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Community Impact W eave & Spin is an event that has created an environment that not only <br />celebrates the creativity of its featured artists, but also provides a space <br />for anyone to find confidence to share their own words. It is crucial, <br />particularly in our country's current sociopolitical environment, to allow <br />space for honest, vulnerable expression, particularly for individuals from <br />historically underrepresented, marginalized, and oppressed populations, <br />such as those who identify as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+. As a member of the <br />latter community, I feel that urgency acutely. W eave & Spin focuses upon <br />intentionally building community and inviting inclusivity. The performance on <br />a given night may feature a spoken word artist alongside a traditional "page <br />poet." Typically, these two literary approaches tend to be segregated; here, <br />we bring them together to celebrate their simultaneous contrast and <br />continuity. In addition to featuring artists of diverse backgrounds, the series <br />also highlights those delve into atypical or taboo topics in literature and <br />music, including personal trauma. The structure of featuring two generally <br />well-established artists provides the audience with a demonstration of <br />master craftsmanship, a gift of entertainment and inspiration, but also a <br />taste of the technical skills that may inform audience members' own <br />creative development. Situating the series inside a contemporary art <br />gallery adds to the feeling of the event as a "safe space." Most open mic <br />events take place in bars, where the ambient noise of customers may be <br />overwhelming and interfering, and where those who wish to avoid alcohol <br />may feel uncomfortable. The backdrop of visual art by local creators, often <br />dealing with sociopolitical, environmental, identity, and other personal <br />topics, adds a welcome layer of complexity to each event and provides an <br />opportunity for deeper interdisciplinary conversation, further enriching both <br />performers and audience. <br />Artist Experience I have been running W eave & Spin as its conceptualist, curator, and host <br />since January 2023. The series has garnered attention and praise for its <br />authenticity of its diversity mission, the caliber of its featured performers, <br />and the sense of loving, safe, and inspired community among the audience. <br />This has been documented by the Eno Arts Mill Gallery as well as in <br />several articles in the News of Orange County, the Daily Tarheel, and other <br />publications over the past three years. In addition to W eave & Spin, for the <br />past three years, I have run the poetry performance portion of the annual <br />exhibit Coalesce at the Eno Arts Mill Gallery, a project which invites poets <br />and visual artists to respond to each others' work. This event has been <br />consistently extremely popular, often exceeding audience capacity. Finally, <br />in August 2023 I created, organized, and hosted the Eno River Poetry <br />Festival in Hillsborough, NC, which featured 12 performers with a <br />community open mic between the middle of the day. The event attracted <br />over 100 attendees with many documented requests to make the festival <br />an annual event. <br />How do you plan to <br />market your project? <br />Our target audience is all arts appreciators and literary or musical <br />performers age 18 and older in Orange and Durham Counties. W e have a <br />robust marketing strategy that occurs on an ongoing basis. W e create an <br />attractive poster for each event, which is physically posted around Orange <br />County as well as virtually posted across various social media platforms, <br />local publications, and Meetup.com. Performers are requested to assist in <br />event promotion on their own websites and social media accounts. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 30D6DAC9-A371-498B-B453-603A53C723A7