As social media transforms communications, progressively enabling grassroots initiatives to make change, what do social participation and responsibility look like? The culminating month of The Next Fifty explores this question. Through conversations, competitions, debate viewings, neighborhood video screenings and the arts, Civic Action considers political participation, civic engagement, and preparing our citizens to effectively connect with their communities. The month concludes on Oct. 21 with a grand finale to six months of community activities celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
Highlights of Civic Action month:
Evergreen Apps Final Presentations, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Oct. 1, Bertha Landes Room at Seattle City Hall. The Final Presentations highlight the best of submissions designed to encourage the development of applications using government data to stimulate economic development in our state, in partnership with the City of Seattle, King County and Washington State, free. www.evergreenapps.org.
Underbelly by Degenerate Art Ensemble, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., Oct. 5 – 6, on Seattle Center grounds. Presented in collaboration with the acclaimed Seattle based Architecture firm Olson Kundig Architects, the site-specific performance uses various sites around Seattle Center to create moving and interactive portraits with performance, video, architecture and animation, free. More information at: www.degenerateartensemble.com/news.php.
#SocEnt Weekend Final Presentations, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Oct. 7, Intiman Playhouse. Developers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts spend the weekend in a 50-hour, hands-on meetup with like-minded social entrepreneurs to dream, create or have fun helping other build new companies, laying out their ideas to a panel of judges and the public at the Final Presentations, free. socentweekend.org.
Next 50 / SIFF Wednesday Night Film Series: Inside Job, 7 p.m., Oct. 3; #ReGeneration, 7 p.m., Oct. 10; A Story Runs Through It: Neighborhood Film Celebration and Awards, 7 p.m., Oct. 17 (see description below), SIFF Film Center, free. www.seattlecenter.com.
Conversation Café: Creating a Compassionate Seattle – Together, 7 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. (doors open at 6:45 p.m.), Oct. 11, Seattle Center Armory. An evening of great conversation hosted by the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation and Compassion Games. In the belief that all change begins in conversation, Experience a Conversation Cafe explores how we can work together to create a compassionate, thriving community. It is an elegantly simple dialogue process first developed in Seattle that has since spread across the globe – with local citizens, community leaders, and civic innovators participating from across the United States and Canada, Join us and see what thriving civic engagement feels like, free. www.ncdd.org/events/conversation-cafe.
Arts and Social Change Symposium: An Open Dialogue, 8 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday and 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Saturday. Oct. 12 – 13, in the Northwest Rooms. Key arts and civil rights agencies in Seattle, King County and Washington State join forces to present Arts and Social Change, a regional symposium at Seattle Center. The event addresses the role that the arts can play in creating awareness, inspiring understanding and developing policies to address social change. For information and registration, visit www.artsandsocialchange.org/index.html.
Seattle Takes Care: Baby Shower for Military Families with Operation Homefront, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m., Oct. 14, Fisher Pavilion. Seattle Center is hosting a baby shower for almost 300 military families in collaboration with Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront also provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.
Next 50 One Stop Ballot Shop: Debate watch party and candidate mingle, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.), Oct. 16, Seattle Center Armory. A free interactive viewing party of the presidential and gubernatorial debates, where viewers may weigh in with their opinions and meet local candidates and initiative representatives. Participants may enjoy the beer and wine garden and food vendors while discussing the pros and cons of issues and candidates with fellow citizens, in partnership with CityClub and Seattle Works. The event is free, and pre-registration is requested at www.seattlecityclub.org/20121016.
A Story Runs Through It: Neighborhood Film Celebration and Awards, 7 p.m., Oct. 17, SIFF Cinema Uptown. This culminating event of Civic Action Month celebrates a project that seeks to capture stories about Seattle’s civic fabric through short films that Seattle area residents of all ages have submitted. The Celebration and Awards features winning films and other selected videos, and invites audience and filmmakers to engage in dialogue about community. Sponsored by AT&T, with support from MSN Postbox, Swedish and Wyman Trust. www.seattlecenter.com.
United Way of King County Community Resource Exchange. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Oct. 18, Exhibition Hall and Northwest Rooms. The Community Resource Exchange brings together community members and organizations to connect homeless individuals and families in King County with immediate services, all in one place, in one day. The CRE mobilizes 500 community volunteers and serves nearly 1,500 people experiencing homelessness. Oct. 18 marks the 8th CRE. Services include a hot meals, haircuts, job training, long distance phone calls, shoe distribution, dental vans and much more, free. More information at: www.uwkc.org/ways-to-volunteer/cre/.
Seattle’s Social Innovation Fast Pitch (SIFP), 4:45 p.m., Oct. 18, Fisher Pavilion. SIFP is an innovation and investment fast-pitch forum highlighting new ideas for social Impact, where creative social innovators are screened and mentored through a competitive elimination process. In a final showdown for $150,000, they have the opportunity to present to a panel of judges, investors and a voting audience. For registration and more information, please visit www.sifp.net.
Next 50’s Civic Action Month supports Compassion Games, Sept. 21 – Oct. 21. This month-long, communitywide initiative is designed to help, heal and inspire in order to make our community a safer, kinder, more just and better place to live. The Compassion Games begin on the United Way Day of Caring and end on the Closing Day of the Next 50. Citizens are encouraged to get involved in public service projects, share stories of compassion and more. Learn more at www.compassiongames.org.
Women Acting Out: Laurie Anderson and Local Artists Explore the Role of Art in Civic Action, 12 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 21, Intiman Playhouse. Laurie Anderson joins notable local women artists to explore the ways they are using art as a vehicle for social change in the community, free. www.seattlecenter.com.
Next 50 Closing Day, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 21, Fisher Pavilion and South Fountain Lawn. Six months of truly amazing activities, attractions and events in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair ends in a celebratory and musical gathering featuring a closing ceremony and the Seattle Symphony in a free community concert. Live music, break dancing and mobile food vendors round out the celebration. www.seattlecenter.com.
With three simple goals in mind, to honor the past, celebrate the present and envision the future, The Next Fifty at Seattle Center worked with hundreds of community partner to present this remarkable, community wide, six-month celebration. For more information on Next 50 and Civic Action, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200.
