The 2015 Community Connections nonConference – Creative Engagement and Action using arts and placemaking– will be held on Saturday, March 21st from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m., at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The nonconference is FREE. 

[button link=”http://www.minneapolismn.gov/ncr/CommunityConnectionsConference” newwindow=”yes”] REGISTER[/button]

The nonconference theme – Creative Engagement and Action using arts and placemaking – is an in-depth look at creative engagement strategies and creative placemaking. Participants will be immersed into a experiential atmosphere where they will gain the skills and strategies to take creative placemaking techniques back to their own community and do it from start to finish.

The nonConference aims at enabling participants to:

• Gain practical skills and tools to improve engagement and planning efforts;
• Explore common challenges that most small organizations face;
• Share ideas and approaches used to address challenges and bring solutions; and
• Meet others, build new relationships and “broaden the table” around common goals and interests

Why a nonConference?

• You’ll be challenged and interested: You will be learning by seeing and doing rather than sitting and listening to presentations.
• You determine your own schedule: Come and go as you please during the times of 9:00am – 3:00pm.
• There will be engaging Learning Labs: Learning labs replace the typical workshops, there are only 8 of them and they rotate throughout the day so you can attend the ones you like.
• Interaction is key: This is the meat and potatoes of the conference. The Village Square is where you get to meet other participants and interact.
• Everyone can participate: Language is often a barrier for participation from members of cultural communities in Minneapolis. Having many visual interactions allows for everyone to feel welcome.
• The conference is family friendly: If not having a babysitter is preventing you from attending, you can bring your kids with you. We won’t have formal child care, but we will have a few family friendly activities in the Village Square.

This year’s nonConference is being planned by the Community Connections Conference Workgroup made up of representatives from Neighborhood Organizations, the Neighborhood and Community Engagement Commission (NCEC) and City Staff. Members of the workgroup are, Rita Ulrich, Cathy Spann from Jordan Area Community Council,  Kerry Cashman from the Seward Neighborhood Group, Amanda Vallone from Windom Community and Owner of beARTrageous, Kenya McKnight and Kirk Roggensack from the NCEC , Greg Simbeck from CPED and David Rubedor, Cheyenne Brodeen, Christina Kendrick and Jack Whitehurst from the NCR Department.