Puppets, Art & Creativity Celebrated

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Activists battled a giant Toxic Trade puppet Tuesday as the Great Labor Arts Exchange/Conference on Creative Organizing (GLAE/CCO) wrapped up three days of art and activism. The puppet was part of street theater organized by the United Steelworkers – who are planning a July 9 demo in DC – to draw public attention to the health consequences of trade, including toxic toys, red-leaded steel, counterfeit circuit breakers, poisoned pet food and contaminated medicine. Organized by the Labor Heritage Foundation (LHF), the 30th annual Arts Exchange offered workshops on the arts from film to music to plays, while participants in the 11th Organizing conference explored topics like “Just Who is a Creative Organizer?,” “Communicating with the Image” and “Laughter: Comic Relief or Guerilla Tactic?” Former LHF Executive Director Peter Jones’ contributions were recognized Monday night and the gathering wrapped up with the traditional Closing Night Concert Tuesday night in the chapel auditorium at the National Labor College, which hosted the event.
- report/photo by Chris Garlock