JULY 30 - AUGUST 8, 2010

The Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) in New Orleans is an intensive 10-day “place based convening” where we learn effective ways to deepen or begin our work as artists who want to connect our art to community organizing and social change strategies.  We will engage with the New Orleans community around our theme:  Soul Deep: How do we work to build healthy sustainable communities?

Starting in New Orleans in 1990 with John O'Neal and Junebug Productions, Urban Bush Women (UBW) has embarked upon 20 years of conscious community engagement that has taken us all across the United States.  We continued our long term and deep commitment to working in New Orleans through the launching of our 2009 Institute in New Orleans.  We are honored to return for 2010 working with our partners in Team NOLA, a group of local participants who have guided the planning process.

The SLI forges an “artist as activist”  methodology that offers a complex set of competencies and techniques that have evolved from UBW's 25-year practice of art-making.   We believe it is valuable to “use movement to build a movement”. 

Our leadership development will include: 

• Embodied Learning through Dance and Movement Classes
• Urban Bush Women's Entering Building and Exiting Community Workshop
• People's Institute for Survival and Beyond's Undoing Racism Workshop
• Presentations and Field Trips
• Cultural Asset Mapping
  Dialogue and Discussion

Groups transform as they sweat, clap, and create together. Communicating non-verbally is freeing in a debate-based society such as ours, and allows for an intimate and authentic way of knowing other people. We deliberately harness the joy and unifying power of rhythm and movement to inspire respectful physical and verbal dialogue.

We use art as a lab for struggling together. Dancing and creating together are the physical parallels to dialogue. We offer practice and tools for interacting physically and verbally.  The Culminating Public Performances include all participants and use music, dance, theater, visual design and spoken word to address community concerns.  The 10-day Institute schedule consists of full day experiences that often go into the evening.  Join us in this important work!

Tuition is $850 and housing is available through Tulane for an additional fee.  Participants are responsible for meals.

2010 SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW !

Click HERE to download the 2010 application