|
|
|
Welcome to Cafe Cultura's
December 2014 newsletter! We're excited to keep in touch with you as we work to fulfill our mission.
#CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories |
|
|
Caf� Cultura is an award-winning arts, culture, and youth development organization that promotes unity and healing among Indigenous peoples through creative expression while empowering youth to find their voice, reclaim oral and written traditions, and become leaders in their communities.
|
|
|
|
|
Cafe Cultura's Open Mic
w/ spoken word, music, art, & community!
| |
Spread the word...Bring your family & friends!!!!!
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE ARRIVE AT 6:15pm :-)
Note: Make sure to come early to sign up and get a good seat.
WHAT: All ages open mic (alcohol/drug free event)
WHEN: 2nd Fri. of every month....December 12th, January 9th
--->Doors open w/ Vendors, Food, & Live Art @ 7pm
--->Show starts @ 7:45pmWHERE: Denver Inner City Parish/La Academia (9th Ave & Galapago St)$3 (nobody turned away)
Everyone is welcome!
Featured performers:
---->Byron Aspaas (published writer): A graduate of and current MFA student at the Institute of American Indian Arts (Creative Writing), Byron utilizes personal experiences and sensory detail to create stories with vivid imagery. As a storyteller, he layers sentence upon sentence constructing colorful designs woven into emotional journeys. Byron's emergence stories are captured in numerous journals and anthologies.
---->2MX2 (performing songs from upcoming mixtape) is a hip hop duo backed by DJ R Skwared delivering unique hip hop fused with various Latin styles including cumbia, regional and traditional Mexican folklore. With lyrics in both English and Spanish, 2MX2 gives their audience an experience through their personal stories, unique Latin fused hip hop, and pinatas!
 | | WHO IS 2MX2? |
Community Feature
---->Denver Freedom Riders (report from Ferguson)
Live Art by Diego Florez
|
For more info: [email protected]; 720-394-6589; www.cafecultura.org
|
|
We continue working with our partners to allow youth participants opportunities to express themselves and tell their stories through the publishing of books and coordinating showcases. They currently include Mi Casa Neighborhood Center @ Lake, La Academia, Heart & Hand, Grant Beacon Middle School, and STRIVE Prep SMART. We look forward to adding more sites in the near future.
Here are a few excerpts from youth at La Academia:
"'Mija,
acaba la escuela,
so you do not have to go through what I went through.'
I will always remember those words,
as I look into the eyes of a girl
who holds a bright future in her hands.
In her eyes,
I see happiness
as she succeeds
and graduates high school.
She proves all those Latino stereotypes wrong,
showing all our doubters
that we made it."
"See,
we all represent the root system
that nourishes civilization.
Knowledge,
power,
and innovation
is ultimately the water
that helps us grow
into a stronger nation.
So listen,
because my voice is powerful
and yours is too."
"I am the pupusas of my homeland
that take so much effort to make.
The cheese holds my love,
passion,
and strength.
The burns show my scars
and struggles,
but the wonderful taste reminds us
how we overcome them,
while being raised by a single mother."
We are excited to make our recent youth-written books available online. To access each collection of powerful spoken word poetry from participants in our workshop series, simply click on the book cover.
Make sure to read future newsletters for more updates.
|
Triple 10 Xpress Yourself Challenge
for Cafe Cultura (#XpressYourself)
 | |
Triple 10 Xpress Yourself Challenge for Cafe Cultura - Intro (Ara)
|
Post a video
10 (or more) lines of your favorite poem, song, or quote focused on expressing yourself, telling our stories, and/or uplifting our communities
make a
$10 donation (one-time or monthly)
to Cafe Cultura
to celebrate
10 years of service in the community
Join the movement! Challenge your friends!
|
|
Cafe Cultura's
2013 Annual Report
click on image below to view online
|
|
|
Contact Information
| |
Cafe CulturaP.O. Box 11791 Denver, CO 80211
Office: 1029 Santa Fe Dr Unit #6
Hours: Mon-Thurs from 9am to 2:00pm
Fri from 9am to 5pm
|
|
Xpress Yourself
Basic Spoken Word Workshops for Youth (#XpressYourself)
|
We have worked with numerous schools and organizations throughout Colorado to give underserved youth an opportunity to express themselves. Our most recent partners have included: STRIVE Prep SMART & Fuerte Youth Leadership Conference @ UNC.
If you are interested in having Cafe Cultura present at your school or organization, feel free to contact us. Our basic version is a one time, 1 to 2 hour session. We have used this highly engaging and culturally relevant workshop structure for over eight years to encourage Chicana/o and Native youth to use spoken word to give voice to our stories of love, struggle, injustice, and celebration. They serve to supplement and support Language Arts/English curriculum. Workshop structure was designed by a spoken word artist with 4 years experience teaching at the middle and high school level with contributions from other poets and youth advocates.Click here for a detailed information sheet.
We're extremely excited to share the following promotional video for these workshops (edited by Derek Brown...Chair, Cafe Cultura's Board of Directors).
 | | Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops |
|
|
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced poet, join us as we workshop poems you are currently drafting or will write during our time together.
WHEN: Saturdays in 2014 (December 20)
TIME: 11:00 to 12:30pm
WHERE: Cafe Cultura Office (1029 Santa Fe Dr)
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
|
|
Exciting Updates
|
Thank you to everyone who attended and performed at our open mic last night. Special thank you to 1) Montoya Whiteman and Bill Tall Bull for sharing reflections and information about the 16th Annual Sand Creek Massacre Spiritual Healing Run/Walk....150 years after the massacre; 2) Barrio e' for offering incredible energy with everyone...moving us through music, dance, & poetry; 3) Tony Diego for showcasing an amazing artistic talent that also honors culture; 4) Derek Brown for allowing us show the short documentary he helped create; 5) the Yellow Hawk family for taking the lead in selling food for the event. We also appreciate all volunteers who made the event possible.
-Cafe Cultura will be collaborating on an HIV/AIDS prevention research project with Assistant Professor, Ramona Beltran and the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. Funded by the Public Good Fund through University of Denver's Center for Community Engaged Scholarship and Service Learning, the project will work with several other Denver-based organizations to develop a culture-centered HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum for Indigenous youth and to support increasing education and participation in our annual Rise Up! community event to be held in March, 2015. Recruitment efforts are slated to begin in January, so stay tuned if you want to be involved.
-We continue to receive support from important members of the foundation community. Thank you to our recent funders: Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund (The Denver Foundation), National Association for Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts, Seventh Generation Fund, Peyback Foundation, Hispanics In Philanthropy, Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, WESTAF, and The Chinook Fund.
-We were honored to have been selected for the 2013 Mayor's Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture (Youth Arts). Here is the video they produced for us:
 | | 2013 Denver Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Arts and Culture - Youth Arts Award: Cafe Cultura |
-Performances/shows from Cafe Cultura poets: If you want us to host an open mic featuring our spoken word artists, contact us ASAP. Funds will go to sustaining our organization and the work we do in the community (especially our workshops for youth).
-Feel free to visit our website
often for updates (click on the image).
|
|
Internships w/ Cafe Cultura!
If you are interested in helping build our organization while gaining valuable experience and making connections in the community, below are the unpaid internship positions we hope to fill ASAP.
Development Intern: provide assistance in organizing activities that will lead to the growth and development of our organization. This includes being involved with implementation of strategic plan, fundraising, and engaging Board of Directors.
Click Here for Development Intern Job Description
Communications Intern: help in coordinating effective and efficient communication within the organization as well as with the community. In addition to internal communications, this person will focus on promotion and documentation of our programs.
Click Here for Communications Intern Job Description
Programs Intern: be actively involved in planning and carrying out programs including events, workshops, and our youth leadership program.
Click Here for Programs Intern Job Description
|
|
Make a one-time or monthly donation to Cafe Cultura!
You have the opportunity to invest in Cafe Cultura's work in the community. Click on the following image to make a tax-deductible donation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
