As a part of the TAAC/Rhode Island Planning Committee, I am excited that this year’s conference, OPEN DIALOGUE 13, will be here in New England.  This is an exciting opportunity bringing The Association of American Cultures to Providence, RI, August 2-4, 2013, at the Providence Biltmore.

Open Dialogue 13 will focus on significant and pivotal people, places and policies impacting cultural democracy in America. Through panels, keynote presentations, interviews, performances, interactive sessions, community experiences, and animated conversations, we will explore TAAC’s four foundational pillars:

• Equal participation in policymaking
• Equitable funding for all cultural institutions
• Elevation in multicultural leadership
• Essential networks that impact cultural policy

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Open Dialogue Session Proposal Deadline - March 25

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MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Open Dialogue Audience:
200 - 250 arts administrators, individual and teaching artists, arts educators, board members and cultural policy advocates attend Open Dialogue. Participants come from communities across the country and abroad, from varied arts backgrounds and levels of experience.  Because it is important that all interested persons feel welcome at Open Dialogue, we routinely ask presenters to refrain from making assumptions about the politics, values, or backgrounds of participants.  We also ask presenters to remember that participants might be new to the field and to do their best to explain jargon and acronyms within presentations.

What we are looking for:
Open Dialogue sessions are 90 minutes and should be complete learning experiences with specific outcomes and learning objectives. Sessions can include multiple speakers, but are limited to no more than four speakers per session.  We will accept proposals from individuals, collectives, and organizations.

Proposals should focus on innovative strategies, tested tools, and best practices that relate to the frames of the Open Dialogue and TAAC’s foundational pillars of equity in policy making, funding, leadership and networks that impact cultural policy.  TAAC is particularly interested in sessions that engage attendees in unique ways that reach beyond the standard presenter/PowerPoint model. Please be creative in conceiving the format for your session! All sessions should focus on what was done, why it was done, how it was implemented, how it was measured, what results were found, and what it cost. Session formats may include, but are not limited to:

• Facilitated Discussions—present an issue or trend as a conversation among experts followed by Q & A.
• Case Studies—describe a program or project in-depth, focusing on innovative solutions to clearly defined challenges and their implications for the field.
• Research or Data Presentations—help interpret new research or data through practical field applications.
• Skill-Building and Hands-On Learning Experiences—encourage participants to use professional skills to explore a scenario and to teach and learn new tactics.
• Experiential —introduce participants to a topic or issue through a creative presentation followed by reflection, discussion, and questions.

Hope to see you there!