November 1-16 — The Spirit & Place Festival provides dozens of opportunities for “Exploring Imagination”
Where does imagination reside? Who or what is cultivating the practice of imagination? When are social, religious, and cultural boundaries appropriate? What is needed to unleash public imagination in ways that benefit our communities’ economic, social, and cultural health? These are just a few of the thought-provoking questions that will be explored across the city through performances, dance, panel discussions, exhibits, workshops, and more during the 2008 Spirit & Place Festival.
When: 1-16 November
Where: Across Central Indiana
See the schedule when it is posted at the Spirit & Place website.
The Spirit & Place Civic Festival celebrates and explores arts, humanities, and religion. The dozens of events that make up the festival each year are collaborative ventures between organizations, government, education, churches, and many others with the goal of promoting civic engagement, respect for diversity, thoughtful reflection, public imagination, and enduring change in the communities where we live.
The theme for 2008 is Exploring Imagination; its four sub-themes are: Re-Imagining Indy, Youthful Imagination, Imagining our Future, and Community Creation and Celebration.
Now celebrating its 13th year, the Spirit & Place Civic festival festival reaches over 25,000 people in Central Indiana during a 16-day period each November. The festival opens with the Public Conversation. Available to the public free of charge, this moderated dialogue explores the annual theme through a spontaneous, on-stage exchange among three nationally known figures from the humanities, religion, and the arts.
In the days that follow, people of all ages will explore the theme through dozens of events created by over 140 community organizations. These adjudicated events-which include exhibits, plays, panel discussions, workshops, concerts, poetry readings, intergenerational gatherings, worship services, and more-are held in a variety of venues throughout Central Indiana including museums and galleries, concert halls and community centers, churches and synagogues, colleges and universities, public libraries and parks, public and private secondary schools, and more. On average, 70% of events are offered free of charge and 80% offer opportunities for public participation and interaction. Some programs also offer classroom or congregational resource materials.
