Creative
Placekeeping
For Barrio, Creative Placekeeping is more than a philosophy. For us it is a commitment to work closely with neighbors in our areas of impact to make sure trouble areas are reignited with life.
Projects August - September
Why Art?
A philosophy in action!
We have witnessed the transformational power of creative placekeeping and neighbor empowerment. We know that when a neighbor connects with their space and feel ownership of it, they begin to develop roots.
We found that art is able to build quicker bridges and connects people in a more meaningful way respecting a community's makeup, culture, and history.
We engage neighbors through surveys or community meetings to find their perceptions of a particular space. We have embedded movement and participatory activities to make sure the majority of voices are heard.
In a survey of our area of impact, neighbors declared that they wanted to see more art activities in the South of Penn area. To address this, we are connecting local, young, nontraditional artists with their neighbors in non traditional spaces.
Our Creative Placekeepiing efforts in the South of Penn and Reading Iron Playground are made possible by the generous support of the Wyomissing Foundation, and supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our green spaces initiative is funded through the County of Berks.
Do I need to
bring any
materials?
No, Barrio will supply you with everything you need, from brushes to paper, to water!
How young can a child be to
participate?
We encourage families to bring any child of any age. Our art projects are for everyone!
Puedo ir si
solo
hablo español?
Claro que si. En nuestros programas siempre hay alguien que le podra traducir las instrucciones de los maestros.
Are you an Artist?
You are one of us!
Barrio defines artists as anyone who is a vehicle for creativity, someone who can imagine something that doesn’t exist yet, or preserve something that is in danger of being lost.
An artist is anyone who has culturally relevant knowledge they can share with the community at large.
Barrio supports artists by offering training opportunities for teaching, engaging, and following up with community members. Our goal is to support artists with materials, and our organizing experience, so they can lead their own programs.
Barrio believes in the democratization of creative spaces where neighbors utilize their cultural knowledge and skills to co-create activities that share the knowledge with the community.
Barrio's plan to change narratives include the re-imagining of our community. The idea is simple: art can help reclaim spaces that are underutilized or abandoned.
Art projects help reconnect neighbors with their environment as they feel more connected to the spaces they use as makeshift art rooms.
Barrio has been very intentional about utilizing public spaces for our programs to help re-establish ownership of people's communities.
Making your
experience
fun!
Come ready to make and take art with you. At Barrio, we believe in creating together and owning what we create!
Photography
&
Videography
Photography and videography is encouraged.
Please use #barrioalegria
so we can find the pictures!
Leading
a
workshop
If you would like to lead a workshop, please send us a note and we will get back to you to schedule a workshop!
OJOS: In the eye of the beholder
The OJOS: Eye of the Beholder project is a multi-year initiative to engage youth in documenting the City of Reading through photography.
OJOS participants take a 2 hour photography workshop and then given a Digital Reflex Camera for a week for them to document their lives. The idea is to start changing mindsets, both among youth, but more importantly, among all of the neigh-sayers who think Reading youth are nothing but trouble-makers.
Making your
experience
fun!
Barrio doesn't do regular performances. We do things differently:
Photography
&
Videography
Photography and videography is encouraged.
Please use
#barrioalegria
Questions
&
Answers
After the performance, our cast will engage with the audience in a question and answer session
Storytelling Through Dance
Storytelling Through Dance (STTD) is a community engagement project that takes the shape of a community theater production. The project builds a space for community members to gain leadership skills, explore self limiting beliefs, occupy spaces they do not naturally see themselves in, and build a better world.
Participants include inner city residents whom Barrio outreached to. Some of them self selected as dancers, some of them did not. The production debuts at the Reading Public Library and performed at local schools and universities.
Do you only do
Latin Dances?
No. B.A.D. co coreographies have included Bhangra dances, traditional Chinese dance, and a Moroccan dance in addition to Latin dances
Will I have to purchase expensive stuff?
We believe that traditional dances have to be respectful of cultural traditions, however, we try to minimize expenses to dancers
Do you only perform in Reading?
Although performing in our city is top priority for us, we sometimes perform in other cities as well.
