Bare Hands and Imagination
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Noon until 4:00 PM Central Time
Lunt Beach in Rogers Park
ORPC and allied trainers from around Chicago have been inspired by the recent organizing efforts of our city’s youth. In support of the young people of our city, who are advocating for themselves and telling their own stories in the streets, we are organizing a series of workshops aimed at adding to their creative tool kits. These trainings will focus on topics ranging from strategic campaign planning to social media and press work. This first outing will focus on creative tactics.
This training will be free to all participants, and will include refreshments (free pizza!).
Activist Ann Meredith will lead an imagery focused workshop for students ages 13-18. Participants will explore examples of radical protest art from around the world, and discuss ways in which larger goals can be translated into powerful, concrete images. The hands on production of banners, zines, buttons, and props will also be addressed. Students will also learn how to stencil, wheat paste, and cheaply screen print t-shirts and posters.
For high school aged students, there will also be a discussion of what direct action means in their communities, and a chance to discuss tactics with active youth organizers.
For students 12 and under, there will be a host of activities, including radical drumming, dancing, crafts, and theatrical games with the Theater of the Oppressed.
We are very excited about creating an ongoing NVDA curriculum for our city’s youth, and we hope that this will be the beginning of a program that will stage workshops around the city, and continue to evolve over time. We are not attempting to direct or organize our city’s youth. We believe that they have the power and imagination to organize themselves. We simply want to hand them a tool kit, and show them that they are supported in all of their endeavors as agents of change in this city. 
HOW YOU CAN HELP: We need help getting the word out about this project. Please share this event page with any groups or individuals who might benefit from this workshop, and those to come. If you can help get the word out, and/or help young people get to Lunt Beach on the 28th, we would be exceedingly grateful.
As mentioned above, there is no charge for this training. All trainers at these workshops will be donating their time, as this is truly a labor of love for our city’s youth. We hope to see you there, and to work with you as we continue to build these learning opportunities for Chicago’s youth.
