2011 Labor Arts Exchange & Creative Organizing Conference Set

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

This year, the Labor Heritage Foundation’s annual arts celebration – scheduled for Friday June 17 to Sunday June 19 at the National Labor College – promises to empower participants with “cultural tools to combat fear and inject excitement into union and political campaigns,” reports the LHF. The Great Labor Arts Exchange is a gathering of union and community activists, rank-and-filers, organizers, cultural workers, artists, labor educators, and youth who use songs, art, poetry, theater, skits, posters, cartoons, and film to strengthen the labor movement. The Conference on Creative Organizing is a series of workshops for union staff, organizers, activists, and rank-and-filers where participants learn how to think outside the box and approach organizing challenges creatively using the arts. The arts celebration will also feature Camp Solidarity, an “exciting weekend day camp program designed to enrich the lives of young people, ages 7-17, with opportunities to develop lasting friendships and explore social justice, human rights, civil rights, and union/labor history and culture through the creative arts.” Click here for complete details and to register online. - photo: at the 2009 Great Labor Arts Exchange; photo by Adam Wright