Join us on Tuesday, June 2nd for an #Imagining in New York City that will bring together community members, organizers, artists, cultural workers, and other stakeholders to imagine the creative approaches, organizing strategy and bold vision we need to win anti-gentrification and anti-displacement fights in NYC now and into the future.

We are in a critical juncture in New York City’s fight against gentrification to preserve affordable housing for working class and low income New Yorkers. During Mayor Bloomberg’s 12-year reign, he passed over 120 rezoning plans that has and will continue to displace thousands of low-income, immigrant, and residents of color from their neighborhoods. Everyday New Yorkers are already struggling and getting systematically pushed out of their city; with declining wages, increase in costs of living and rent prices skyrocketing. Furthermore, gentrification breeds and exacerbates racial and class tensions. Communities of color are experiencing an increase of police violence and surveillance in their neighborhoods. Yet, hard-hit communities are organizing to resist this massive displacement across the city.

The event is part celebration and part envisioning and strategizing. Participants will take part in a collective-imagining process where we will ask ourselves: “What the year 2034 might look like when art’s transformative power has been fully integrated into all aspects of public and community organizing life, such as housing as a human right?”

The event will be interactive and participatory starting a 5:30pm & Presented in 2 Acts:
ACT 1: Opening: "Spotlights" -Organizers, Cultural Artist and Performances
ACT 2: Interactive Storytelling, Collective Artmaking and Community Building

Participating organizations include: CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities, Picture the Homeless, Families United for Racial and Economic Equality, Queens Neighborhoods United, Equality for Flatbush, Right to the City Alliance, Take Back the Land, Community Voices Heard, Gowanus Art Collective, Interference Archive, Mayday Space, Right to Remain Network, Copwatch, Brotherhood/Sister Sol and many more.

Live Performances and Film Excerpts by:
Michele Carlo, "There Goes the Neighborhood" a solo performance
Maaji Newbold and Moon Lowery of Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, reading from their book Street Poetry
Marcus Moore, member of Picture the Homeless, reading original poetry
“Voces de Filmore” a film by Teresa Basilio
Marcus Moore, member of Picture the Homeless, reading original poetry
“Voces de Filmore” a film by Teresa Basilio
"El Barrio Tours: Gentrification in East Harlem" film by Andrew Padilla
NYC Tenant's Project: A story about landlord harassment and tenants rights" Interactive Documentary by Claudia Prat, Eric French Monge & others
Rachel Falcone, Sandy Storyline Project

Organized by U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (USDAC), a non-government people-powered department, inciting creativity in the service of empathy, equity, and social imagination. This NYC Imagining is being coordinated by an diverse group of artists, cultural workers, activists and organizers.

For more on the event email Betty Yu (2015 NYC Cultural Agent with the USDAC) bettyyu21@gmail.com or ImaginingNYC@gmail.com.

On Twitter Follow Us @usartsdept and Tweet with: #ImaginingNYC

*Special thanks to New Sanctuary Movement of NYC for the space.