"For us, Friendsgiving is about more than sharing a meal," said Karen Gordon, founder of Growing Augusta and producer of Candlelight Jazz — South. "It's about creating opportunities for neighbors to connect, celebrate what's good in their community, and imagine what we can grow together. Beautiful experiences belong in our neighborhoods, too."
Read MoreAfter-school programs may be one of the most underused pieces of civic infrastructure we have.
They sit in the space between school, home, workforce, community organizations, employers, colleges, mentors and public agencies. That makes them uniquely positioned to do more than keep young people occupied after 3 p.m.
Read MoreIf Augusta still values a central organization that supports artists, administers public funding, coordinates public art, produces a major cultural festival and helps connect organizations across the sector, then that role needs to be clearly defined, appropriately funded and accountable.
Read MoreGrow With Joy, Inc. and AgLab Institute are building partnerships with youth-serving organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta, to create more hands-on pathways into agriculture, food systems, and related careers.
Read MoreCandlelight Jazz in South Augusta is also teaching us. It is teaching us how to communicate better, how to plan more responsibly, how to invite participation, how to honor safety, how to build in flexibility, and how to create experiences that are both beautiful and practical.
Read MoreOver the past few weeks, this event has been shaped by real conversations. People have shared what they love about live music, what they miss, what they need, what makes them feel safe, what makes them feel overlooked, and what makes them want to show up.
Read More“We don’t need every project to do everything,” Gordon said. “The framework gives us a way to understand what a project is actually accomplishing. Candlelight’s clearest job is cultural placemaking — using arts and culture to activate places, circulate dollars locally and build relationships around community assets.”
Read MoreDifferent communities may enter the same space for different reasons. Good experience design recognizes that and builds the invitation accordingly.
The goal is not simply to sell tickets. It is to create reasons for people to see themselves in the experience.
Read MoreToo often, organizations collect names without building relationships. We create mailing lists, volunteer rosters, event registrations, and survey responses, but rarely ask how someone’s connection to the work might deepen.
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