This Saturday, LA Commons will be taking over The Music Center for a day of artmaking, poetry, dance, and community building to effectively create our next LA! We at LA Commons strongly believe that arts and culture have the transformative power to advance equity and our communities, and we built our multi-platform Creating Our Next LA campaign to enhance dialogue among Los Angeles residents, from Pacoima to Skid Row.
Our event this October 22nd will be a culmination of our efforts, as we bring together dancers, artists, thought leaders, and the public to collectively dream about the future of LA. Here’s a rundown of the program:
11 AM PARTICIPATORY PROCESSION
The day will commence with a procession designed to transform the Music Center’s Jerry Moss Plaza into a place to which the people of LA County feel a deep and ongoing connection. Led by an assembly of traditional and contemporary visual and performing artists and culture bearers reflecting the diverse peoples of Los Angeles, the procession will invite creative, intergenerational participation. We aim to engage over 4,000 families, adults, elders, and young people, highlighting accessibility, relevance, and equity.
11:45 AM PROGRAMMING OPENING
Following our grand entrance, we will kick off our program by setting intentions for the day and welcoming Angelenos to Creating Our Next LA’s takeover of Jerry Moss Plaza.
12:00 - 2:45 PM ENGAGING ACTIVITIES
Artmaking and Ribbon Activity
Our Creating Our Next LA team, community artists, and youth visionaries have been traversing Los Angeles to ask a key question: “What is your vision for a livable, healthy, and just Los Angeles?” LA Commons has a history of transforming community responses to this question into visual art installations that reflect a shared imagining of an LA where we all thrive. In the past, as a part of the Department of Mental Health’s WE RISE campaign, we organized “In Kindred with the Oaks” at Grand Park, an urban forest of 84 native California oak trees that offered a much needed respite in the midst of a concrete jungle.
For this next iteration of community co-created art, we partnered with architect and artist Mandy Palasik, whose creative vision led us to Dream in Ribbons, our central installation that translates our visions into a celebratory work of art that commemorates hope for a more vibrant future. Dream in Ribbons reflects a parts-to-whole concept in which individual ribbons (over 12,000!) celebrate the diverse voices of Angelenos. If you have not already done so, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the middle community ring of the installation with your own vision for a thriving Los Angeles.
Voter Resources
2022 is a critical election year. We would like to encourage civic participation by sharing needed resources and information. Please stop by LA Voice’s table for more information and take a pledge to advance your goals for your community!
[P.S. A bandana designed by Shepard Fairey of OBEY may be involved!]
Poetry Readings and Poem Activity
Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural will round out the afternoon with another beautiful art form: the written word. We will be able to witness a poetry reading and partake in a poetry activity ourselves!
2:45 PM PARTICIPATORY DANCE CIRCLE
Finally, we’ll be able to join a dance circle led by choreographer Jahanna Blunt. The dance circle will feature Mrs. Ko’s Korean Traditional Dance Institute, Le Ballet Dembaya performing West African dance, Kalpulli Temachtia Quetzalcoatl performing Danza Mexikah, and Bloco Obini performing Afro-Brazilian dance! By bringing together different cultures and peoples, we hope to demonstrate the rich cultural fabric of the place we all call home: Los Angeles.
We are excited to see you there!
Please learn more and RSVP below:
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