utfr [fall 2006]

Up from the ROOTS

ANNUAL

MEETING

EDITION

JOURNAL FALL 2006

Celebrating 30 Years Building Community at the Intersection of Arts and Activism

Dear Friend,

Where were YOU in 1976?

Where were you 30 years ago?

Thirty years ago, Alternate ROOTS was little more thana hair-brained idea in the imaginations of a few sociallyand politically-aware theatre folk who had cut their teeth inthe movements for civil rights, women’s rights and peace in Vietnam. Did wehave any idea that we were starting an organization that would continue towork for justice, with arts and culture as powerful tools, into the next genera-tion? Yet we’ve stumbled and struggled, fought, sang and danced with eachother, kept talking — and learning.

Now 30 years later, ROOTS has grown into a national force for arts in socialchange. From our organized response to the after-math of Hurricane Katrina,to our advocacy for artists’ voice and for authentic community expression,ROOTS has matured into an important, vital organization which has supportedand served hundreds of artists in all disciplines working for social change.

Now, in celebration of its 30 years, ROOTS has launched a “30 for 30”Campaign, to raise $30,000 in unrestricted funding: funding that can be usedwhere it is needed most.

Between us, the two of us served ROOTS as its director for nearly half ofthose 30 years. We continue to have a huge investment and interest in thehealth of the organization that we carefully nurtured — so we’re writing to you,to ask you to join us in the “30 for 30” Campaign. Please consider a contribu-tion of whatever you can afford. Consider including ROOTS in your will.Consider the impact that Alternate ROOTS has made in the Southeast — andbeyond — through three decades of service and commitment.

Please join us in supporting Alternate ROOTS by filling out the informationbelow and mailing your contribution to the office. We hope that you will givegenerously, so that ROOTS can stay alive and healthy.

Sincerely,

Up from the ROOTSJournal Fall 2006

CAROLYN MORRISExecutive Director

CARLTON TURNERRegional Development Director

SAGE CRUMPExecutive Administrative Assistant

OFFICERS

STEPHEN CLAPP, [email protected]

MARQUEZ RHYNE, [email protected]

TRINA FISCHER, [email protected]

NAYO WATKINS, [email protected]

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Alabama, Georgia, South CarolinaOMARI FOX

[email protected]

TONI [email protected]

FloridaDENISE DELGADO

[email protected]

LELA [email protected]

Kentucky, North Carolina, TennesseeAPRIL TURNER

[email protected]

JERITA [email protected]

SHANNON [email protected]

Louisiana, MississippiMAURICE TURNER

[email protected]

NICK [email protected]

Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West VirginiaADRIENNE CLANCY

[email protected]

ASHLEY [email protected]

SatelliteS.T. SHIMI

[email protected]

LISA [email protected]

Visual ArtsMEG ANDERSON

[email protected]

GWYLENE [email protected]

NORA [email protected]

LAVERNE [email protected]

Journal StaffKEVIN MCFOY DUNN

Editor

CARLTON TURNER Graphic Design & Layout

WALTON PRESSPrinter

Kathie DeNobriga Alice LovelaceExecutive Director Executive DirectorAlternate ROOTS Alternate ROOTS

Iarrived at the Lutheridge conference facilities andbreathed deeply of the fresh air and the scent of

pine trees. At this site nestled in the woods of NorthCarolina, thoughts of heightened airport security, lostluggage, and the pile of work left on my desk in NewYork seemed completely irrelevant.

As I entered the main building, I took in the familiarview of this retreat that people go to in order toexchange ideas, share experiences, and think aboutwhat they can do individually and collectively in thefuture. There were people moving in small groupsfrom one building to another, folks sitting togetherenjoying the sun while engaged in lively discussions,and a few people sitting alone, writing or just thinkingquietly.

But the Alternate ROOTS annualmeeting is distinct from otherconferences and retreats that Ihave attended. It took almost notime to see these differences: atruly diverse community ofartists, leaders, and activists;participation of families; childrenand teens engaged in creativeworkshops that spanned per-formance and media art.Mealtimes were communal, andconference participants workedtogether to prepare food and tohelp with cleaning up aftermeals.

The conference sessions that weekend (I didn’tarrive until the last Friday of the meeting) were inter-active; many began with opening songs. I attended astory circle that ended with breakout groups sharingcreative interpretations of the effects of HurricaneKatrina on fellow New Orleans residents.Performances held in the evenings were safe spacesin which artists could share their work and receiveconstructive criticism from their peers. Young artistsdemonstrated that age was no barrier to powerfullycreative expression full of humor, insight, and hon-esty.

The membership meetings scheduled throughout theweek were perhaps the most interesting to me.There I saw collective democracy in action, issues ofgovernance, finance, and procedure tabled, debated,

and voted on. At points the meetings felt painfullydrawn out and unnecessary, but at other times theyfelt exciting, important. The group, through its owndesign, allowed everyone to actively participate, andit became clear that each issue had to be exploredfully through this process — because editing one oranother out would put the whole enterprise of collec-tive power at risk. So I sat and listened, and thoughtabout ways of supporting Alternate ROOTS and itsformidable leaders, director Carolyn Morris andregional director Carlton Turner.

Alternate ROOTS is a perhaps accidental precursorto social network technology and network-centricorganizational models. The power of Moveon.org,DailyKoz.com, and now Youtube.com is about

empowering individuals to havea voice and providing a placefor expressing that voice.Moveon.org gives folks anopportunity to find other like-minded people; networks formby engaging people through thethings they care about, with themost successful enabling thecollective voice to carry themost weight in decision-makingby such networks on eitherorganizational matters or exter-nal issues.

Sound familiar?

The meeting ended on Sunday. I detected a newsense of direction for the conversation that Carolyn,Carlton, and I had started over a year ago. Our dis-cussions were focused on how information technolo-gy — Web site tools — could help Alternate ROOTSserve its membership more effectively and efficiently,assist in keeping membership involved throughoutthe year, and make it possible for all parts of theorganization to extend our reach. Throughout thoseexchanges, I felt that we cared about the same thingand were addressing the same issue, although com-mon understandings on details were elusive.

The annual meeting at this place nestled into hills ofNorth Carolina showed me more than I alone couldhave ever learned otherwise: I saw that it was themost relevant experience I could have had.

Alternate ROOTS in 2006

Judilee Reed is vice president of LINC(Leveraging Investment in Creativity)

an organization

450 West 37th Street, Suite 502New York, NY 10018

Tel: (646) 731-3275Fax: (646) 731-3289

solsta999

Note

Don't have sufficient information on Judilee. Will inculde a more informed bio.

Denise Brown and Walidah Imarisha work with the Leeway Foundation, a Philadelphia-based foundationthat funds women artists and transgendered artists seeking to create social change in the Philadelphia

area. They learned of the Alternate ROOTS Conference through their activities with the foundation, and wereinterested in attending because of its emphasis on the connection between art and activism.

IMARISHAThe Leeway Foundation has been going through a multiyear dismantling racism process, and is at the verybeginning of a trans inclusion process. This has meant a lot of changes not only in whom we fund, but in theinternal structure of the foundation as well. What I found really interesting, helpful and thought-provokingabout the ROOTS conference was getting to speak with staff and members, and getting to see at first handthe change that ROOTS too has gone through in trying to reach out to address the issues and needs of mar-ginalized communities and to bring those communities into leadership positions. That’s what Leeway is doingas well, so it’s important that we work together, support one another, and learn from each other to keep thisstruggle moving forward.

BROWNI didn’t know that much about ROOTS before I arrived at Lutheridge. Two women I know had attended overthe years and spoke very highly of it, but neither of them is a person of color or an artist making change.Then an organizer I know, a woman of color, said that it was the only artists’ conference she would ever con-sider attending because, as she said, the folks involved are not just “arty”— they’re cultural workers andactivists with an analysis of race and power who believe that art is a necessary part of building an effectivemovement for social justice. That endorsement, combined with what I saw on the Web site, convinced me tocheck it out. I’m pleased to report that my colleague the organizer was right — ROOTS did not disappoint.

I met some fierce artists and activists at ROOTS — staff, board, members, presenters, guests. I participatedin conversations and sessions about art and change and organizations in transition, saw thought-provokingperformances, felt the warmth of Sage’s smile, PooPoo-LaLa’s hands and Tuffy’s laugh, and came awayfrom the conference feeling less isolated in this work, energized by being in the company of folks who aredealing with many of the same issues we are dealing with at Leeway. I’m grateful we at Leeway made thisconnection, and look forward to finding ways to work together in the future.

For more information on the Leeway Foundation, go online to www.leeway.org.

solsta999

Note

Will use this space for the table of contents.

Thirty years ago, I got a little job from HighlanderCenter to organize a meeting of a bunch of the-

ater artists to see if we had anything to say to oneanother. We did.

This organization is now as old as I was whenHighlander asked me to organize that first meeting; Iturn 60 this fall.

There were others who were far better organizersthan I, who had immediate visions of what such anorganization might be and set out to make it happen.Some amazing, far-reaching thinking has gone intothe making of this organization, and we all benefitfrom it.

I’m 30 years furtherinto the making of artthan I was at that firstmeeting. ROOTS hasbeen a huge influencein my work;Highlander has beenan influence. Andthere are others.

The obligations thatcome with making aliving at my art — I’vedone that for most ofthose same 30 years— have been morethan an influence. I’m acreature who has evolved to fit a niche in those 30years. I helped make the niche, but the niche hasalso made me. And I’ve been thinking about what thelearning of those 30 years might be.

And I have a word: “agency.”

What I mean by “agency” is the capacity to act onyour own behalf. It is a fitting word. Alternate ROOTShas been about assuming our own agency as artistsfrom the very beginning. The capacity to take yourown agency is the greatest of gifts an artist canhave. It is also what makes you /us so wonderfullydangerous. I cannot tell you exactly where that giftcomes from. I know there has to be something in youthat wants it a lot before it has any meaning at all.But to someone who does want it, it is the greatest of

all possible gifts, and organizations like this one real-ly do help in achieving it.

But “agency” has a larger meaning than just assum-ing our own agency as artists.

I think our job as artists interested in community —and I’m personally not much interested in an art with-out a community — is the giving of agency in thatcommunity. What on earth do I mean by that? I meanthat it is my job to help others act on their ownbehalf. Why, you might ask, am I not in social servic-es? Because that agency, like the food stampagency, is akin in name only to agency as I intend it.

There is a very large,invisible item out therecalled the “zero-pointfield.” It is a field ofenergy as big as theuniverse, but it iseverywhere, this roomincluded. It is a fieldthat (among otherthings) supports lifeand seems to collectand keep somehowthe experiences of thatlife. There are realexperiments (thename of one book thatdelineates some of

them is The Field byLynne McTaggart) in which, after one creature learnssomething, it becomes easier for others to learn thesame thing.

The implications of this are huge, and many. So letme draw just one of them: when I use a story, and Iwork a lot with other people’s stories, my job is to putsomething into that zero-point field that servicesagency, instead of something that reduces it.

Again you may say: So that’s the big picture — thankyou very much, Ms. Einstein. But what good is it?

Well, first, it is an amazing way to think about whatart is and what art can do. Art has — my opinion —always been about agency (giving it or taking isdepending on who is making the art); we just don’t

The following has been adapted from the text of an address made to attendees of the 30th annual meeting of AlternateROOTS by one of the organization’s founders, Jo Carson. Her remarks were delivered in the course of the evening per-formance series on Friday, August 11, 2006.

Five of Alternate ROOTS founders (from l to r) Robert Leonard, XXXXXXX,Linda Parris-Bailey, Jo Carson, Kathie de Nobrigia

solsta999

Note

I need the name of the founder that is missing.

think of it that way very much any more. That’s relegated now to ritual, or religion, or any number of otherthings relatively discredited as having any real power in this culture. Mistake.

Here’s why it works: we humans are creatures that live by stories, our brains are hardwired for narrative, andmore, we make stories of everything. The chemistry of our bodies changes with stories we tell ourselves,and the stories that we live with make a huge difference in the courses of our lives. And here comes art: welearn as much (often more) from hearing/seeing stories as we do from experiencing them. Listening to astory does essentially the same thing in your brain that experiencing it does, and a story in which a characterreal enough to identify with in some way has agency, the capacity to act on his or her own behalf, givesagency; a story with no agency takes it away.

It is that simple, and it works from the zero-point field to the tip of your or anybody else’s little toes.

Now, I do not mean we should just do sweet or happy stories — that’s not the experience of this world; it is atougher place than that, and stories that whitewash hard experience get dismissed, as they should, becausethey take away agency. So I’m not trying to make you into some Pollyanna or Horatio Alger. Please. If any-thing, I’d make you fiercer than you already are.

What I’m asking you to do is put this idea of giving agency to others with your work in your head and yourheart, and see what comes of it.

And talk back if you want to.

In 2005, the young people who participated in the Youth Village proved to all that they had something tocontribute, challenging everyone present at their performance to find a way to help support their artistic and

leadership efforts as young people ready to go to the next level. I knew that what we had created together in2005 was wonderful, and had somehow set a new standard for what we should expect from the young peo-ple at annual meetings from that day forward.

The 2006 Youth Village met every goal set for it. The participants stepped up to the challenge of multitask-ing, which was going to be very necessary if they were to create a presentation that would include a taste ofwhat each guest artist workshop and other youth programming provided. Every time they displayed theirworks of art, it was clear that they embodied multicultural and intergenerational bridge building, youth-to-youth communication and trust.

I had a fabulous time, and was proud to be in service tothe young ROOTers.

Hilda Willis, Alternate ROOTS YouthCoordinator

photo by Dada Ra

Rajni Shah defines an “intervention” as an action thathas an unexpected effect on people’s lives —although the meaning of neither the action nor itseffect is under the control of the artist, that being leftrather to the interpretation of each witness. Rajni’s“rules of engagement” for this species of interventiongo something like this:

An intervention should be, at its heart, a gift.It should be something that you believe in, andshould challengeyour usual ways ofworking.It should open awindow to changewithout imposingany particular view-point or making anyparticular argument.It should respect thespace and expres-sion of others(necessitating, forinstance, that anintervenor seek per-mission for an actwhen politenesswould require it).

The backgrounds ofthe six participantsat the workshop con-ducted from 2:30 to 5:30p.m. on Friday, August 11, 2006, were in theatre,poetry, photography, writing and teaching. Someattended the workshop out of curiosity sparked bythe term “intervention”; others came to seek inputregarding a hodgepodge of concerns: nontraditionalaudiences, experimentation, new inspiration, newteaching techniques, social and political connectionsto art and change.

Rajni’s background has been in traditional theatre.The United Kingdom citizen’s current work reflectsher commitment to making an impact on new audi-ences and to taking work into the general community,as opposed to limiting her work to conventional the-atergoers. Her work challenges stereotypes, con-

structing and then breaking down illusions in uniqueways.

She presented a DVD with examples of her ownwork and that of fellow artists in the U.K. Also sup-plied was a handout listing experiential interventionistartists in the U.K., some with provocatively zanynames such as “Mad for Real” and “ClandestineInsurgent Rebel Clown Army”.

The workshopended with an expe-riential exercise anda challenge. For theformer, participantswere asked to writeon a piece of papera wish they had forthis Annual Meetingand to fold it inwhatever waypleased them; theythen chose some-one else’s paperand used it as inspi-ration to express themeans with whichthey would createan intervention. Thelatter consisted inspurring each partic-

ipant to mount an inter-vention of her or his own,

with Rajni offering support as needed.

The group then went outside to observe an interven-tion by Rodger French, whom they found sitting on aliving room chair in the open air. On an adjacenttable lay a note to the effect that he was taking a napand was looking for reasons as to why he shouldwake up. Rooters wrote their answers on stickynotes and stuck them to him.

Rajni Shah can be reached at [email protected].

STUDIO REPORT

Rajni Shah/Across The Oceans 2: Interventions and Public GesturesElayne M. White

A gift from Rajni Shah left on the floor of the general meeting space.

Ihad been enthusiastically prepared by Joe Lambert for the Alternate ROOTS experience.This wasn’t just any gig he wanted me to attend: it was the ultimate confluence of amaz-

ing art, progressive, sane politics, and extraordinary people — and so my expectationswere quite high.

The Center for Digital Storytelling, in collaboration with Carpetbag Theatre, was chargedwith facilitating a first-rate digital storytelling workshop for ROOTS youth. The youth who participated in theworkshop were a true reflection of the organizers who brought them to the meeting. Our workshop startedwith some movement-based group bonding activities led by the Carpetbaggers. We continued with anoverview of digital storytelling and a story circle in which each participant shared her or his story idea. Theyouth then wrote their scripts, scanned images, pored over the Internet and took digital pictures. When timecame to put it all together, they demonstrated their familiarity with digital technology by learning the videoediting program in record time, and easily finished the stories for viewing on the last night of the meeting.

It was a wonderful screening. The stories were emotionally compelling, authentic and humorous. I especiallyenjoyed the warm reception and affirmation extended to the youth by the appreciative adults attending thescreening. The feeling of a community elevating and embracing its youth was palpable — and I felt honoredto participate.

This summer, as I traveled to the Alternate ROOTSAnnual Meeting, I thought about what this annual

meeting would be like. I thought about the new peopleI would meet, the various performances I would see,and the delicious food I would eat — but what I mainlyhad my mind on was: “What am I going to do?”

The year before, I’d spent countless hours pointlesslyroaming Lutheridge with nothing to do. This year Ilooked forward to something that would help me con-nect with my peers, and express myself, without boringme. I’m happy to say that I got what I wanted in theform of digital storytelling.

After the first day, when I heard about what we wouldbe doing, I was eager to share my story. There wasonly one problem: I didn’t have a story. I spent a longwhile searching everywhere for something that wasright in front of me; that something was the arts.

After brainstorming, I put all of my ideas together tomake my digital story. There were a few bumps alongthe way, but I had help from my sisters and cousin, andfrom the digital storytelling team of Ms. Linda,Marquez, and Seed. After several days, my story wasready to be presented. It was shared in front of a largegroup of people. I was surprised at the feedback Ireceived: everyone loved it, and congratulated me. Theexperience I had with digital storytelling helped me findout a little bit more about myself and strengthened mybond to the arts — which is why I look forward to theannual meeting next year.

Chris Morris

The annual meeting was cool. I really liked thedigital storytelling, because I learned how to

make a digital story, and I can now teach it to oth-ers. I think there could have been way more teensthough — there were only a few of us, and somedidn’t even get involved. Overall it was a fun, cre-ative, and implausible experience!

Camara Morris

Iloved the annual meeting! It was very entertain-ing, and it caught my attention. The digital story-

telling was my favorite part. It allowed me to sharea lot about my life. It was also very demiurgic.That runs in the 'Morris' gene. I made new friendswhile making my digital story. I had a lot of fun!

Nona Morris

From 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2006,Alice Lovelace, the national lead staff organizer forthe United States Social Forum, conducted an openspace with a view to getting information out about,and to gather support for, the upcoming meeting inJune 2007. The 14 attending included artists fromvaried disciplines such as textile art, poetry, spokenword, storytelling, furniture making and visual arts;two participantsidentified them-selves as organ-izers.

Alice started byasking partici-pants abouttheir awarenessof the USSF.Some hadattended theSoutheastSocial Forum inDurham, N.C.,at which —Latino grass-roots partici-pants havingbeen activelyrecruited — adefinite push fora brown-blackalliance was inevidence. In this connection, Latonnya Wallacebrought a short video of conversations at the SESFamong pairs of participants from Charleston, S.C.But in general, most participants knew very littleabout the USSF. One participant with some knowl-edge of the forum is looking to it as a way to come tothe table to make progressive change without gov-ernments; his goal for his work is to use the knowl-edge he gains to move toward giving everyone avoice through theatre and film. Indeed, some hadnever heard of the Social Forum mechanism at all;on being exposed to the concept, one such attendeesaw it as providing a chance to be part of a unitedglobal front for change by reason of its capacity tomeld a crowd of worthy but fragmented efforts into a

coherent force.

The USSF grew out of the World Social Forum,which got its start in Brazil. In 1996, activists inSeattle, its leadership white and male, mountedprotests aimed at preventing the G8 from meeting.Afterward, the organization Grassroots for GlobalJustice was formed to assure that a larger contingent

of people ofcolor was dis-patched to theWSF; Alicebecameinvolvedthrough thegroup ProjectSouth. All of thisferment repre-sented thebeginning of theworldwidemovementagainst so-called “global-ization”. In2005, whichsaw socialforums held inIndia, Mali, andVenezuela,Alice came onboard with the

USSF, whose meeting originally scheduled for 2006had to be pushed back in order for organizationaloperations to be completed.

The main difference between the USSF and otheractivist organizations is that it functions solely asmeans of making it possible for people to presenttheir agenda and find support for their particularissues. The USSF provides no funding for travel,speakers’ fees, and so forth — quite unlike the tradi-tional conference model. Help in on offer for organi-zations seeking funding from philanthropists, church-es, etc. One difficulty with conventional funding enti-ties is their insistence on quantifiable results and out-comes to evaluate. The USSF answers to no such

STUDIO REPORT

Alice Lovelace, Organizer for the United States Social ForumElayne M. White

masters: it exists for the attendees, enabling them to work from their own scripts, to set up their own pro-grams, and to make happen what they need to happen.

For the first time within the WSF structure, the 2007 USSF will be led by grassroots people of color ratherthan by the academics, intellectuals, and professional organizers who heretofore have directed the forum.This new concept for the USSF implicitly advances the idea that unity arises from people coming togetherand determining their own directions, as opposed to trying to a spark a single action to be performed throughthe agency of a large, not to say monolithic, group. Victory in the social forum context is a victory for peoplerather than for a disengaged hierarchy such as a government. The 2007 meeting of the USSF, which willhave the involvement of 200 grassroots organizations across the country, could attain a new level of actionon issues like the minimum wage, job security, healthcare, education, environmental protections (with specialreference to contemplated oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), and the like.

Some Rooters from Charleston are planning to go to the WSF in Nairobi, Kenya, and are raising the money,as well as putting out the word to others who want to join them.

The world is asking what’s wrong with the people of the U.S., who are perceived by many as uniformly com-placent about what their government is up to. This installment of the USSF will afford progressive Americansa robust opportunity to show a puzzled and fearful planet a different side of us.

For more information, contact Alice Lovelace at [email protected], or call her at Project South, (404) 622-1133.

a poem for the closing of the 30th alternate roots annual meeting

oh shitthere i am

on the floorthat’s me

i mean, that’s my bodyi must be dead

my race is already overwonder what the cause was

don’t yet knowwill have to investigate

oh god, please do not let those be tweezers in my handsplease don’t tell me that i died this morning

plucking those last few chin hairsthat i am so obsessed with

please say that it’s a pen in my hand—that i was writing for a noble cause,telling a story that needed to be told

a story that only i could tell

oh goddess, please tell me that my mouth is not openin that ugly twisted way

because i was telling a lieor mocking something beautiful

please tell me that it is about to curl into a smileas i laughed last night with my talented, intelligent, world-changing friends

or when i hoooooped it up with the bigness of life and in the bigness of myself

saidyes to life

oh lord & ladies, please tell me that my feet are dirtyin that way

not because i used my car to drivea third of a mile

because i was too fuckin’ lazy to walkbut because i was stomping on the grapes of wrath

that this world ain’t near perfect yet

oh well, i suppose the cause of death is unimportantbut it looks like my fight here

is done nowand i didn’t even do that much while i was here

so, i guess y’all just gonna have to pick up the pace now

shannon turner

Shannon Turner is a graduate assistand in the Theatre Department at Virginia Polytechnical University in Blacksburg, VA.

Owing to ongoing performing commitments for aPeace Process Project in Belfast, Northern

Ireland, it’s not been possible for me to attend theAnnual Meeting for a number of years. My return tothe 2006 meeting was a revelation: There’s beendynamic growth on many levels.

ParticipantsI immediately noticed a considerable increase in rep-resentation and attendance by youth, small children,and persons of color, as well as continued atten-dance by founders and longtime members.Programming reflective of and geared to the needsof these diverse groups was clearly in evidence.

PerformancesThe performances I attended were well organizedand outstanding in their artistry, with plenty of varietyin the areas of performing discipline and content. Itwas wonderful to consistently experience high-cal-iber work by artists deeply committed to socialchange. The acrobatic performance by youth wasespecially moving. The post-performance discus-sions with artists were remarkable in their depth andsensitivity, and for the detailed critiques that bothsearched and supported the artists’ work.

StudiosI learned new approaches, and gained significantinsight into planning effective arts interventions aswell as methods of creating new performance workfrom personal stories. The wonderful expertise of theartists leading both studios was inspiring.

FacilitiesThe facilities at the Conference Center provided justthe right atmosphere for relaxation and renewal.Keeping us involved in basic setup and cleanup

before and after meals promoted a sense of multi-leveled community — and the food was really good!

Open Space TechnologyFor me — amazing conversations containing consid-erable shared resonance with a number of others onthe subject of Art and Spirituality. I hope we can con-tinue the discourse in the weeks and months tocome.

Business Meeting/ProceduresSo much to accomplish with so little time — all donewith vigorous and attentive teamwork in an overrid-ing atmosphere of goodwill and service.

InterpersonalI valued sharing:Spontaneous activities and conversations with oldfriends and new.Laughter and quiet moments in the company of oth-ers.Tears shed over deep personal loss.Sadness revealed as impending separation from aloved one drew near.Meeting the challenge of addressing membershipissues in impromptu committee.

StaffCarolyn, Sage, Carlton, Vanessa and others involvedin the planning and implementation of the annualmeeting bestowed on the membership and other par-ticipants an experience that no amount of moneycould ever buy. The organization and planning of theannual meeting was outstanding — a labor of deepcommitment and love made manifest.

—Sandra Hughes

photo by Gwylene Gallimard

Ihad such a beautiful experience at my first Alternate ROOTS gathering in North Carolina. I was truly hon-ored to have been offered the hip-hop activist scholarship, and appreciated the offering coming from such

a humble and genuine brother as Carlton Turner.

It took a couple of days to assimilate to my surroundings — being that I wasn’t too fond of the woods, partic-ularly at night. (My first night there, I was greeted by several spiders in my bed!) I overstand that the MOSTHIGH sets before us difficult circumstances at times in the way of leading us to push through and to conquerour fears. And that’s what I did.

As far as the gathering went, there is not much I enjoy more than coming together in numbers with loving,creative, spiritual activists — beings from different generations and backgrounds, all wanting to make achange for the better by utilizing the arts, and who inspire me to do the works. I was infused with such a pro-ductive energy and fire, and inspired to work harder, and to build with like-minded and spirited beings aroundme. In one of my favorite parts of the conference, everyone would gather to eat, and almost always end upcoming together in praise, song, drumming and dance. I felt such an old-soul energy — one that took meover and followed me home to Miami. Iwas also loving the surroundings, andthe sacred, ancient energy of the NorthCarolina mountains.

All in all, it was a forceful, unforgettableexperience that I intend to build from,and hope to be blessed to be a part ofagain. I give thanks to everyone andeverything — including the spiders in mybed — for allowing me to take part insuch a powerful and necessary event.

Give thanks and bless-ed Love,SoulflowerONE.

Soulflower was one of three Hip Hop Artist/ActivistScholarship recipients at the 30th Annual Meeting ofAlternate ROOTS.

Miami-based Hip Hop Artist Soulflower and Appalachianmusician/singer/firedancer Chloe Smith of the Smith Sisters.

Keith Knight is a cartoonist and rapper based in San Francisco. His two weekly comic strips, "the K Chronicles" and "(th)ink", appear in publications nationwide. Keep an eye out for his work in an upcom-ing issue of Mad Magazine. His fifth collection of comics, "The Passion of the Keef" (Manic D Press), is available at www.kchronicles.com. Also look out for his collaboration with ROOTS member Mat Schwar-zman “Beginner’s guide to Community Based-Arts” available at www.newvillagepress.net.

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HistoryFounded in 1976, Alternate ROOTS is dedicated to providingSoutheastern artists working in all disciplines access to the kindsof technical and administrative resources they need in order toenhance their artistic development. By sharing information andresources with artists and presenters, ROOTS supports the cre-ation and presentation of new work and enables artists to get thatwork before a broader audience. This exchange of work, skills,critical analysis and information serves to create opportunitiesbeyond the scope and ability of any single individual or organiza-tion.

MissionAlternate ROOTS is an organization based in the Southeast USA whose mission is to support the cre-ation and presentation of original art in all its forms, which is rooted in a particular community of place,tradition or spirit. As a coalition of cultural workers, we strive to be allies in the elimination of all formsof oppression. ROOTS is committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the naturalworld and addresses these concerns through its programs and services.

Programs and ServicesCommunity/Artists’ Partnership Project (C/APP) is designed to fund, document and teach commu-nity-based residency models to artists, arts presenters, and community partners regionally.

Residency/Touring Program provides fee subsidies to rural, ethnically diverse and emerging presen-ters in support of touring activities by ROOTS members in the Southeast.

Resources for Social Change (RSC) offers professional development workshops and convenestraining institutes.

The Annual Meeting is a weeklong gathering of members and supporters in a retreat setting.Activities include artistic and professional training, performances, networking opportunities and train-ing in “Uprooting Racism”.

Publications include UP from the ROOTS, a quarterly journal with distribution to over 7,000 readers,a monthly ROOTS member bulletin, the ROOTS web site (www.AlternateROOTS.org), the RSCHandbook and an anthology of original Southern plays.

Regional Events are geographic clusters of ROOTS members that meet throughout the year to facil-itate regional networking and alliance-building as well as skill development and sharing work.

For more information please go to www.alternateroots.org or contact the ROOTS office, 404-577-1079.

Alternate ROOTSF.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

utfr [fall 2006]

Documents

alternate roots

intersection of arts

vital organization

artists voice

hundreds of artists

civil rights

unrestricted funding

authentic community