Time to ‘Make it Fresh’ with Movement Generation

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If politics is the art of what is possible, let’s use art to expand those possibilities.

That’s the spirit behind my exciting new fellowship with the revolutionary rock stars of
Movement Generation (MG). I’ve been a big fan of Movement Generation’s for a while…they bring together social justice and ecological issues in a way that’s real, powerful, and makes the green movement more about people on the block than polar bears on the ice caps. (Nothing against my polar bear homies out there. I’m just saying, Oakland has a couple issues higher on the list.)

You’ll find Movement Generation in Richmond fighting the Chevron refinery, on the Black Mesa reservation in Arizona fighting for solar power, and all over this increasingly hot-ass planet building with movements for human rights and climate justice. My kind of people. And now they’re going to build the cultural front of the movement? Oh hell yes.

Starting this month, I’ll be working with the MG team to create art, stories, and online media on the most pressing issues and ideas emerging from the environmental justice struggle in the Bay Area and beyond. We’re calling it the Culture Shift Fellowship. And you know me — we’re going to have some fun with this one.

Expect hilarious political videos like the recent Moses and Jes̼s. Watch out for special events bringing together musicians, poets, filmmakers, and graphic artists Рalong with leading environmental activists Рto make creative campaigns together. Get ready for bold, beautiful art in defense of Mother Earth, Papa Smurf, and all the cool kids just trying to live right across the globe.

To start if off, we’re offering a brand new course for grassroots activists to bring a little more artistic inspiration and creative storytelling to their communities. It’s called “Make it Fresh” — and we’ve got a few spots left! Want to get down? Here’s everything you need to know.

Make it Fresh
Creative Storytelling for the Urban Environment

Arts and Activism workshop series with Josh Healey and Movement Generation
October 21 – December 9, 2013

Free — for a limited time! Apply now.

Join Movement Generation in this interactive arts and activism workshop as we write and share new poems and songs, memories and manifestos — and discover how to use your own story to change the larger narrative towards justice and ecology.

Led by acclaimed writer and creative activist Josh Healey, Make it Fresh is geared towards community activists, artists, and environmental justice leaders in the urban Bay Area. Participants will explore the relationship between their environment and their community, looking at issues of race, place, personal histories, and collective struggles. Combining spoken word, creative writing, and oral storytelling, all participants will create one original story or artistic piece, which they will have the opportunity to perform at a final community celebration.

More than just a writing workshop, Make it Fresh is for activists looking for new ways to engage their community and push their campaigns forward.  Creative storytelling is a powerful tool for leadership development, political education, and building unity across cultures and generations. Let’s talk about pollution AND poverty. Let’s tell our truest struggles, and speaks our dreams into existence. We have asthma in our lungs, joy in our hearts, and we’re ready to shout our stories to the world.

Whether you’re a closet writer just waiting to pick up the pen or a long-time activist searching for an exciting new tool to engage your members, Make it Fresh is made for you.

Applications are due Friday, September 6. Check out the site for more information.

And stay tuned for future projects on the Culture Shift front…using our stories to change THE story for justice and ecology.