ABOUT COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Community Connections is a lesson collection designed for adult learners and community colleges, with the goal of inspiring student civic action. This might be respectful debate or conversation about a local issue, planning a community event, or a creative project that helps connect local, national and global issues.
To use this lesson: First, watch the video and answer the questions below as a warm up. Next, choose one or more of the activities under "Take Action" that best fits your classroom. Or, use the segment above to inspire your own original classroom activities — the spirit of these lessons is to connect current events to actions that make your community a better place for everyone!
SUMMARY
Local arts organizations have the power to tackle everything from community challenges to threats against national democracy by expanding access to art. That mission drives one of the country’s most vibrant and diverse artistic hubs in West Philadelphia. Jeffrey Brown reports for our series, Art in Action, exploring the intersection of art and democracy and our arts and culture series, CANVAS.
View the transcript of the story. News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
KEY TERMS
hyperlocal — relating to or focused on a very small geographical community, such as a neighborhood
federated — separate organizations or entities united for a common purpose
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Who is Andrew Zitcer?
- When was the Writers Room organization founded?
- What is unique about the Writers Room?
- How does Second Story Collective help community members and students with housing?
- Why are universities and arts organizations facing challenges with their diversity and arts programs?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Writers Room and Second Story Collective are examples of organizations founded by community members whose primary focus is on specific groups within West Philadelphia. Jeffrey Brown asks Andrew Zitcer if there are limits to being so hyperlocal, to which he responds:
"That question of scale is a fundamental question. So, yes, what we're doing here in West Philadelphia is hyperlocal. What is happening in Chapel Hill or Detroit is also hyperlocal. But can we create a federated movement of people talking about arts, culture, city and democracy that gains strength in its network?"
- What do you think are the pros and cons of a hyperlocal organization? Brainstorm a list and discuss it with a classmate.
- What are some ways that hyperlocal organizations with similar goals in different communities can stay connected? Do you think it's possible to build a successful network across large distances?
Media literacy: Does your community have any local arts organizations that are considered hyperlocal? How can you find out?
TAKE ACTION
Plan your own community event modeled after the event shown in this video. Consider —
- What arts groups could you work with?
- What theme or local issue would you want your arts event to explore?
- What impact would you hope to have on your audience?
Also, consider interviewing a local artist about their work, especially as it addresses local themes. Ask them — what does it mean to them to make art that reflects community need?
You can also watch the video below to learn about 'Little Village', an arts project in Detroit focused on creating more arts spaces in the community.
This project was funded under the 2024 Leonore Annenberg Civic Mission of the Nation Initiative, sponsored by the Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics. LAIC is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
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