MN DANCE COMMUNITY GATHERING
Friday, May 13, 2005
9:00 am - 5:30 pm
McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center
FREE - lunch provided
To attend, reply by May 6th to:
rsvp@mcknight.org or 612-336-3731
DOWNLOAD & POST A FLYER for the event! - Click on "Gallery" (above, right)
Sponsored by the McKnight Foundation
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Dear Friend:
I am writing today to invite you to be part of a daylong conversation with dance artists, educators, and others who care about and support dance in our community.
A year ago an amazing group of people came together for an energizing day of conversation and community. Beginning with the broad question, “How can we collectively enhance and support our efforts to make dance and dance artists thrive in Minnesota?” over 150 people spent the day talking about the myriad concerns and passions on their minds. Groups discussed connecting with audiences, bettering dance education, issues facing dance artists of color, alternative financing models, festivals and awards, service organizations, performance venues, and more.
We organized the meeting at the urging of dance artists who felt it would benefit the community to come together to think about its shared future. Many things were set in motion that day, but there is a lot more to be done. Several dance artists have again urged us to organize a meeting this year. Whether or not you had an opportunity to be part of last year’s conversation, we hope you will consider joining us for a second communitywide gathering.
It will be on Friday, May 13, from 9am to 5:30pm at the new McGuire Theater at the Walker Art Center, which is on the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Vineland Place in Minneapolis. Once at the Walker, you can find the McGuire Theater through the entrance doors on Hennepin Avenue, near the new Hennepin lobby. If you use the underground parking, take the elevators to the lobby and follow the signs.
The conversation will rely on Open Space Technology rather than on a pre-set agenda. Open Space allows the people in attendance to decide what’s most pressing and to organize discussions of only what’s most important to them. The success of the gathering depends on the people who come and bring their ideas, passions, problems, stories, and creativity. The questions that will frame the day are:
"How can we collectively enhance and support our efforts to make dance and dance artists thrive in Minnesota? Where are we now? Where do we want to be?"
While there is no pre-set agenda for the day, in the morning the group will identify and explore the compelling issues and ideas for the future of our dance community. In the afternoon we will identify group priorities and develop initial action plans. This gathering is an opportunity for you to have a voice in shaping the landscape of dance in our state.
Our dance community is enormously diverse, with independent artists, entrepreneurs, educators, companies both large and small, community-based groups, pick-up groups, presenters, dance patrons and supporters all exploring the art and helping others gain insight into dance. All have something to contribute. We hope this day will again be useful and energizing, and help to move dance forward. If you can take part, please do. It’s important for dance, and it’s important for our community. Plus, we’ll provide lunch!
If you’d like to come, please send an email with your name to rsvp@mcknight.org or call 612-336-3731 by May 6. For online information and updates, please visit http://www.mnartists.org/MN_Dance_Gathering. Feel free to pass along this invitation to others who care about dance or post the enclosed flyer. If you have any questions or feedback, please call me directly at 612-333-4220. Also, if you have questions about access, or wish to request an interpreter, or other accommodations, please call me or e-mail at info@mcknight.org. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Neal Cuthbert
Arts Program Director
The McKnight Foundation
