March 5, 2019
“Art of Democracy” Engagement Symposium Addresses the Meaning and Action of Community
This year’s K-State Engagement Symposium offers a special perspective on community engagement. “The Art of Democracy” was selected as the theme for the March 21 symposium to examine what communities observe and aspire to in our democracy. “By ‘Art’, we were looking at both the literal and figurative sense of the word,” explains Donna Schenck-Hamlin, Program Associate for the Center for Engagement and Community Development, the organizing body for the annual symposium. “What people in the arts and design communities saw was an opportunity to use their work to start a conversation on what our democracy is or might be. Demographic and geographic communities also responded, some by invoking history to compare our democracy in the past and present. It’s an exciting array of programs.”
The art of community conversation and partnering on a wide range of social issues will be featured in sessions throughout the day. Extension Specialist Marlin Bates will address engagements on food policy in Douglas County, and Greg Stephens of K-State Polytechnic will describe community forums that TALK Salina has conducted on immigration, mental health, and other topics. One of those forums using the National Issues Forum process, will be offered during the afternoon of the symposium. Other participatory sessions will include a diversity game, a living history demonstration, and a workshop on the art of empathy.
Opening and closing keynote speakers highlight the role of the arts in spurring community conversation. Dr. Lynnette Overby, nationally awarded choreographer, educator and advocate for community arts engagement, will open the symposium, and Professor Kevin Willmott, internationally acclaimed film director and Oscar-winning co-writer of BlacKkKlansman, will conclude the symposium.
All events will be held at the K-State Student Union in Manhattan. The symposium is free and open to the public, but early registration online is recommended, particularly for sessions with limited seating and materials.
https://www.k-state.edu/cecd/events/symposium/agenda.html