Writers, poets, painters, dancers and musicians will make
Gavilan College the heartbeat of creativity this month, when the
school hosts the second annual Creativity Festival on March 29.
Writers, poets, painters, dancers and musicians will make Gavilan College the heartbeat of creativity this month, when the school hosts the second annual Creativity Festival on March 29.
The 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. event celebrates culture and creativity by holding a series of workshops all designed around participants creating new work and sharing their ideas with one another. The Creativity Festival, dubbed IMIX: Infinite Potential, is an expansion of last year’s successful poetry festival that drew 80 people to the Gavilan campus to create and share verse.
“Our belief is that by celebrating and inspiring creativity in the tri-county area our communities will be strengthened; and by fostering a connection between artists, writers and the Gavilan campus, all students, staff and faculty benefit,” organizers said.
The day will begin with participants registering and choosing from a menu of up to 20 workshops offered in two 90-minute sessions. Workshops include, among other things, writer’s block, computer graphics, haiku, hip-hop dance and folklorico dance classes.
Students and faculty from area community colleges and universities will lead the workshops. At the end of the day, participants will gather and share the work they created in the sessions.
“What makes this event so singular and exciting is the mix of people involved. We will be a roomful of mothers, fathers, graffiti artists, musicians, Chicanos and Latino-, Mexican-, Asian-, African- and Anglo-Americans,” organizers said.
The participation fee is $5.
The Creativity Festival is the latest of several cultural activities sponsored by Gavilan College in recent months, from theater shows and art exhibits to poetry slams and keynote speakers.
“We’re seeing a renewed interest in cultural activities and expressive arts,” Gavilan spokesperson Jan Bernstein Chargin said. “I think in times like these people feed off each other. We also have one of the more active student bodies we’ve had in a while.”
The March 29 Creativity Festival has a very practical side, too.
“This event provides the college with an opportunity to showcase our campus to prospective enrollees, including local high school students, life-long learners and retirees,” organizers said.
Increasing student demand is important in these tight budget times. College President Steve Kinsella has said that community education courses – which typically appeal to a similar variety of students – will be offered only if they are profitable.
Details: www.gavilan.edu/poetry/index.html or e-mail xc*********@ya***.com or ks****@ga*****.edu Phone inquiries should be directed to Xochiquetzal Candelaria at 846-4979 or Kimberly Smith at 848-4889.
