Waterville Creates!, has been selected to sponsor EmcArts’ Arts in Complex Community Change program in Waterville.
The series will provide capacity-building support for arts organizations and its partners across the social sector working on complex community challenges.
These workshops are an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and learn how to make real progress in changing the dynamics of complex systems through the arts. The workshops will begin in October and will include a diverse array of organizations throughout Waterville, according to a release from Waterville Creates!
Waterville is one of three communities in the country selected by EmcArts to participate in the innovative programs supporting community change through the arts. These programs are made possible through the support of the Kresge Foundation.
“EmcArts is excited to work with Waterville Creates! to help community members navigate the complex dynamics of a community undergoing revitalization and change. We expect to find that this intimate community has many shared bonds, strengths, and challenges that will inform the collaborative work among the participants,” said Liz Dreyer, senior program manager at EmcArts, according to the release.
“We are incredibly excited about this opportunity and the capacity-building impact it will have in our community,” said Shannon Haines, president and CEO of Waterville Creates!, according to the release. “In this time of unprecedented investment and rapid change here in Waterville, these workshops will provide an opportunity for a variety of organizations to come together and explore new ways of working together.”
In the workshops, teams from up to 15 community organizations can learn new strategies for addressing complex community challenges and how artists and arts organizations can play a bigger role in those discussions. Participants will identify the issues they face in their work and develop new tools and techniques—providing creative solutions to real community challenges.
For more information, visit watervillecreates.org.
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