Fall 2011 Newsletter
Planting Seeds for Media Justice!
Our media justice message is radiating around a convergence of activities that we’re pretty excited about! Connecting media to urban gardening, alternative transportation, nutritious cooking, and youth voices, we are planting seeds. Our theme this fall: “Cultures of Resistance.”
A Harvest Celebration
Join us for a harvest celebration on the afternoon of October 15 and into the night, complete with stories, music and multi-media, culminating in a community potluck followed by a world music concert and an evening with the makers of an inspiring bike-centric film about alternatives to industrial agriculture.
Uptown Summer 2011
All summer long we’ve been focused on our local community in North Troy, building collaborations with neighboring organizations. As you probably know, our friends at Troy Bike Rescue just purchased a building a block away from the Sanctuary, and immediately became a huge hit with the local youth population… you can see the difference, with bikes all around! About halfway between us, on what just a few months ago was a vacant lot overgrown with weeds, lush vegetables and flowers planted by the Collard City Growers are blooming. Working with the Missing Link Street Ministry in their kitchen and at the Collard City Garden, we created DIY nutritious snack workshops. Together, we declared an “Uptown Summer” and filled it with bikes, gardening, food, music and media. Check out the amazing videos made by our Youth Media Sanctuary team that tell the story, at www.MediaSanctuary.tv!
Freedom Square
We call the collaboration between ourselves, Missing Link Street Ministry, Troy Bike Rescue and Collard City Growers the Freedom Square Coalition – named after the grassy spot where 5th and 6th Avenues
meet 101st Street a block from the Sanctuary.
We think of Freedom Square as an urban cultural and spiritual oasis, so we were pleased to inaugurate it with a special afternoon of food, bikes and music on the July 4 weekend. Along with the local featured performers, all the way from Boston via the Montreal Jazz Festival, was Debo Band, a 10-piece Ethiopian soul group. It was a rocking good time; check www.MediaSanctuary.tv for a wonderfully recorded live music video from the event!
We’re planning to do more live music and screenings outdoors; look for some surprises next year in Freedom Square…
The Haves and Have-Nots
One of the great things about meeting the young people in our neighborhood is getting to know their talents. Our own Madena Henderson was one of 15 youths selected as a winner in a nationwide competition – and she’ll premiere her work in Washington, D.C. this October!
Madena began her journey as a filmmaker when Pastor Willie of the Missing Link Street Ministry, across the street from us, suggested that she enroll in our Youth Media Sanctuary program.
And congratulations to our 2011 YMS producers and mentors, who along with Tech Valley H.S. made 16 videos for PBS Project VoiceScape – they were even interviewed on WMHT-TV!
Independent Voices
That’s what it’s all about… giving voice to local and unheard voices.
Whether it’s music, a screening or a speaker from our event calendar, one of the “Be The Media” workshops, or reflecting on the state of the contemporary news media environment in our art exhibit “Media Nodes,” come plant a seed for cultural resistance with us at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. We hope to see you soon!
The lifeblood of The Sanctuary for Independent Media is volunteer labor and individual contributions!
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