Creative Strategies for Change is celebrating 10 years of embodied decolonization work that we have been doing in community over the last decade. We are SO excited to celebrate in community with you all again during this “friend-raiser” event. Our February Kickoff will be a bit different from our previous cyphers with the inclusion of: •FEATURES • SILENT AUCTION • CATERED EVENT • OPEN MIC
Decade of Decolonization – 10 year anniversary kickoff event! Thurs, Feb 16th 6:30PM -9 PM
Youth ages 13-18 are invited to join an in-person month long institute focused on arts & social justice. We will meet from 4:00pm-6:00pm MST on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from October 18th-November 19th. Here, youth get to connect, explore where we fit into current events and create music based upon our experiences and hopes for the future.
Youth who complete the institute will be paid a stipend and invited to perform or present at Community Cypher, our monthly open mic. Join us for this amazing opportunity to engage community!
Find more information about registration process here:
Join us for this immersive workshop building relationships and community rooted in racial equity. Engage with incredible tools for understanding and navigating one’s life experience, and build skills to successfully communicate with others around challenging topics. This interactive and impactful experience will grow participants’ knowledge of self, identity, power, oppression, liberation, and the many factors that make up the context in which we live… and why that all matters. Folks walk away with new creative facilitation techniques, a fresh understanding of oneself within the larger world, knowledge of social justice and restorative practices, new language to use around tough topics, and the confidence to make a unique mark on the world! Our Facilitator Workshops occur quarterly and are registration-based.
“With this model, I am better able to serve my community and create opportunities and shape policies and procedures in my workplace and organization.”
“I’ve been in a lot of virtual webinars, classes and meetings and I have to say this was the most engaging, thoughtful and creative experience on Zoom yet!”
“All of the creative practices were meaningful and powerful from the beautiful rituals that were employed to the fun and energizing exercises and games we experienced. The sharing in circles were very meaningful and within this particular group I experienced a wonderful healing energy and beautiful expression of blended peoples voices and hearts.”
“Something that has had a significant impact on me is being in a space with BIPOC folks in leadership positions and also being in a space where I am not the only or one of few BIPOC people. This has not happened many times in my life. Hearing what the BIPOC folks in this space have experienced makes me feel like what I have experienced as a WOC is real, valid, and relevant.”
Youth ages 13-18 are invited to join a two week long institute focused on arts & social justice. We will meet online from 4:00pm-6:00pm MST Monday-Friday from September 7th-September 20th. Here, youth get to connect, explore where we fit into current events and create music based upon our experiences and hopes for the future.
Youth who complete the institute will be paid a stipend and invited to perform or present at Community Cypher, our monthly open mic. Join us for this amazing opportunity to engage community!
For more information contact our Program Team at csc@creativestrategiesforchange.com!
ACT is a series of workshops connecting the community to social justice themes. Participants will engage in workshops, open mics, and audio composition/recordings. This program is not only designed to connect the community to social justice but, to keep the youth connected to each other during these uncertain times.
This two-week virtual program takes place from August 10th-August 21st for two hours a day, Monday through Friday.
To register for the ACT Institute or for general questions, please email us at csc@creativestrategiesforchange.
Interested in being a Co-Youth Facilitator for ACT? Check out our job posting!
Compensation: $30-40/hr. (based on training and experience)
CSC is seeking a young leader to support workshops for our ACT Youth Institute. We are looking for a Youth Co-Facilitator who is committed to providing artistic and educational excellence in alignment with the CSC mission, vision, and values. CSC also has occasional opportunities to participate in performances and workshops outside of regularly scheduled enrichment programs.
At CSC, we teach practical frameworks of Social Justice through Arts Engagement and Restorative practices. As a facilitating artist, you will be given the tools to teach an understanding of systems of oppression, social identities, community engagement and more to all school levels. As a facilitating artist, you will have a tremendously positive effect on your community.
Responsibilities:
The Youth Facilitating Artist will be responsible for supporting planning and teaching the ACT Youth Institute, running over the course of 2 weeks utilizing the CSC Curriculum and Model – integrating social justice frameworks and restorative practices, with arts education. Workshops follow a specific structure and allow room for creative liberty, while working with students to develop a culminating presentation or performance. Facilitating Artists are responsible for administering post student assessments, as well as completing weekly planning documents. Facilitating artists are required to complete the orientation and training
Skills and Qualifications:
· Commitment to the CSC mission, vision, and values.
· Commitment to the CSC Organizational Agreements and Restorative System in principle and practice.
· Interest in and/or experience as a teaching artist in the specified art form, with clear understanding of youth arts education, development, and engagement.
· Proactive, self-motivated, positive attitude, able to work independently and interdependently with the diverse CSC Team, students, and community.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
· A passion to learn social, racial, and restorative justice.
· Critical, strategic thinking and the capacity to manage multiple priorities.
· Flexibility to adjust and creatively navigate unforeseen challenges.
· Working knowledge of Google Drive and Surveymonkey preferred.
· CSC team members are required to participate in the facilitator training once each year.
To apply for a Youth Facilitating Artist position, please send a cover letter stating your interest in working with CSC and specifying your art forms, with a resume, references, and examples of your work to bianca@creativestrategiesforchange.com. Please visit the website to learn more about the organization, and don’t hesitate to contact!
CSC strongly encourages applications from diverse, creative, leaders of color for all listed positions. Creative Strategies for Change is committed to a policy of equitable representation across the organization and will not discriminate on the basis of race, ability status, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, socioeconomic status, or other social identities.
Come connect and exchange creative wellness strategies in celebration of Mental Health Month!
We will utilize music, freewriting and other tools to foster a space of rejuvenation. People participating will receive culturally responsive facilitation honing the opportunities available for centering self and others.
Explore the arts as a tool for communication and change in this interactive zoom workshop
Social Imagination describes our human capacity to connect across our differences and not only build empathy and understanding, but take action for equity and justice.
Experiment with creative activities and facilitation tools in this trauma informed workshop for facilitators, educators, artists, social workers, and anyone navigating challenging conversations and topics in the current zoomisphere.
Bring your whole self, there will be room for movement and somatics, emotions, ideas, and questions. Come together and get creative as we navigate individual and collective wellness in this time of unprecedented uncertainty.
Facilitated by Bianca Mikahn and Rachael Sharp.
Sliding Scale Tuition, Scholarships May Be Available.
Dive into key concepts, terms, and tools for combatting racism and cultivating racial equity in this interactive zoom workshop.
Racial Equity Foundations is a primer introductory workshop that starts at square one. Defining race and relevant terms, understading how structural racism functions, addressing specific issues in the time of Covid-19, and engaging tools for equity. This is a great opportunity for facilitators, educators, artists, social workers, and anyone ready to begin the journey toward racial equity in your work and your community.
Facilitated by Bianca Mikahn and Rachael Sharp.
Sliding Scale Tuition, Scholarships May Be Available.
Explore the arts as a tool for mental health in this interactive zoom workshop.
This interactive program creates a safe environment to identify mental health needs and explore issues such as identity, conflict navigation, and stress, through the use of creative art and self-expression. CYH incorporates artistic practices from journaling and lyric writing to painting and drawing.
Facilitated by Bianca Mikahn.
Sliding Scale Tuition, Scholarships May Be Available.
CSC is now facilitating our innovative programs online! Below is a list of offerings that can be adapted for young people, adults, and intergenerational formats. And don’t forget about our donation based monthly open mic, hosted by Bianca Mikahn, with amazing featured artists! This is just the beginning… stay tuned to our social media for all of the latest updates!
CSC Workshops and Circles are for youth, adult or intergenerational groups. The innovative CSC3 facilitation model integrates the arts, restorative practices, and an intersectional social justice (anti-oppression) framework.
Through large and small group activities and facilitated dialogue, participants build shared language and experiences with individualized opportunities for reflection. CSC’s diverse team brings a breadth of perspective and experience. Workshops and Circles can be tailored to meet your unique needs and budget. Let us know if you would like more information!
WORKSHOPS & RESIDENCIES
Arts for Action
Applied Theater
Digital Storytelling
Drumming and Beyond
Hip Hop
Spoken Word
Visual Arts
Beyond the Bully: Relate & Communicate
Check Your Head: Creative Tools for Mental Health
Cultural Responsiveness [in Virtual Space]
Cyber Somatics
Disrupting White Supremacy Cultural Norms
Embodying Equity
CSC Anti-Oppression Framework
Racial Equity Foundations
Understanding and Interrupting Implicit Bias
Racial Equity Systems: Analysis, Vision, & Action
Health Equity & Covid 19
Social Imagination: Art for Empathy and Action
Somatics, Equity & Inclusion [in Virtual Space]
Trauma Informed Facilitation [in Virtual Space]
INDIVIDUAL OR RECURRING CIRCLES
Collaborative Learning Circles
Empathy Circles
Racial Equity Caucus Circles
Restorative Circles
*All workshops currently occur through Zoom. Varying streaming platforms can be established in collaboration with client requests.*
CSC’s diverse team of artists and consultants bring a breadth of perspective and experience to our clients. We do our best to work with each organization’s unique needs and budgets, while maintaining equitable rates for our facilitators. Please let us know if the rates are prohibitive, we may be able to help find funding, offer an adapted program or presentation with 1 facilitator, or provide a discount.
Creative Strategies for Change Response to Coronavirus (COVID 19)
Local and national response to the Coronavirus public health crisis is changing daily. CSC has been in regular communication as a team, and with our school and community partners and clients. We are centering collective care and responsiveness. CSC is following all public health guidelines from the CDC and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and doing our part to “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of the virus. We are also giving special attention to our community’s mental health needs at this time and encourage extending extra patience and compassion for ourselves and one another while anxiety and fear are heightened. See additional resources below.
This time is very challenging for grassroots and arts organizations like CSC. We are working on balancing our response to immediate needs and long term preparedness. With so many changes facing us every day, many in our team are directly affected. Our work typically happens live and in person, and our team of artists and facilitators are at the heart of CSC. While we are adapting to changes and implementing virtual options whenever possible, we are also raising funds to support lost wages as school closures and program cancellations become standard practice.
CSC offices are closed. All staff are working remotely until April 17. We will follow further public safety and social/physical distancing protocols as they are announced. Staff will be available during regularly scheduled hours by email and phone. Please call or email if you have questions, need support or resources.
This will be an adventure! Content will be responsive, joy will be catalyzed, DEI and mental health resources will be available. Link and details posted on facebook.
This will be a short mental health workshop instead of the full day training, which will be postponed. Content will be responsive. Time and format TBD. Updates will be posted on eventbrite.
April updates will be posted.
Resources: There are so many resources out there, we will share just a few links.
Creative Strategies for Change 