CALL for papers, presentations, dialogues, performances, and workshops from exemplary practitioners and great thinkers in arts-based community development

Deadline for submission: February 19, 2012

The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) invites proposals for papers, presentations, dialogues, performances, and workshops for Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads- Arts-Based Community Development Convening to be held April 12-14, 2012.

This convening, which builds on past conferences through Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC), and RAC's 2010 At the Crossroads conference, aims to generate a discussion on the artist's role in facilitating social change, community development, and regeneration.

Like the CAT Institute, the convening is designed as a cross-sector forum for learning, sharing, and exchange. Artists of all disciplines, community organizers, social service providers, educators, architects, funders, academics, creatives, and policy-makers, will contribute to a collaborative and interactive forum in which this exchange can take place. This call for papers, presentations, dialogues, performances and workshops seeks many levels of communication practice.

Commissioned papers, presentations and documentation of conference sessions and discussions will be published in a post-convening web journal to help perpetuate and develop the goals established during the conference.

Proposals should include these elements:

•Brief description of your practice, grounded in or through art or media

•Inspirations, resources, references; what is the theoretical and professional groundings for your work; what are the Big Ideas

•Current inquiries and curiosities; what are the Big Questions

•Vision; what is this work's trajectory; where is it heading; how you envision the work's future development

•Outline how you would make visible the knowledge of participants in the room and create "thinking together" in this small conference setting Submissions will be peer-reviewed by an advisory committee.

Registration fees for invited session presenters and panelists with accepted proposals will be waived. Some papers may be accepted for the Convening web publication only.

Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads anticipates approximately 300-350 practitioners of arts-based community development programs and collaborations. Individual sessions will vary in capacity from 25 to 100 participants to full plenary sessions with all participants.

Submissions should be sent as attachments in PDF form to Roseann Weiss, Director of the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at Roseann@stlrac.org Please include CONVENING SUBMISSION in the email subject line.

Contact Roseann for more information about Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads- Arts-Based Community Development Convening and proposal submissions. Submission deadline is Friday, February 19, 2012.

Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads is sponsored by RAC and CPAC with support by the Ford Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity and is funded, in part, by the Kresge Foundation and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.

Plan to attend RUSTBELT TO ARTIST BELT : AT THE CROSSROADS - Arts-Based Community Development Convening - April 12 through 14.

The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) and the Community Partnership for Arts & Culture (CPAC), present Rustbelt to Artist Belt : At the Crossroads.

This conference unites a cross-section of artists, community leaders, educators, academics, policy-makers, and creatives in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development. This convening places a special emphasis on the role of artists and their community partners in creating positive, social change.

Presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions will allow people in diverse social practices to connect and engage in a forum that inspires new ideas and community collaboration.

Mark your calendars today for April 12 through 14 in St. Louis. This event will take place in the Chase Hotel and Conference Center. Web site and registration information to come soon.

For more information, contact Roseann Weiss at roseann@stlrac.org or 314/863-5811. Rustbelt to Artist Belt: At the Crossroads is sponsored by RAC and CPAC with support by the Ford Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity and is funded, in part, by the Kresge Foundation and the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission.