encourage entries from every economic, cultural and gender background and seek proposals that are inclusive and forward-thinking.
WHAT IS SOCIAL ARTISTRY?
Social Artistry is a new model for leadership created by human potential leader, Dr. Jean Houston. Albert Einstein has been credited with pointing out that the same mindset that created a problem cannot solve it. Many of the problems in society today stem from leadership that is ill prepared to deal with the present complexity and chaos of modern life. Too many leaders have been educated for a different time, a different world and can only employ methods that have outworn their usefulness. Therefore, we need people with new and creative approaches to bring to community and organizations. The work of Social Artistry enables the development of latent human capacities which lead to break thru when dealing with the challenges of present problems. Social Artists learn to develop the outer senses as known through the body as well as the inner senses of knowing and attuning to the highest level of inner experiences. It is dynamic and open-ended and provides a balance between the inner life and the work one is called to do in the world. As participants in the Building Creative Communities conference you are a person who is a social entrepreneur. You are probably recognizing this work as a call to create a world that works for everyone. How does one sustain the energy, motivation and creativity to do the hard work of community transformation? The Social Artist is taught skills and practices which are an antithesis to burn out. Social Artistry brings the focus, dedication, skill and vision of an artist to bear on the work that we are called to do in community.
Two Day Introduction to Social Artistry- Leadership Skills Training. In the two day training offered as a pre-conference in conjunction with the Building Creative Communities conference, you will learn how to employ latent human capacities at the sensory and physical level, the psychological and relational level, mythic and symbolic, and spiritual levels. You will become more creative, more imaginative and more finely equipped to deal with the many challenges of life.
Those who have taken the two day introduction to Social Artistry are eligible to take the post-conference course which deepens the processes.
Introduction To Train the Trainer, a mid-level training in the methods of Social Artistry. You will learn and grow new capacities, for instance:
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Develop speaking skills and natural presence with a group.
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Learn how to create environments for accelerated learning and to work with multiple learning modalities.
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Learn how new science supports the human capacity of work Social Artistry.
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Learn processes for leading groups from vision to action.
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Develop conscious aliveness skills that increase presence, resiliency and stability in the world.
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Practice effective use of story.
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Create and sustain a teaching/learning community.
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Envision projects that can move the world in the direction of a justice and sustainability. These are called by various names: trim tabs projects or spark projects.
Participants in these programs are offered continued support through being part of teaching/learning communities and networking with other world movers. During the program you will begin creating a developmental plan to ensure the success of particular project that you feel called to do. Group leaders will assist you in bridging the deep learning of the Train the Trainer’s program to the field work that it will sustain and grow.
The learnings and connections will continue to grow as we offer support and share ideas by tapping into our electronic learning networks, our monthly conference calls and optional coaching services.
Stay tuned for additional information and prices for the Social Artistry Training.
