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CONTACT: Michelle Zucker, Community Manager, League of Creative Interventionists, 949-241- 1367, michelle@creativeinterventionists.com
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation, 305-908-2646, media@knightfoundation.org
League of Creative Interventionists Fellows from four Knight cities convene in Akron
MIAMI—May 19, 2017— The League of Creative Interventionists, a national organization dedicated to creatively reimagining neighborhoods, will bring together 16 Fellows from their recently launched Fellowship Program to participate in a weekend-long convening in Akron, Ohio from June 2-4, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
The Fellowship Program launched earlier this year and supports League chapters in Akron, Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Wichita, Kansas. Each League chapter is led by a team of four Fellows who facilitate a resident-led group that uses participatory public projects and local partnerships to reimagine public spaces as places for connection and creativity. The inaugural League convening will bring the 16 Fellows together to build support between the chapters by sharing learnings from past interventions and providing inspiration for future work. Workshops will explore themes of tactical urbanism, strategic design thinking, turning ideas into action, and building community support. Speakers will include Carol Coletta, Senior Fellow at the Kresge Foundation, Bridget Marquis, Director of Reimagining the Civic Commons initiative at U3 Advisors, Kate Catherall, founder of CHORUS, and Dan Rice, President of the Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition.
“We are very excited to bring together our Fellows together for the first time in the same space,” said Hunter Franks, Founder of the League of Creative Interventionists. “The energy and passion that these young creative leaders have displayed to bring meaningful change to their cities is inspiring and we can’t wait to see how their work evolves after the convening.”
Fellows will tour Akron and learn from local initiatives on the exciting transformations happening all over the city. Fellows will also create an intervention together with residents and youth from the Summit Lake Build Corps, a youth design and build group in the Summit Lake neighborhood of Akron, where the League has been working to activate underused spaces into platforms for connection and creativity. League Fellows and Summit Lake Build Corps will be doing a Pop-up Intervention in Summit Lake at the Pump House on Saturday, June 2nd from 1:30-3:30pm. Residents can get involved by RSVPing to the event here.
“The League of Creative Interventionists Fellowship Program provides emerging community leaders platforms to actively create the city they want to see,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation Program Director for Akron. “This convening will elevate the impact that the Fellows have in their cities and create new opportunities for inspiration and collaboration.”
About League of Creative Interventionists
The League of Creative Interventionists works with communities to reimagine their social and physical landscapes through cultural and creative public projects. We believe that our cities are more equitable and vibrant when public spaces foster connection and curiosity. We have chapters located in cities around the United States and Europe. www.creativeinterventionists.com
About The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.