ASU in the Community - “Finding Phoenix” Through Community Engagement Theater

“Finding Phoenix” Through Community Engagement Theater

Everyone has a story. Every city has a history. In the spirit of community building, the Herberger College of Fine Arts Community Partnerships Office will launch its Finding Phoenix project this summer. Community members are invited to come to the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix on June 26 to share stories about the former George Washington Carver High School and its place in the history of the Phoenix community.

The Finding Phoenix project is designed to bring together individuals and communities to engage in dialogue about Phoenix’s past, present and future. Inspired by the history-based civic dialogue projects of the Animating Democracy Initiative, project director and ASU alum, Kate Collins, wanted to explore how a similar history-based community engagement project might take shape in her current home of Phoenix.

“Finding Phoenix celebrates the historical richness of our city. When we enter a place, such as the Carver, we enter the lives of people, individuals and communities, who deeply affected the life of our city’s past and present,” says Melanie Ohm, director of Community Partnerships in the Herberger College of Fine Arts. “Finding Phoenix is a long-term project that invites us to rediscover Phoenix and our connection to it.”

This summer’s open-house is an opportunity to shape the project’s vision with a brief project overview, one-on-one dialogue opportunities and a youth performance. The open house is 10:30 a.m. to noon and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, June 26. There is no charge to attend and light refreshments will be provided. The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is located at 415 E. Grant St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004.

The information gained from this summer’s meeting and future meetings will culminate in an original, site-specific theatre performance at the Carver Cultural Center performed by a diverse cast of ASU students, ASU alumni and others in the community in June 2007. The performance will focus specifically on stories of Phoenix community members aged 70 to 80 who lived through the era of segregation and the civil rights movement. The theatre piece will also address what the former high school symbolizes within the Phoenix community and its legacy in Phoenix. A post-performance discussion will include the complex history of the Carver Cultural Center and how it informs the present-day lives of all Phoenicians.

“The Finding Phoenix partnership enables the Carver Museum and Cultural Center to fulfill its mission of working with other community organizations to archive and educate others on the cultural heritage of the African American experiences and contributions in building the Phoenix area,” said Princess Crump, executive director of the center.

Future Finding Phoenix project sites to be selected will focus on the Hispanic, Asian American and Native American historic properties in Phoenix.

For additional information, please contact Melanie Ohm, director of Community Partnerships, (480) 727-6639, cfaoasis@asu.edu, or the Finding Phoenix project director, Kate Collins, at collinsk8@yahoo.com.