AN OPEN HOUSE:
WE ARE THE FUTURE OF BLACKROCK
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MAY 11, 2024 | 12-4PM
12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, MD 20874
Mark your calendars, gather your friends and family, and come celebrate the power of art and community at BlackRock Center for the Arts. From 3-4PM, join us for a facilitated talkback session where your feedback will help shape the future of BlackRock. Your ideas and insights will guide us through our strategic planning process, ensuring that we continue to serve and inspire our community in the best possible way.
WHAT TO EXPECT
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OUTDOOR ARTISANS MARKET!
BlackRock's Artisan Markets are back! With your favorite vendors who specialize in hand crafted, jewelry, candles, and more, you can join us monthly for your handmade fix. Shop local, shop small, shop art! If you are interested in vending, please reach out to markets@blackrockcenter.org.
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SNACKS & DRINKS!
Enjoy the spring vibes of the outdoor performances and artisans market to the max with a refreshing lemonade or some freshly popped buttery popcorn at our concessions tent! From sodas to sangria, we'll have something for everyone.
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FREE LIVE PERFORMANCES!
We are thrilled to have Kuchipudi Dance Academy, Free Theatre, and More Than a Model join us on our Outdoor Stage! In between performances, DJ Ty will keep the good vibes going.
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FREE ACTIVITIES & WORKSHOPS!
BlackRock Teaching Artists will man our arts and crafts tables with fun activities for all budding artists, and Kuchipudi Dance Academy will hold a dance workshop open to all!
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FACILITATED TALKBACK
Join us in our Mainstage from 3-4PM for a facilitated talkback session and give us your feedback! Help us center community voices as the future of BlackRock.
This spring and summer, BlackRock, in partnership with The Leadership Institute for Compassionate Changemaking, is creating a new, community-driven Strategic Plan that will guide its operations and programming for the next 4-5 years.
To kick off this process with the community at its core, BlackRock will host a Strategic Community Gathering on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in conjunction with the Artisans Market, that will culminate qualitative and quantitative data to inform the upcoming plan, launching in early fall.
The event will mirror the vision in its process and...
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Collect and distill comprehensive and inclusive feedback and needs from the region for BlackRock to use as the foundation of the strategic plan and begin a meaningful community engagement process.
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Set BlackRock up for financial sustainability by striving to center its value, work, and platform as a cornerstone of the community.
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Center the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color throughout the process as an embedded commitment to antiracism.
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Nurture spaces of exchange for the regional creative community for continued collaboration.
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Practice and model compensatory exchange within communities by curating events and meetings that recognize the time and energy of sharing thoughts and ideas and compensate material benefit to participants as a part of the process.
Following the event on May 11, the team will connect with smaller groups and individual stakeholders, to ensure alignment with the goals of the process before distilling a final report of community-wide feedback that will be centered in the Strategic Plan.
STRATEGIC COMMUNITY GATHERING
May 11, 2024 at the Artisans Market
Join us at the Artisans Market on May 11 for a Strategic Community Gathering to provide feedback that will guide the future of BlackRock through its strategic planning process!
The afternoon event (12-4PM) will include:
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A facilitated feedback session (3:00-4:00PM) centering community voices as the future of BlackRock
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Free snacks and swag
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Performances by regional artists and creatives
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Tables connecting regional community organizations
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The Artisans Market
If you’re unable to attend on May 11, but would like to provide feedback to guide BlackRock’s planning process, please complete the feedback form or contact Dana Parsons (dana.peragallo@gmail.com; 302.841.7257).