May e-news
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Sharing our stories. Strengthening our communities.
What's New at Window Seat?
Annual Gathering Invitation
Thursday, May 16th 5 - 8:30 P.M.
Beach walk begins at 5:00 P.M.
Program begins at 6:30 P.M.
Tolmie State Park
Perhaps you've already heard through the grapevine - registration for this year's annual community storytelling gathering, Gleaning Wisdom from our Neighbors, is officially open. This event celebrates our community engagement this past year with our dear supporters. It's not just an opportunity to raise funds, but also a way to share what we’ve been up to and hear from those closest to our work to better understand how we’re meeting community needs. Come slow down, connect with friends, share gratitude, and replenish in the outdoors. This year's program highlights our Community Roots Oral History Project, and themes of community, innovation, education, and spaces of belonging. Engage with us around these themes, celebrate what we’ve built together (2023 Annual Report), and get excited about what’s to come!
Please RSVP, as space is limited. Giving opportunities through your ticket, subscribing to our Friends of Community Storytelling program, and raffle prizes at the event! Free is a ticket level. Catered appetizers and desserts are provided.
Community Roots Exhibit
Fridays May 3rd, 10th, 24th, and 31st
10am to 2pm
209 4th Ave E #209
Our Community Roots oral history project audio-visual exhibit is open to the public on four Fridays in May. Come visit our current office in downtown Olympia's historic white building, up a flight of stairs. The stories are accessible through QR codes. Grab a copy of the We Need Space zine we created as part of our series at the library and make a button from the original artwork from the exhibit created by Aïcha El Beloui.All-ages! Bring your headphones if you want to access the stories. We'll see you there!
Exhibit Preview
Listen to an excerpt from J Mar Hapa's interview about Camp Quixote,
one of the three stories we highlight in Community Roots
Thanks for joining us at Arts Walk!
There was magic in the air as folks were out and about for the Spring Arts Walk! We appreciate everyone who stopped by our office to chat, experience the exhibit, and share reflections at the Listening and Playback Theatre station with Brave Practice Playback Theatre collective.
Brave Practice at ASHHO
Sunday, May 26th, 12 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.*
*Community Showcase at 3:00 P.M.
ASHHO Cultural Community & Job Training Center
Join us for our final Brave Practice Collective community event of this series in partnership with ASHHO, Stories of Bravery: A Playback Theatre workshop and performance. This all-ages event is focused on community-building, leadership, and using theatre for social change. Includes a showcase for family and friends with an invitation to donate and support the program.Whether you are looking to practice courage on-stage or off, we're excited to listen deeply, share true stories, lean into community wisdom, and take some brave risks with you. No previous theatre experience is necessary to participate! Let's explore: What does bravery mean to you? When have you practiced bravery in your everyday life, in big and small ways? How can you cultivate the vulnerability necessary to do hard things like lead, learn, make mistakes, and maintain integrity and community accountability?
Please register ahead of time if you are able so that we can determine food needs.
Cost: This workshop is offered by and for the community, with support from a FY24 ArtsWA Arts in Education grant. Community donations are gladly accepted. There will be a chance to donate at the event. We encourage those who are able to make a contribution to support this access-for-all offering. Free is a ticket level. Anyone can donate at any time through the event page.
Questions? Accommodation requests? Email meg@windowseatmedia.org.
May 9 - 23rd Drive for New Subscribers
From May 9th - 23rd, 2024, we’re campaigning for new subscribers to join our Friends of Community Storytelling program. Subscribing is an easy way to support the community-based oral history and storytelling programming you love.
This year, we have some cool incentives for subscribers
- Friends - $5+/ month, $60+/ year: Window Seat Media annual themed pin
- Neighbors - $10+/ month, $120/ year: Community Roots bookmark
- Connectors - $25+/ month, $300/ year: annual themed tote bag
- Cultivators - $50+/ month, $600/ year: Community Roots letterpress print (design by Aïcha El Beloui)
- Champions - $100+/ month, $1,200+/ year: TBD, but you know it’s gonna be good
If we reach the following new subscriber goals, as a thank you, we will be doing some fun things!
- Tier 1 - We get 5 new subscribers: Meg draws one person at random who consents to receive a personalized ephemera card with collage materials (you contribute lots of these) and a hand-created main image of your choice.
- Tier 2 - We get 10 new subscribers: Elaine draws two people at random who consent to receive one loaf of Vetebrod (Swedish coffee bread)
- Tier 3 - We get 20+ new subscribers: We draw one person at random who consents to receive an hour-long free consultation for your next storytelling or oral history project with Meg and Elaine.
Your contribution pays directly for the community events, exhibits, workshops, and performances you love! Your money supports not just us, but the numerous collaborators and artists we invest in through our work. Donations allow us to be nimble in our community programming and continue to offer large sliding pricing for our events and services. Your contribution means being about to keep operating independently, which is so rare and gratifying as creatives and community leaders. We know sometimes it feels weird to pay for something that technically you could get for free. But that’s where equity comes in - when those with means step up and contribute, folks who could not otherwise afford arts and humanities programming encounter no barriers to participation. It’s as simple as $5 a month - which is like investing in a cup of coffee, but to us, it means the world, because it lets us keep doing this.
We deeply value your reciprocal relationship in fundraising. Thank you for helping us spark conversation, connection, and social change.
Window Seat Media is a community nonprofit whose mission is to use storytelling and oral history to spark conversation, connection, and social change within our local community. We weave the stories that often go unshared into the fabric of our public life. We do this because we believe we write our future with the stories we narrate, and we are committed to co-creating a more inclusive, connected, and just world.
