[ This page is intended to serve as an archive for The Invisible City Project website. While this information is not up to date, it is my hope that its contents continue to provide a point of entry.]
WITH SUCH AN ABUNDANCE OF SEEMINGLY BURIED CULTURAL TREASURE ALL AROUND US, WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US IN UNEARTHING IT …
The Invisible City Project provides an opportunity for us all to uncover, highlight, honor, contextualize and nurture our city and our dance community. It is intended to forge connections between the dance community, the larger community of Greater Hartford, and the larger community of dance beyond our borders.
The Invisible City Project is not for any one group alone, but exists to serve our place and the dance that is made in it. So, this is an “us” proposition that is predicated on participation–your participation. So be sure to participate! And why not when there are so many ways to do just that.
SO, YOU ARE INVITED …
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to make things, digging deeply into your work, your practice and your process. Perhaps it’s worthwhile to risk making something you think you shouldn’t, asking lots of questions as you conduct your experiment. Truth is, if we are not making stuff and digging deeply, there will be nothing to document on these pages!
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to visit the community calendar page and to attend a dance event of your choosing. In fact, attend two, or even three events of your choosing …
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to submit events to the community calendar. These events can be one of your own, or someone else’s that you’ve become aware of. They can be scheduled for the short term or the long term. Either way, the more information we gather in one place, the easier it is for us to collectively plan more and more thoughtful seasons of dance, increasing our visibility through cross promotion and proving that dance is alive and well in our region.
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to visit this website often, share it with friends, and/or subscribe to the blog. The site is only as effective as its readership. Some things will ring true for you, others will rub you the wrong way. Either way, all artists and communities need dialogue–a steady balance of push and pull–in order to grow and remain relevant.
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to use your voice. Make it a point to advocate for your own community, rather than leaving it in the hands of others. You might be surprised to know how few have a seat at the table. We may not always agree about how it should be done, but it certainly should be done.
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to submit an essay, transcript of an interview you’ve conducted, a link to a video of that interview, fragmented notes on some idea that strikes you, photographs of performance, photographs of rehearsal … or something else we haven’t thought of but somehow demonstrates the creative process of an area dance artist or illuminates some aspect of local dance history.
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to comment on someone else’s submission, making it a conversation. The absence of your voice renders the discussion mute and leaves our contributors to simply yell into the void. And no one wants that …
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to put our shared resources to good and meaningul use. We’ve already listed a lot of information on the resources pages which can help us see how all the parts of this complex ecosystem work together, while offering access to information and important networks. If there’s something you think we’ve missed, that might be helpful to others among us, please be sure to let us know.
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to volunteer to support some aspect of the project or its premise–anything from helping to keep this website up-to-date or offering behind the scenes pre-performance support for an area dance artist. It is an incredible act of bravery to be a maker of dances. Those brave souls work incredibly hard to make experiences that often seem effortless. Give ’em hand, or more if you’ve got it.
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to commit to cultivating an environment of goodwill and mutual benefit for all who call the Greater Hartford area home, in ways great and small.
