Invitation from ACK and steps that followed

April 20, 2011

From Jill Egland

Hi, Paula -

The Arts Council is interested in applying for an NEA grant in this next cycle (2012 implementation). It’s entitled “Theatre: Art Works” and has three different takes on it: the creation of new works, the hosting of a visiting production, and Would Cornerstone be open to collaborating with us in a Kern-based community theatre project Kern similar to “Waking Up in Lost Hills?”

We’ve had several staff shifts since you were last in contact with us. Jeanette Richardson our ED, and David Nigel Lloyd, the arts ed program director, are both no longer employed here. I’m trying to get the two people currently in those roles to come with me to see The Unrequited in the next couple of weeks, so they can get a feel for what it is that you bring to a community.

~~~

May 18, 2011  (to Cornerstone colleagues, From Paula)

Sabrina and I talked with Jill Egland at Arts Council of Kern today.  They are really interested in having a full on Cornerstone experience in Kern County.  They have selected Oildale and Tehachapi as best Kern County communities for us to collaborate with. 

Jill also was clear that they are open and really want us to do what we do without any agenda from them except how it can impact them with professional development. They also chose these two towns as places that may be ripe for a community play experience to inspire them into ongoing positive change.

They are really excited about the I-9 Institute time-slot.  We suggested they consider a model that doesn't have the burden and restrictions that an Institute would place on a Kern Co project-- one where they hire Cornerstone artists and maybe someone to take the lead with Comm Engagement and these handful of CTC folks would work in partnership with Kern folks.  This version allows for the project scope to be modified according to what they can fund.

They are more interested in the pre-designed parameters of an Institute project.

And rather than be dependent upon their fundraising, it seems like we might just consider these towns as potential I-9 (2012) communities that come with a passionate, connected partner org (Arts Council of Kern) who may bring more funding into the project.  Jill thinks that ACK's relationships with schools will help us secure facilities needs.  So far they seem to bring us the most in terms of our alternative I-9 communities of San Pedro and Sylmar.

We've tentatively set a meeting/field trip date for Monday May 30.  We'd go meet with the ACK folks then visit both towns.  If we can set it up, I'm hoping that the town visits would also include site visits of potential housing & venues.

PS- Backstory:  ACK folks saw Waking Up In Lost Hills (2004), hired us for a very well attended 2DI (2006) and have sent 4 to 6 individuals to participate in 2DIs at ctc.  They've  also produced 2 fairly large scale youth-focused projects utilizing what they've learned through us, (and maybe more) though they struggle with these projects and feel they need more guidance to really get it right.

~~~

 With Jill and Laura from Arts Council of Kern we visited the towns of Oildale and Tehachapi.

Ashley Walden put together some basic info that included demographics, possible partner organizations and schools in each of these towns.  

Jill arranged a meeting with relevant people in each town: 

Oildale: Mtg at District Supervisor's Office (in Bakersfield)

+ Rep from District Supervisor Mike Maggard's office
+ Rep from the community-based group, Citizens for a New Oildale
+ Rep from a Bakersfield Sound nightclub, Trout's  (no show)
+ Rep from Standard (as in "Chevron Oil") School District  (no show)

Tehachapi: Mtg at Tehachapi Unified School District Office
+ Administration from Middle School and High School (2 people-maybe more?)
+ Jon Hammond: journalist, musician, representative of the Piute tribe  (no show)
+ Rep from District Supervisor Zach Schrivner's office
+ (possible) Rep from Wind Energy Center  (no show)
+ (possible) Rep from local community theatre group, BeeKay Theatre Company  (yes! 2!)

Good meetings in both towns.  Though the Oildale meeting was small, it felt particularly worthwhile to have met Jeanette (Jan) the founder of a grassroots organization called Citizens for a New Oildale.  After the meetings in seemed clear that while Oildale would be a lot harder to do in terms of building relationships as well it being a town somewhat defined by hard issues (poverty, history of racism, disappointment, high drug use, and seemingly generally onery), there was a greater need for a project like ours in Oildale than in Tehachapi.  Tehachapi has a lot of summer tourist activity and many arts festivals & events.  More importantly, they have the BeeKay Theatre Company who is not only a local theater company, they have already embarked on efforts to engage a broader part of the community.