National Peace Conference Video Coverage on Sanctuary TV
Check http://MediaSanctuary.tv for video and photo coverage of the National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now! that took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Albany, NY last weekend (July 23-25).
Update: Click here to read a blog post looking back at our experiences running the United National Peace Conference Media Project. To see all videos, photos, and tweets posted by anyone about the conference, go to the main UNPC Media Project page, http://mediasanctuary.tv. For a selection of edited videos from the conference, head over to our main SanctuaryTV channel on this site. To see all videos we produced during and after the conference (mostly live footage of speeches), check out our YouTube channel.
The conference brought together antiwar and social justice activists from across the country to consider what can be done to end the U.S. wars, occupations, bombing attacks, threats and interventions that are taking place in the Middle East and beyond. See for yourself where the antiwar movement is today and where it is headed.
Conference organizers are demanding the immediate and total withdrawal of U.S. military forces, mercenaries and contractors from Afghanistan and Iraq. They are also calling for re-direction of the trillions being used for wars and occupations to jobs, health care, education, the environment, infrastructure and other human needs, and compensation for the peoples whose countries the U.S. attacked and occupied for the loss of lives and massive destruction they suffered.
A live video stream began on Friday night at 7 PM and went through the close of the conference on Sunday. Clips are archived on Sanctuary TV. Here's the complete webcast schedule:
Spring 2010 Season Comes to a Close...
The spring 2010 season at The Sanctuary for Independent Media that began on Monday, February 22 with the first of 16 shows ended Wednesday, June 30.
The diverse films, talks, showcases and music events included a talk by bestselling "Blackwater" investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill; music from emerging Afropop star Bassekou Kouyate and his band from Mali; a multimedia presentation by author Scott Christianson on Harriet Tubman's heroic 1860 slave rescue in Troy; filmmaker Alex Rivera screening his acclaimed sci-fi adventure "Sleep Dealer"; the weekend Bike!Bike! Northeast celebration of bicycle culture; and much, much more.
“Be The Media!” Spring '10 Workshop Series Announced!
The Sanctuary for Independent Media Center presents the “Be The Media!” workshop series from March through June 2010.
The “Be The Media!” workshop series provides local artists, producers, and citizen journalists with opportunities to acquire and improve the skills necessary for successful and high-impact independent media-making.
The workshop series, now in its 8th season, offers chances to explore the use of technology in making art and media, and build the creative capacity of our region. Geared to suit people who know a lot or a little about digital tools, the workshops are suitable for both curious novices, and seasoned users ready to hone their skills. The instructors are world-renowned media artists with expertise in many fields, and come from the Capital District and beyond.
The “Be The Media!” workshop series is presented in partnership with the Hudson Mohawk Independent Media Center, and with the financial support of the New York State Council on the Arts. Each 4-hour workshop will be held in The Sanctuary for Independent Media at 3361 6th Avenue in Troy, NY, on Sunday afternoons.
Celebrating America's Longest Running Political Comic Book
A new show in our Underground Gallery, "30 Years of the Art of World War 3 Illustrated: America's Longest Running Political Comic Book," will be on display from Monday, February 22, 2010 through June 26, 2010. The exhibit will be open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 AM-5 PM, as well as an hour before, during and an hour after events at The Sanctuary for Independent Media and by special arrangement.
Founded in 1980 by Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper, World War 3 Illustrated is a labor of love, run by a collective of artists working with the unified goal of creating a home for political comics, graphics and stories. Their confrontational comics shine a little reality on the fantasy world of the American kleptocracy, and have inspired the developing popularity and recognition of the graphic novel medium in the U.S.
Volunteer Opportunities Abound!
Volunteers are the brains and heart that make the Sanctuary a thriving and vibrant community media and arts center. They help to staff events, shoot video, plan events, build the community, build our space, and keep the place nice.
Whether you come with a specific expertise, a new skill you'd like to learn, or just an interest in being a part of the Sanctuary, we welcome your help.
Some of the volunteer projects we need help with:
The Sanctuary for Independent Media hosts AmeriCorps VISTAs
From July 2009 - July 2010, the Sanctuary for Independent Media will host two AmeriCorps VISTAs through the Digital Arts Service Corps (formerly known as the CTC VISTA project). We are enthusiastic to be a part of this program, which places individuals in organizations whose work centers on media and technology, specifically those who work toward building a strong and diverse public media infrastructure in the U.S.
NYCLU Sues in Support of 'Virtual Jihadi' Exhibit
The New York Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Troy and Public Works Commissioner Robert Mirch for shutting down The Sanctuary for Independent Media on purported code violations from March through April 2008.
Hudson Mohawk Indymedia produced a definitive account of the whirlwind of events surrounding Wafaa Bilal's controversial art exhibit, "Virtual Jihadi," which can be viewed on our website by clicking here.
"Art ≠ Terrorism" goes beyond the sound bites to find out what happened when an Iraqi artist came to Troy, NY only to be censored--not once, but twice.
First, Wafaa Bilal's exhibit was shut down by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after his anti-war artwork was attacked as terrorist propaganda by Campus Republicans.
When the work was given refuge by The Sanctuary for Independent Media, the City of Troy responded by closing us down. A massive outpouring of community support enabled us to re-open six weeks later.
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