Funemployment 2018 - Week 3 Report

Okay, so this one is also backdated. But this one's only several days late rather than one full week. And we'll get into that a bit here. So check out what's happened in the week since my Week 2 Report.

NOT All Fun and Games

So just in case it needed to be said for some people Funemployment is not fun by nature. I mean it's really just "unemployment" with a big ol' "F" in front of it...or a lower case "f", if you are so inclined. The catching up with friends slowed down with the holidays.

In fact I would say that calling it Funemployment to some degree is a bit of a work, and that's on purpose. I've called it that because I do not want my current situation to be defined by what is NOT there, in this case employment. I feel like, reminding myself that it is still possible to have fun and one should still have fun because otherwise I'd just be spiraling in what's a pretty depressing and stressful situation.

So that means gathering with friends and colleagues, getting out to see things that are free or through the generosity of friends and loved ones, it means being okay with stopping the grind to find another job to watch the new She-Ra on Netflix.

At one point during the week, this led me to reach out to Whitman Walker about one of their Peer Support Services, specifically their Individual Peer Support.

Peer counselors meet with peers for 50-minute sessions, once per week, for 10 weeks. Counselors can help peers set goals for success or just provide a listening ear; they are trained to provide objective support...

And I reached out to inquire about this because:

The Next Tuesday is the Anniversary of...

...the darkest day of my life. Here's a video of my story of what happened in 2010.

JR Russ tells true story at SpeakeasyDC - June 2012 from Story District on Vimeo.

So the week before, even weeks before, is a time I always tread carefully during, not just when I'm with others, but even when alone.

Job Hunting

Again, last week I mentioned two jobs that I was interested in and applied for.

One is the Executive Director position at Dance Metro DC. This was a bit of a no-brainer, although it still helped when I shared it on Facebook, that friends thought I'd be a good candidate for it. I mean, a member organization for the local dance community, looking to increase visibility for dance locally, create a sense of community, and provide support and services to help contribute to the economic stability of dance artists and organizations? Yes, please!

And then, for something completely different, a part-time Front Desk Receptionist position at Beacon House. Some of you might ask what would be so appealing about this? First, the organization, which is a DCAYA member org, is less than a 15 minute walk from my house, so commuting would be amazing. But also, being able to be involved in an organization doing GREAT work that's hyper-local and in my neighborhood is certainly a huge draw. Their mission:

to provide children in the Edgewood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC with a safe, nurturing, and life-expanding community in which to increase their academic achievement, discover their talents, and to grow into healthy adults who achieve their greatest potential.

Also, I miss being on the ground in a service organization, and interacting with young people and their families. Finally the part time work would allow me to still pursue things during the day and night.

Two other opportunities I'll be applying for over the next week are Digital Marketing and Communications Manager at Step Afrika! and Deputy Director for Operations at HumanitiesDC.

My Monthly Moot

One thing that helped was my monthly (close to the) end of month Moot I host at my place of residence. And with the exception of three times, I've been hosting these regularly since March of 2015.

For the record, "moot" is actually a word that means something like, "a gathering of like-minded people." It was a pretty great way to decompress from Thanksgiving, which I'm not even going to talk about because it was that uneventful.

The Moot was meant to be an opportunity for all my creative friends and colleagues, from Burners to Dancers, Actors and Visual Artists, to gather. But it has turned into mostly my Burner friends, which actually still includes a great mix of artists of many disciplines.

At one point we played Space Team, which included introducing the game to a few newbies. It is self-described (and very succinctly and accurately) as:

A cooperative shouting game for phones and tablets

Watch the trailer.

Anyway, mischief was certainly managed.

This is also the day that She-Ra was started, and I had finished inhaling the entire first season before the weekend was over.

Speaking of Mischief

So...nothing really happened over the weekend. I'm actually looking at my calendar, and each day is completely empty. But then on Monday, I have a bunch of lovely calls related to Mischief DC's tenth annual Naughty Snowball Party: Rated X'Mas.

So fun fact: we had to create a SFW version of our Facebook event page, because we received feedback that people did not feel comfortable responding to the other one. And here they are:

• SFW NSB 10 event page on Facebook
• NSFW Naughty Snowball: Rated X'Mas event page on Facebook

And on Monday, I got to chat with fellow board members and volunteers about Art Grants as well as putting in place some Consent and Conduct guidelines and supports. And if you are interested in helping with the latter, please email me at nexus@dcburners.org.

Coming Up in Funemployment Week 4

That was it for week 3. The next week is definitely a bit more packed with:

• Work From Home - Giving Tuesday Edition
• Morning Vinyasa with Kegan
• CreativeMornings/DC
• John Kevin Boggs Memorial Award Selection

And a reminder that I'm experimenting with email updates specifically targeted to different interests and events.

So please sign-up.

Until next time,

- JR aka Nexus

Funemployment 2018 - Week 2 Report

Okay, not going to lie, this post is backdated because Thanksgiving week just got away from me. I think it being a holiday week...it was just a lot, which I'll touch on a bit in the Week 3 report. In the meantime, here's what happened in the week since my Week 1 Report.

Follow-up from last week

I did not win my write-in campaign for ANC. So Congratulations to Nick Cheolas. Looking forward to supporting him and holding him accountable for representing all of us in ANC 5E01. And I especially look forward to running against him ON the ballot in 2020.

My Unemployment is on hold as they take 21 days to do some fact-finding as far as the manner of my termination. But I'm still submitting things as required for if/when they approve it.

Job Hunting

So, there were two jobs I mentioned last week, which I submitted applications for.

The Project Manager position at Wired Impact is particularly appealing because:

1. As a faithful Wired subscriber, finding out they had a nonprofit website product and service was the best of my worlds colliding, and I'm a huge fan
2. The position is a remote one, so I'd be able to stay in DC
3. I would love helping nonprofits all over get great websites up and running

And then there's the Community Programs Manager at Arena Stage. This one was of interest because:

1. Work would be just a couple of blocks away from my parents house, so I'd probably see them a bit more
2. It would be nice being involved in Direct Service again, after years of respresenting teaching artist, giving grants to artists and orgs, and advocating for youth centered and informed funding, legilsations, and policies. 

Two more places I'm looking at are Executive Director at Dance Metro DC and Front Desk Receptionist at Beacon House.

COFFEE Club

During my time at DCAYA, I rebooted a regular gathering of Communication staff members at member ogs. And then started a group for all employees, friends, colleagues, etc. that might manage Communications, whether or not they were at a DCAYA Member org.

This group was called COFFEE Club for:

Communication Officers Forgathered For Enabling Effectiveness

Now I don't know if DCAYA will continue to convene regular meetings for Communication staff, but I'm glad COFFEE Club will go on, through and with the work of the co-chair, as well as other members, in terms of hosting it.

So, if you are interested and manage communications for your org, consider joining us:

• Join our Facebook group
• Follow us on Twitter

Dance Place Board Meeting

Even in unemployment, there is plenty of work to do. And this meeting was no exception. Beyond our regular board business, we were presented with a mostly final draft of a Strategic Alignment project from Compass Consulting.

I won't go into the details of the actual project presentation. I'll just say that it's a pretty phenomenal suite of pro bono services that Compass provides:

• Board Development
• Funding Strategy
• Partnerships and Collaborations
• Strategic Alignment
• Strategic Marketing &
• Strategic Planning

If you're a nonprofit in DC, and you haven't checked them out yet, you should.

Die Hard

So...nothing says the holidays like Die Hard. And since the original one came out 30 years ago, this year, I thought I'd use my favorite crowdsourcing movie screening platform, Tugg, to make it happen.

If you're not familiar with it, you just request to screen a film in their library, pick a date, and they take care of all the administrative stuff, booking it with the venue, making sure the film gets there, setting upt the ticket page.

All you have to do is make sure that a certain threshold of ticket sales (really, reservations because no cards get charged until that threshold is reached), to make the movie actually happen.

And if you're free and in DC on December 19, I hope you can help us make Die Hard happen:

• Get your ticket(s) on Tugg
• Invite your friends on Facebook

Broadway Singalong

This was definitely a highlight of the week. We had at least 50 people show up, even despite the weather that Thursday.

Thrilled to have executed this third event with my singalong partner in crime, Kristin. We were inspired after a couple of magical afternoons at Burning Man, with a camp that did this. And we're really getting the hang of it. It's a true singalong, no karaoke mic, but this time with words on the screen.

It's the second one we've done quarterly, whereas a whole year and a half passed between the first and the second one. And we alternated from Disney to Broadway for the most recent one, so we'll be back to Disney in three months. Now we just need to find a venue with a room for free that is accessible and kid friendly, as requested by some who could not make them so far.

Which I guess I should add to my to-do list this week!

DCAYA Exit Interview

It should have been a red flag that the board chair just wanted to have a conversation and listen, and that I was more prepared in terms of typical exit interview questions and having answers for them.

Regardless, I presented an outline for how I thought the conversation should go, starting with life in general, what I liked about DCAYA, what could've worked better, and what they should look for in hiring a replacement.

Anyway, obviously still processing.

Meeting w/ Arts Management friends and more

I continued to call in the troops and met up with about 10 people over the week.

These ranged from Arts Management colleagues I hadn't seen in a while, including one that just had their first album release party at the 9:30 Club. Others I got to chat with ranged from Burner friends to Youth Development folx I'd met while at DCAYA whose work I still wanted to be involved with and support, which I discuss a bit more later.

Overall, definitely thankful for the literal social net I've had to catch me. Even if these meetings and coffee dates aren't directly resulting in job prospects, I feel like they're all relationships that have informed my life and will continue to do so. If anything, I feel like it's helped me reset my own personal and professional compass when it comes to what's next.

Aida

Even in unemployment, the show must go on. In this case, it meant having a wonderful date night with my partner, and introducing them to Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, presented by Constellation Theatre.

I forgot how much I loved the soundtrack, and am kinda bummed that none of the soungs from this show made it into the singalong list earlier in the week. But hopefully our next Broadway singalong, that will change.

The love story also reminded me of all the reasons I love Kegan/Compass, my partner. I know, chessy, but whatever, that's part of what makes musicals so great. And it was a good note to remember to see art, especially when it feels like my life is unmoored.

The Community Enrichment Project

This is the organizaiton I mentioned earlier, which I came across and met its founder, Lauren Grimes, during my time at DCAYA. Fun fact, she's also another DC native. And her goal with the organization?

To instill a strong sense of civic awareness and engagement in underserved communities. 

So the work continues, because youth development work in the District is so much more than any one organization. And it being a relatively new and young organization, I just hope to do whatever I can to help her sustain and grow it and its programs.

Coming Up in Funemployment Week 3

That's it for Week 2. I anticipate next week will be a slow week, but I'm sure there will still be plenty to share:

• More Catching Up
• A Thanksgiving Moot

And a reminder that I'm experimenting with email updates specifically targeted to different interests and events.

So please sign-up.

Until next time,

- Nexus aka JR

Funemployment 2018 - Week 1 Report

So I remember trying this the last time I was funemployed 3 years ago, but it didn't last past the first day.

We'll see if a weekly format might work better. As many of you who know me now know, I was terminated from my job a week ago today. It was definitely a shock to me as I'd been there for 3 years, and there'd been no prior incidences, no warnings, no period for corrective action.

But life goes on, and I had no time to wallow. So here's a bit of what I've been up to.

I Called for Backup

When I left the office for the last time, I reached out and my loving partner, who was on their way home to Alexandria, turned around and met me at what was part of my daily route from the bus stop to the office: Buttercreme.

This helped process what was a mostly irrational and surprising morning. From there:

Election Day and my ANC Write-In Campaign

Given that it was Election Day, I went straight home and straight to the polls. There was a bit of a line but not too long of a wait. And while I was in the polling place, my partner was helping my write-in campaign for the ANC 5E01 Commissioner seat by flyering outside. See, our present Commissioner, Ed, was not running for re-election and the ballot was blank.

Greater Greater Washington had a great piece identifying all the empty ANC ballots, encouraging write-in candidates to submit their questionnaire to be considered for endorsement the week before election...and so I did, as well as Nick Cheolas.

And although Nick is one of the write-in candidates who received their endorsement for our race, they still had some pretty nice things to say about me:

Cheolas looks really strong on a lot of our issues. So, too, does Nathaniel Russ, Jr., who also completed our questionnaire and is vying for write-in votes in 5E01. Russ is a strong pedestrian safety advocate, and writes that “roads and vehicles are most valuable when they serve their primary function, that of moving people in between places.” This leads to his support of additional bus and bike infrastructure. 

Russ also discusses a bunch of interesting ideas when it comes to youth empowerment and job creation in his questionnaire. Ultimately, while both candidates here are good, we think Cheolas most clearly will lead the way on urbanist issues, thus he won our endorsement.

So I made sure to tell my friends, including my former neighbors in the Brookland Artspace Lofts. Something that was really interesting about our race, out of the roughly 20 write-in only campaigns, when I checked the DC Board of Elections site for results, our ANC 5E01 race received 299 write-ins. The next closest was 168, and the median was about 103, with some races receiving single digits numbers for write-ins, and one even 0. Which means, that our ANC had the highest participation rate in terms of individual voters. And however the race goes, that's pretty awesome.

Thank You For Being a Friend

So in the past week, I've reached out to about a dozen friends and colleagues. I'm using this Funemployment period to catch up and check in with people whom I've worked with in the past or would like to do some good with in the future. I've already talked to five of them in person or over the phone, and I have about five more on the calendar within the next week.

Reconnecting this inentionally has been a great way to recruit the emotional support I candidly need during this time, as well as some opportunities to course correct in terms of what to do for work, for good, and/or for fun. One conversation I had, with advice that really stuck with me, was to simply create my ideal job description(s) and work towards that, even pitching it to organizations whose work I care for and mission I am passionate about who may not have a position like it yet.

I was also stoked to wrap up a week of these with a phenomenal conversation about Woolly Mammoth's Ambassador program, finding out more about it and what they expect participants to bring to the table.

Job Hunting

Speaking of Woolly Mammoth, one of the several job openings they currently have is particularly exciting for me: Civic Organizer. The job description practically matches what I'd steered my previous job to allowing me to do more of, and even before I saw this opportunity, I had in mind to do more of it in general. Also, I think it's no secret that Woolly Mammoth is my favorite theatre in DC.

One of the other jobs that I came across and submitted my application for is at the National LGBTQ Task Force. They are looking for a Communications Manager. And this position equally excites me but in completely different ways. As oposed to hyper-local, there is an appeal in expanding my advocacy work to the national level. And as a member of the LGBTQ community, the work would obviously be very personal. So, we'll see.

Two other places I'm looking at and plan on submitting this week are for a Project Manager position at Wired Impact and a Community Programs Manager at Arena Stage. And I know what some of you may be thinking, so before you comment, let me just stop you. Someone once said not to post and share opportunities that I'm applying for, implying that I don't want to mess up my chance and have someone else get it. Here's the thing: it's about the work, not me. I mean, yes, if I can get the work that's great. But if someone is more qualified, then they should get it. And it might be a bit of ego or pride thing, but if I'm not that person, I'd rather have it go to someone I know and am connected to than someone I don't.

Termination Homework

Speaking of work, I've definitely had my work cut out for me, in terms of my termination, and making sure that either my old employer did everything legally or that they be held accountable if not. That's meant, in addition to talking to colleagues and friends, checking:

• How to Start my Unemployment Process through DOES and
• Any possible courses of action through OHR

Mischief DC

If it seems like FUNemployment has me just as busy as employment did, it's because I have even more time to work hard and play hard! In case you didn't know, I'm on the Board of Mischief DC and we have an annual Burner holiday party coming up on December 15.

Naughty Snowball

I'm stoked because this will be the second year, this event will be at the DC Eagle. And we thought we'd keep our theme simple for our tenth year, so it's just Naughty Snowball: Rated X'mas. Get it, the roman numeral for ten is- nevermind. You get it.

Planning Call

We had a planning call. I thought I'd have more to say about this, but I don't.

Conduct and Consent Corps (C3)

I did reach out to recruit people for this C3 Project. It's an effort that we haven't done intentionally before, to put systems and protocols in place for participants at our party to feel safe in a consent-orientated environment, and to feel support by clearly identifiable folx should misconduct occur. But I also know it's a heavy lift for people to make that kind of space for the unpredictable. So, I'll keep you updated with how that's going. If you'ed like to know more and/or be involved, definitely email me at nexus@dcburners.org.

Caturday

In addition to our biggest DC event next month, we also had our bi-monthly party, the same night as the weekend of Catharsis. This was a choice the board made and we knew it would be a gamble. Last year we decided we wouldn't throw it, but this year we took a chance. We even unofficially ran it by some Catharsis organizers who thought it was a good idea, especially if it got cold like it normally does, and some people need a place to warm-up but don't want to go home.

I don't think we anticipated just HOW cold it would be. And although we heard of people who intended to come to Zeba Bar from Catharsis, many of them stopped by home for various reasons and ended up not making it out again for the night. And apparently, it wasn't just us. But I always believe the people who show up are the people who shoe up, and it's about each attendee's quality of experience that make it worthwhile, not just the quantity of attendees. And we had about 20 people.

I won't lie, part of me wanted to know the things I couldn't know, in terms of whether it was because of Catharsis or not. But then at home the next day, a housemate of mine told me how empty Flash was, and that there were only about 20 people on the dance floor there. Not that it made me feel better. But it made me wonder, with Catharsis moving to May, if the cold would still be a factor for next November's attendance.

Burning Man DC Regional Contact Phone Interview

Speaking of Burning Man, so on Thursday another round of the Regional Contact selection process took place. If you're not familiar with the position, Regional Contacts help democratize and organize Burning Man's Regional Network around the globe. It was a great talk with a former RC from another region, someone who could be a bit of an objective party in the selection process.

It was a pretty dense conversation, so I'll just highlight the part where we discussed what I'd like to do more of and bring to the table. One big one was the idea of term limits, which really is at the crux of recruitment and transition. Our city iterates itself every year; surely we can use that as an inspiration to iterate not just the systems and structures of leadership but those in leadership positions themselves. Another was being thoughtful about community beyond the party, from civic engagement to simply all ages activities for our Burner families. And then there's the inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility peace.

Anyway, looking forward to whatever next or final steps are for this selection process.

Catharsis on the Mall

It was the senior year for this very singular and unique Burner event in the District. And the theme for Catharsis on the Mall 2018 was "Waking from the American Dream. There was so much going on, and I had committed myself to three different events.

Welcome Home

So even though I was no longer with my former employer, the work to end Youth Homelessness here in the District is more than the work of the organization. And I was happy to plug people into the plan to end youth homelessness by 2022, as I discussed various elements and strategies of the plan, Solid Foundations DC.

Center Camp at Burning MAn

STORY workshop

Although I've done storytelling workshops before, this was the first time I had done it with the new title: Sharing Truth, Openly Revealing You. I had a couple of participants, and we actually turned it into a walking workshop, as many of the structures that had been set up for Catharsis had been blown down and over Saturday morning.

Burners Without Borders (BWB) Meetup and Info Session

And I was thrilled to co-facilitate a Burners Without Borders session with Christopher Breedlove, introducing people to the group, its history, and its mission, as well as the discussion to start a BWB Chapter, here in the District. In fact, if you're interested and are on Facebook, there is a BWB DC Working Group just for this purpose.

Coming Up in Funemployment Week 2

That's it for now. Here's a preview of what's coming up next:

• More catching up with friends and colleagues
• A Dance Place Board Meeting
• A Broadway Singalong at Local 16, literally a Burner adjacent event on Thursday
• Seeing the closing performance of Constellation Theatre's Aida

So that's that. Oh yeah, actually, one final thing.

In an effort to more effectively and intentionally keep folx informed of what I'm up to, not just during Funenmployment, I thought I'd start my own personal Mailchimp Email List. Select the things you're interested in, and know that even if there might be a variety of content, you will ONLY receive emails that have at least one thing related to a topic you selected, if not more.

So please sign-up

And keep an eye out for my Week 2 Report next week!

- JR aka Nexus

JR's List - This weekend in DC

Hey there,

Just thought I'd provide a list of things that are on my Facebook radar, which either friends are involved with or I'm generally interested in, and happening in the District (and surrounding area) this weekend!

On/beginning Friday for the weekend:

Fire Festival, Peculiarity Productions at Old City Farm & Guild

"To celebrate our last weekend of the 8 Bit Circus S*it performance series at Old City Farm [see below] we will have several local vendors at Old City Farm. Come by to meet local artisans and get yourself some amazing products before enjoying the show! Enjoy goods from Eat 170 Catering, natural products, jewelry, clothing, and more! The festival is free."

Fri 7/21 @ 6:30 PM

RSVP here: eventbrite.com/e/fire-festival-tickets-35977936978

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1879455952303210

The Kind of Thing That Would Happen, Agora Dance at Gallaudet's Elstad Auditorium, presented as part of Capital Fringe

In a post-truth world, what makes a good story? Does it matter whether it’s true? Monologue, dance and an original score weave a narrative exploring elusive memory, love and how truth and untruth affects how we perceive the world.

Fri 7/21 @ 5:45 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1073-the-kind-of-thing-that-would-happen

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1889031831418254

Exit Carolyn, Nu Sass at Caos on F, presented as part of Capital Fringe

After the loss of their mutual best friend, Lorna and Julie are forced to find a new roommate to fill the space Carolyn left behind. Amidst a tangle of forbidden love, a bizarre new friend, and a sea of grief, can Lorna and Julie's friendship survive?

Fri 7/21 @ 7 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 7 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 3 PM & 7 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1096-exit-carolyn

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/398522523880915

Lady Day, at Emerson's Bar and Grill

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, a play with music by Lanie Robertson, takes place in South Philadelphia in March 1959. Billie Holiday is performing in a run-down bar, during one of her last performances four months before her death in July 1959. She sings, accompanied by Jimmy Powers on the piano, and tells stories about her life.

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 3 PM

Tickets here: anacostiaplayhouse.com/calendar

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/118838902061053

To tell my story: a hamlet fanfic, The Welders at Silver Spring Black Box

“to tell my story” takes the story of Hamlet into the one place even more dangerous than medieval Denmark: the mind of a teenage girl. In a world where political backstabbing plays out on Facebook and Teen Vogue is helping lead the progressive resistance, this is the reimagining of Shakespeare’s Danish detective story that we need.

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 3 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 2 PM & 7:30 PM

Tickets here: brownpapertickets.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/308494469592897

Things You Shouldn't Say, The Kinsey Sicks at Theater J

The ladies of The Kinsey Sicks are throwing down their sequined gloves and itching for a fight in Things You Shouldn’t Say, their most personal--and political--show ever. Full of their signature panache, hilarity and perfect harmonies, this all new show takes a searing journey into Trumpism, racism, AIDS, giraffes, Bette Midler, oblong vegetables, and much, much more. The Kinsey Sicks are the Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet that The San Francisco Chronicle has deemed “high-camp, unafraid, subversive and astonishing.”

Fri 7/21 @ 8 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 2 PM & 8 PM, Sun 7/23 @ 2 PM & 7:30 PM

Tickets here: edcjcc.org/center-for-arts/theater-j

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1905836789657522

8 Bit Circus Sh*t, Peculiarity Productions at Old  City Farm & Guild, presented as part of Capital Fringe

This is a live stage performance designed to bring video games to life through fire and circus arts. Through two acts, the audience will be immersed in an alternate reality of two video games: Alessa's Nightmare and Pyro fighters.

Fri 7/21 @ 8:30 PM, Sat 7/22 @ 8:30 PM

Tickets here: peculiarityproductions.tix.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/127955381117663

DJ Dan with Proxxy & Lantern, at U Street Music Hall

The legendary DJ Dan has become a master of his craft throughout his career of over two decades. His music has been repeatedly praised by some of the all-time biggest house artists like Carl Cox and DJ Sneak for its funky, boundary-breaking sound known as "West Coast House." Catch this celebrated artist when he returns to U Street Music Hall this summer!

Fri 7/21 @ 10:30 PM

Tickets here: ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1494208

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1499153886781519

The Changeling Child, The Coil Project at Atlas Performing Arts Center, presented as part of Capital Fringe

Thirty years after a fateful midsummer’s night, discord brews once more. The changeling child at the center of that infamous custody battle lives caught between two worlds, while the heir to Athens' dukedom would rather read poetry than lead armies.

Fri 7/21 @ 11 PM & Sat 7/21 @ 1:45 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1069-the-changeling-child

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1849558405364152

On/beginning Saturday for the weekend:

River Otters Pirate Booze Cruise, Otter Den DC leaving from Georgetown Waterfront Park

A 2-hour booze cruise on the Potomac with otter pal DJ Jeff Prior (CTRL, Trade). Departing from Georgetown. Tickets only $20. A full bar is available on board and it accepts cash and credit caaaaaaarrrr-ds (you knew that was coming).

Sat 7/22, 4:30 PM -6:30 PM

Tickets here: eventbrite.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/460125044346813

Arden Now, Rude Mechanicals at Gallaudet's Eastman Studio Theatre, presented as part of Capital Fringe

Using William Shakespeare's As You Like It as a framework, this play celebrates the diversity of love using modern concepts of romance, relationships, gender, and sexuality.

Sat 7/22 @ 2:30 PM

Tickets here: capitalfringe.org/events/1075-arden-now

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1086271564838767

A Glorious Evening with Octo Octa, The NeedlExchange

Spend a glorious evening with us on the district's most flagrant patio as we welcome Octo Octa for her Washington, DC debut!

Sat 7/22 at 6 PM to 3 AM

Tickets here: residentadvisor.net

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1259735457486912

DJ Rap, 3D and Fun & Bass! at Zeba Bar

Charissa Saverio, a.k.a. DJ RAP, has been the undisputed queen of the turntables and voted the number one female DJ in the world for the last 10 years! DJ Rap has infiltrated the music industry with her arsenal of talent. She has established herself as the CEO of her labels: Propa and Impropa Talent, developed her creative direction as a full-fledged producer, and remains to be the recording artist and DJ that everyone has come to love and love dance to!

Sat 7/22 at 10 PM to 3 AM

Tickets here: ticketfly.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/1556181787734556

On Sunday:

Storytellers' Brunch, Story District

[Disclaimer, I'm a current Story District board member]

Spend Sunday morning with Story District at this morning mixer for storytellers. Eat, drink, shmooze, and swap stories with fellow storytellers. Also, Artistic Executive Director, Amy Saidman, will share a brief presentation and Q&A about the vision for Story District for the next few years based on our strategic planning process and community input. Plus, bring your story ideas and Amy will give feedback to as many people as possible on making a strong pitch.

Sun 7/23 at 11 AM to 1 PM

Tickets here: storydistrict.secure.force.com

On Facebook here: fb.com/events/299592020512906

That's it!

Hope you're able to make at least one of these awesome shows or parties. If you do, make sure to check in, share on Facebook or Twitter, and even let me know about it in the comments here!

- JR

[They would] end the American WAY OF LIFE

"Who?" you may ask. Try "What".

Thankfully we have Alexandra Petri to let us know what:

Alligators.

via GIPHY

This is from her latest ComPost, "Planet Earth has been taking advantage of America for too long":

Nationalists in the Trump administration are right. We should withdraw from the Paris climate accord. 

This would be a real victory. America, after all, is on its own planet. 

Before Earth asks us to step up and help protect it, it should take stock of its own contributions. There is, frankly, a lot of waste there. It has flourished too long without cuts, and now it is time to pay the piper.

Read the rest at Washington Post.

NEA Funding in the District in FY17

So I woke up this morning wanting to examine how the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts would affect the District starting with this current fiscal year's numbers.

And there are two aspects to this. The first is how it affects the funding of our own State Arts Agency, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The second is how it funds DC based artists and arts organizations directly.

Before I left for work, I had enough information to at least share this.

The real nugget there is:

At $691,000, NEA funding accounts for 4.45% of CAH's current FY17 budget of $15,534,436. But that is disproportionately split between Personal Services and Non-Personal Services, with $566,391 of NEA funding accounting for 23.18%  of the PS budget and $125,510 accounting for only .96% of the NPS one.

Put another way, about 18.14% of NEA [Federal] funding is directed to Non-Personal Services, compared to the roughly 87.21% of $14,67,536 of the General [Local] funding go to Non-Personal Services.

Definitely feel free to check my math by checking out CAH's Attachment IV - Spending Plan from last year.

If nothing were to change except for the loss of the NEA, that means CAH would lose the equivalent of 7 FTEs out of a staff of 28. Now the problem here is how this loss would affect the ability and capacity of the agency to manage its programs. And that's where we need to dig a little deeper, to see exactly what positions in which departments may be affected.

Looking at the numbers more specifically from CAH's FY17 Schedule A from last year, NEA funding for PS is responsible for the entire salary of 6 staff members and half of the salary of 2 others.  Those positions in particular?

NEA funding covers half of the salaries of the:

• Office Manager
• Financial Manager

NEA funding covers the entire salaries for the:

• Finance Assistant
• Special Events Manager
• General Clerk
• Arts Education Coordinator
• Grants Program Manager
• Legislative Affairs Advisor

The break down of fallout by department?

• 3 of 5 of the Operations team
• 1 of 2 of the Arts Ed team
• 1 of 2 of the Legislative Affairs team
• 1 of 2 of the Program and Events team &
• 1 of 4 of the Grants team

So...let's assume that instead of not changing anything and just losing what the NEA funded, CAH prioritized keeping the staffing structure as is. The amount lost from the NEA could easily come out of the Total Non-Personal Services from General Funds (see Attachment IV linked above), as the $691,900 NEA funding is roughly 5.41% of the $12,797,847 that was allocated for FY17.

Practically speaking, the agency would probably, by way of the budget oversight process with Council, have to balance the two, keeping staff and reducing grants made in amount and/or quantity. And while that may affect the award amount and quantity of grants, there candidly may not be a noticeably drastic change, particularly should the Commission choose to reduce the activities and programs from departments other than Grants, particularly Arts Education or Program and Events.

Where the cut in NEA funding would be truly detrimental would be in more rural areas, where they don't have the robust economy and diverse funding sources to support what arts programs and organizations they do have.

Check this article out:

• Why small and rural arts groups may hurt the most under Trump’s plan to gut the NEA, PBS, 3/16/17

The challenge is that our FY18 budget is presented, reviewed, and finalized often while the Federal budget is still going through its budget process...so that's fun. And certainly something to look out for when CAH has ITS budget hearing with the Committee on Finance and Revenue, on Wednesday, April 12.

So, enough about the Commission, what about NEA's FY17 grantees based in Washington, DC? 

Out of 34 grantees, 12 of them are National and/or service organizations in scope. 1 of them is Global. 21 of them are local, with 2 of those being individuals and the other 19 being organizations.

Those 21 received a total of $452,500 with the median award being $17,500. To put it in perspective, that is about 4.92% of the over $9 Million in FY17 Grant Awards CAH approved for the current fiscal year.

So...that being said, District residents absolutely should still fight for the NEA, not because our arts community will be decimated if it goes away (it won't), but because this is about the fight for who we are and what we value as Americans. Funding the NEA is simultaneously a statement that we value the ability of individuals to discover their voice and express ourselves, as well as the unique experiment that is America and the kind of cultural exchange and creation that can only happen to the scale that it does, in our special melting pot. And if we don't value the arts in all their complicated, nuanced, and powerful ways to transform people as individuals, as communities, as a country, then what the hell are we fighting for.

What now? I recommend starting with Americans for the Arts' Arts Mobilization Center.

Oh, and if you're up for it, let me know what you think in the comments.

Council dates for artists and arts advocates in the District

DC Arts & Artist Advocates!

Save the dates for the following hearings at The Council of the District of Columbia. And please share.

Committee on Finance & Revenue - Chairperson Jack Evans

*To testify contact: Sarina Loy, sloy@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8058

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Performance Oversight: Thurs, Feb 16, at 10 am in Room 500
Budget Hearing: Wed, Apr 26, at 10 am in Room 500

And with development of the Cultural Plan that is being led by the DC Office of Planning:

Committee of the Whole - Chairman Phil Mendelson

*To testify: email cow@dccouncil.us or call 202-724-8196

DC Office of Planning
Performance Oversight: Mon, Mar 6, at 10 am in Room 500
Budget Hearing: Mon, Apr 10, at 10 am in Room 412

Finally:

Committee on Business & Economic Development - Chairperson Kenyan R. McDuffie

*To testify contact: Demetris Cheatham at dcheatham@dccouncil.us or 202-297-0152.

DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment
Performance Oversight: Wed, Feb 22, at 10 am in Room 500
Budget Hearing: Wed, May 3, at 10 am in Room 120

For the rest of the performance oversight and budget schedule.

Why Word Matter - The difference between arts advocacy and advocacy for artists

So here's a post I shared on Facebook:

This is the full text:

Why words matter as it relates to arts advocacy and advocacy for "artists". 

I realize I might be overanalyzing it, but if you look at other organizing efforts, the Women's March, the Immigrants' March, the Scientists' March, even that word choice puts the individuals first, rather than institutions. And it puts the latter in service of the former, not the other way around. 

A March for Arts is an inherently different thing than an Artists' March, because the former and "arts advocacy" in general, is primarily focused on systems and supports for the institution of art, rather than the needs of individual artists.

I suppose all this is to say that, although I am terribly worried about the threat to the NEA, nothing's really changed when it comes to the plight of individual artists. Many are still worried about affordable housing, healthcare, simply earning a living wage for our art and not subsidizing our primary creative job(s) with non-arts related endeavors. And those concerns are nothing new. 

Don't get me wrong, I think artists more than ever should be involved in "Arts Advocacy", especially with the threat to the NEA. And I recommend all hands need to be on deck for Arts Advocacy Day coming up, March 20 to 21. But I think we're long overdue for a more intersectional platform of advocacy that puts artists first. And it's one that will need to be led by artists and supported by organizations.

What do you think?

A [Completely New] Way of Life: Urban Sprawl

From TreeHugger quoting Shawn Lawrence Otto's Fool Me Twice, in a post from December 28, 2016:

In 1945, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists began advocating for "dispersal," or "defense through decentralization" as the only realistic defense against nuclear weapons, and the federal government realized this was an important strategic move. Most city planners agreed, and America adopted a completely new way of life, one that was different from anything that had come before, by directing all new construction "away from congested central areas to their outer fringes and suburbs in low-density continuous development," and "the prevention of the metropolitan core's further spread by directing new construction into small, widely spaced satellite towns."

 Read the rest.

Not in the arts to make money? You might be privileged.

This morning's musings? Wondering about money and the arts, along with inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA). More specifically wondering if the conotation of a mindset, "I'm not in the arts to make money" is a privileged one, and how that will keep us from moving the bar forward when it comes to representation in the arts, from audience to artists.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that few of us pursue this life because we "wannna be a billionaire (so frickin' bad)". But there's also the dichotomy that while artists aren't generally expected or supposed to make a living, arts administrators are. And often times, at least in the DC area, you have a majority of artists who are able to devote their time and energy to the arts because of another, often-times non arts related job, OR arts related but administratively, subsidizing their creative pursuits. But what about all those creatives that need the 2nd job to also make enough money on top of the first one, simply to surive. Because, personally I believe that if you're getting less than minimum wage for the number of hours you put in a project/production, we should start shifting the paradigm of one where artists are actually giving back all the dollar/hours that they're not getting compensated for. Mind you, I'm specifically thinking of performing arts at this point, and I apologize to my visual arts friends who's process doesn't track as well to artists rehearsal and performance schedules.

I should pause. I'm NOT saying that this is good or bad. This is simply the state of the arts right now. I guess my time at DCAYA has informed a lot of this, in terms of looking at what system level change looks like. And it starts with having the conversation. And while it can be very difficult to have objective, quantifiable conversations about the arts, I guess I'm just trying to figure out where it can start (or continue, for others that have already started it). Because if we shift how we can talk about money in the arts, then we can talk not just about how it is supported, but how the arts should be supported. It becomes easier to have the value conversation, and I believe this is going to be a conversation that will be increasingly important to have over the next four years. And this conversation will only move forward, or happen period, if artists shed their general fear of talking about money.

Finally for creatives, we seem to not use our creativity to put the time and energy to imagine and build new systems that would enable earning a living wage in the arts like we could, myself included. Because although not the same, race and class in this city are definitely and generally intertwined. And if we're not talking about class when we have these conversations about represntation, then we will always fall short of addressing the systemic roadblocks to inclusion, diversity, equity, & accesibility. At least I don't believe we will. And so if you ever say to someone, that you're not in the arts to make money, but you consider yourself a professional artist, I would say it might be an opportunity to possibly check your privilege.

With Burning Man's 2016 theme, they had a series of blogs which addressed this and started the conversation, and I'll wrap-up this post with this quote from one of the blogs:

Art and money have never been separable, but somehow the idea of talking about them together has become a great taboo. We admire “starving artists” in a way that we would never endorse for “starving teachers” or “starving firemen.” We have a notion deeply embedded in our culture that anybody who talks about doing art for the money must not be a “real” artist.

Read the rest of the blog. And let me know your thoughts in a comment.

Headlines in the Arts: On Fair Wages and Culture Wars

So I thought I'd share some recent articles I've posted on other platforms. Don't know if this will begin happening regularly, but for now, I hope you find the following articles compelling.

Hashtag Fair Wage in the Offices Near the Stage, HowlRound, 12/16/16

Recently, one of the largest non-profit theatre companies in New York City (and in North America) put up a job posting for an Assistant to the Director of Development with a listed salary of $30,000-$35,000. There were no additional benefits specified. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any, nor does this posting mean that someone will be getting $30,000 per year. It would be reasonable to assume that they are just posting the $30k scenario so that when they make an offer that’s slightly higher, the young, hungry development officer will be more likely to take the job.

Read on


‘Alt-Right’ Trolls Are Targeting DC’s DIY Music Houses, Washingtonian, 12/19/19

The Washington area has a long and mostly proud tradition of houses that lend themselves as venues for up-and-coming bands. But in the last few days, some residents of those houses have become guarded after discovering their homes’ names and addresses targeted in online message boards populated by members of the white nationalist movement known as the “alt-right.”

Read on


Trouble ahead for New York’s museums, Apollo Magazine, 12/19/19

There are few fans of Donald Trump among the management and boards of New York’s cultural institutions. Personal distaste aside, they are the beneficiaries of the trends that President-elect Trump has railed against: globalisation, and the unequal distribution of wealth that it has pulled in its train. They have been served well by the policies pursued from Bill Clinton’s presidency onward, of the liberalisation of trade and financial deregulation – policies that Donald Trump identified so forcefully during the election as responsible for the assault on middle America that he (ostensibly) and his voters (genuinely) wish to reverse.

Read on

Curious to hear what you think. Please leave a comment!

Fellow Artists: We are Worth It

From Facebook:

Here's the rest of the post, if you aren't on Facebook:

Actually found the timing of reading wonderful, as I had recently played around with some numbers I think are more common than not, for non-equity actor compensation, and flipping the switch from thinking about how much I was receiving to how much I was giving. 

For example, say two weeks of rehearsal, with rehearsing for 30 hours each week, paid $120. Not only did I calculate that the effective hourly rate was $2, using minimum wage, I went from thinking I would be making $120 to realize that I was actually GIVING $315, because that amount of time at minimum wage is worth at least $435. 

The irony is that often times the actors who are able to afford that kind of pay cut work another job that subsidize the creative one, which is a form of privilege, in a weird way. And, I guess this may be another way of saying that minimum wage in the arts is a crucial part of the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation as anything else. 

But this is what happens when we as a society (and I put this on arts administrators) focus more on and put more value in the arts than in artists. Could you imagine an arts advocacy organization in DC that committed to affordable housing and minimum wage issues? But that would be more artist advocacy than arts advocacy. 

I think it's time to flip the script.

What do you think? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.

The visit to Fly Ranch aka Burning Man 2.0

Fly Ranch is the next step in the grand experiment that is Burning Man.

This is not a drill.

I'm not even sure quite where to begin, when it comes to Fly Ranch. And I definitely don't want to repeat information you could easily find/read elsewhere, either about the Fly Geyser on Wikipedia itself or about how Burning Man bought Fly Ranch at their blog.

So let me start with my own visit to Fly Ranch during this year's Burn.

It was only a 10-15 minute drive from Black Rock City, once we hit pavement again. This was the first time I'd been in a vehicle since arriving on Playa several days before. It was still sinking in that I had been invited to visit this blank slate for Burning Man. I snapped myself out of it, while getting to know a Burner from San Diego who was sitting next to me.

Before I know it, we've arrived and we're off the road again, passing through a gate and pulling up to a little dirt road cul-de-sac, barely large enough for the van we'd been riding in to turn around and leave on the dirt road we'd road in on. We get out and are immediately directed to Fly Geyser and the viewing platform.

The last time I'd seen something like this was years ago, on a family trip to Yellowstone. Except this wasn't a natural formation, as the geyser was a happy accident which came about from well drilling in the 60's. I won't waste any more time about that, as you can read more at Wikipedia.

And as we head to the viewing platform, to get a closer look at the geyser, we can see a dust storm passing over Black Rock City in the distance. This was Tuesday afternoon.

The stunning and immediate (and I suppose obvious) contrast to Black Rock Desert, is the simple presence of water. This provides a fundamentally different landscape and experience, which really sunk in (no pun intended), as we made our way to one of the few swimmable hot springs.

And yes...we swam.

Water...being submerged in a body of it...after four years attending Burning Man...was glorious.

And all this time, the only thing we had been asked to do at the time was to experience Fly Ranch. To feel it. To take it in. To simply be. The questions, the conversations would come shortly.

After spending some time in the pool in the photo above, I emerged and made my way to the other pool, the one which the geyser's water flowed to. And the whole time, it's slowly marinating what a different relationship to water one has here.

In Black Rock City, the only water there is that which is brought in. Gray Water Disposal is something that every camp and Burner should have a plan for. And whatever that plan or those resources are, they need only last one week (except for those who are there before and after the event.

So at the basis of ANYTHING that happens at Fly Ranch, the very first question that came to my mind is what is our relationship with water here and what does that look like fifty-two weeks a year? What does Leaving No Trace, one of the 10 Principles, look like year-round?

Not questions I have answers to. And I look forward to seeing what options and possibilities those who know more and have experience in such matters bring to the table over the upcoming years.

What did I bring to the table? Re-imaginging what an artist residency might look like here. Why re-imagine? Because another fundamental question that came up, to inform many other questions, was how activities/projects/etc. could be uniquely informed in a way where the work could ONLY happen at Fly Ranch. Otherwise, why have an artist residency or any retreat, gathering, meeting, event there rather than anywhere else.

Sorry...I'm still trying to process that myself, and a friend who was instrumental in coordinating the visits definitely said it better.

However, as it relates to an artist residency, the fundamental question is how does the land and the relationship to the land, not even as inspiration but merely existence, then inform the work done there. And for me that speaks to a residency that might be more a reflection and refinement of process rather than the creation and production of actual work.

There were other suggestions for activities and projects, ideas about modular infrastructure and truly sustainable resource utilization that I won't try to paraphrase as they belong to others.

But as our trip wrapped up, and we finished drying off to prepare to head back into the dust, it was reiterated that this was still the very beginning of the conversation. And everyone is invited. Literally.

If you haven't signed up to participate, on the Fly Ranch website, and you want to join the discussion, do it. Because even the founders have made it clear, whatever happens here has not been done before.

So don't think about a Burn when you think about Fly Ranch. Because there are certain elements of the Burn that only work because it happens in this confined period of time. But think about the Ten Principles, think about what makes Fly Ranch different from Black Rock Desert, and think about your own regional community, when thinking about what a year-round presence could/should/would be.

P.S. There were a couple of follow-up conversations during the Burn, at Red Lightning, one of which I attended. I will be writing about that shortly, as well, so stay tuned.