IF YOU SEEK INSPIRATION amid tumultuous times, join The Civic Circle’s first Youth Democracy Fest on March 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in downtown Silver Spring. Students in our community will share their civic songs, poems and art pieces about the seven “steps to democracy” at the heart of our program. We’ll also enjoy uplifting performances by poet Malachi Byrd, singers Lilo Gonzalez, Uasuf Gueye, and Munit Mesfin, and by Downwire, which will share band member Bob Hirshon’s rousing new song, “We the People.” We’ll have refreshments and attendance is free, but seating is limited, so reserve your seat today by clicking HERE.
Big thanks to Montgomery County and to the Maryland State Arts Council for making this event possible, and to our collaborators, Story Tapestries, Carpe Diem Arts, and Action Youth Media, for working with us to lift youth voices and inspire civic engagement. Please note that we’ll be in Theater II on the second floor of the college’s Cultural Arts Center, located at 7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910. We hope to see you there!
MARTIN LUTHER KING’s statement: “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve,” is front and center in Civic Circle workshops this winter. Civic Circle students at Montgomery Housing Partnership are working with teaching artists to create a civic cookbook that celebrates their cultures of origin, including Hispanic culinary traditions, and that they will share with their parents to help bring our community together. Students are also working with Story Tapestries artists at four schools in the region to create civic songs and poems for The Civic Circle’s upcoming Youth Democracy Fest on March 1.
FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS under consideration pose a potentially existential threat to nonprofits across the country. Funding for the arts, humanities, education, and history and civic learning are all at risk. It remains to be seen what the implications will be for small nonprofits like The Civic Circle. What is clear is that our civic arts mission has, once again, gained fresh urgency. In times of upheaval, our mission to inspire “compassionate, informed, engaged citizens” could not be more relevant to students and adults alike.
If you care about democracy and civil society, we invite you to join our Board of Directors, where we are excited to announce an opening. This is a great opportunity to join a creative, collaborative team, and make a positive impact on your community. To learn more and apply, please click HERE, or email [email protected]. To make a contribution today to support civic learning through the arts, please click HERE.