Move the Needle: Activism for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers

Move the Needle: Activism for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers

So that happened, now what?

Join Shannon Downey aka Badass Cross Stitch for a 90-minute webinar on how we move forward from here with hope and power. Shannon offers a framework and roadmap centered on the ways we can build and sustain community and inspire action. We will think through how and where we want to focus our energies in ways that don’t burn us out or break us. We’ll examine ways that art and making can be a profound tool in our efforts and find creative ways to resist. Come for the strategy, stay for the joy!

Bio: Shannon Downey aka Badass Cross Stitch is an artist, activist, craftivist, community builder, and general instigator. She moves people from passive consumers of art into engaged creators. Shannon leverages craft-based art forms to bring people together and offers them opportunities to transition from makers to change makers. Her work is about telling the truth and confronting harsh realities while simultaneously inspiring radical hope and a vision for what is possible. Shannon is faculty at Columbia College Chicago and is the founder of Seriously Badass Women. Her first book, Let’s Move the Needle, an activism handbook for artists, crafters, creatives, and makers who want to build community and make change, is available anywhere books are sold.

December 11, 2024 - 6:30 to 8 pm ET/3:30 to 5 pm PT

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This workshop is part of a mini-series of workshops that offer an opportunity to answer the question that many people are asking: “How do I take action where I am?”

These five 90-minute sessions happening in December & January are intended to provide concrete ideas and steps that anyone can take. Each session is facilitated by long-time activists and organizers.

The sessions will be offered as Zoom webinars, but we will not record them. A couple of days before each session, we will email a Zoom link to all registrants. Importantly, these workshops are appropriate for people who are new to activism and organizing. They will not be useful if you are a long-time activist and organizer because you’re already taking action.

For the workshops, we will offer ASL interpretation and enable closed captions. We will have live captions for the January 8th workshop. A tech and access support person will be present throughout the event to attend to any emergent participant needs regarding Zoom and access.

Each workshop is a standalone session, but it’s a good idea to register for Mapping Your Social Change Ecosystem as an introduction so that you can assess your skills and interests in activism and organizing.

Please DO NOT register if you know you cannot attend. This is important. Space is limited. So please don’t register as a placeholder.

These sessions are being offered at no cost to participants BUT this does not mean they are free. There are costs associated with putting together such a program (labor, tech, interpretation costs etc...). If you can make a donation, please do. Funds will cover the costs of ASL. We will donate any surplus funds to REBUILD.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you make a donation, that counts as one ticket so you do not also have to register for a free ticket. It's either a free ticket OR a donation one.

Here is the list of workshops. You must register for each of them separately.

December 3 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET — Mapping Your Social Change Ecosystem facilitated by Deepa Iyer + Adaku Utah

December 4 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET - Mutual Aid - facilitated by Dean Spade

December 10 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET - Creating Change with our Kids facilitated by Zara Raven

December 11 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET - Move the Needle: Activism for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers facilitated by Shannon Downey

January 8, 2025 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET - I'm Disabled, How the Hell Do I Survive/ Resist This? To Exist Is to Resist facilitated by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna Samarasinha

This mini-series is organized by educator and organizer, Mariame Kaba.