Welcome to Cafe Cultura's December 2015 newsletter! 

We are excited to update you as we work to fulfill our mission.

 

#CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories #ArtInThePark #WordsToActions #RiseUp

Café 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. 

We hope this message finds you and your family in good health and spirits.  This newsletter helps us keep you informed of our growth as an organization. You can find more updates on our Facebook (facebook.com/cafecultura), Issuu (issuu.com/cafecultura/docs), Instagram (instagram.com/cafeculturadenver), Flickr (flickr.com/photos/cafecultura/sets), and Youtube (youtube.com/user/cafeculturavideos) accounts.

Warm up with Cafe Cultura!

Office Warming and open mic
w/ spoken word, food, art, door prizes, & community!


 
Spread the word...Bring your family & friends!!!!!   
    
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE ARRIVE AT 5:30pm  

Note: Make sure to come early to sign up and get a good seat.


WHAT: All ages showcase (alcohol/drug free event)


WHEN: 2nd Fri. of every month....December 11th (future open mic events: January 8th, February 12th)

---> Doors open w/ Free Hot Drinks, Vendors, Art, & Food for Sale @ 6:30pm

---> Show starts @ 7:45pm


WHERE: Denver Inner City Parish/La Academia (9th Ave & Galapago St)


$3 donation (nobody turned away)

Everyone is welcome!


Featured Performers:
 
---->Native Voice (from Denver Public Schools Indian Education Program):  As a group of DPS high school students representing different Native tribes/nations, these youth were brought together from various schools to share their experiences with district administrators and staff at the DPS Equity Boot Camp. They used spoken word to deliver a message about the difficulties they face as Native students in schools as well as what educators can do to improve the situation. The event was so successful that requests soon followed for performances elsewhere.
----> Cafe Cultura Poets  


----> Art by Izzy Lozano Born and raised in Southwest Denver, I have worked as an artist for the last 20 years, showing my work across the country. Over the last 15 years, I have given my time and efforts to Denver Public Schools in just about every teaching situation, from charter and night school to private and alternative. Now, I am working on perusing my passion to work as an Art therapist. 


For more info: info@cafecultura.org; 720-394-6589


#CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
Become a Café Cultura Sustainer!
 
Our Goal: 100 Monthly Donors by 12/31/15



Give what you can per month

...$100...$75...$50...$25...$10...$5...


Cafe Cultura continues our "Telling Our Stories" spoken word/poetry workshop series at  Mi Casa @ Lake  (after-school) and   DSST: College View High School  (elective). The participants continue to impress us with their insight and creativity.

If you are interested in having Cafe Cultura bring our "Telling Our Stories" workshop series to your school as an elective, after-school enrichment, or a part of an existing class , contact as soon as possible.  

Our youth-written books are 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.
Interested in being more involved with Cafe Cultura?


If you have ever thought of contributing ideas and energy to help Cafe Cultura better serve our community, we invite you to attend one of the scheduled informational meetings/dialogues. We are currently recruiting volunteers for our Collective/Advisory Board and Board of Directors.

-Sun., Dec. 13th from 3 to 4pm
-Sat., Dec. 19th from 1 to 2pm

Meetings will be held at Cafe Cultura @ Denver Inner City Parish (9th Ave & Galapago St).

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or concerns: 
info@cafecultura.org; 720-394-6589


Work Study Jobs with Cafe Cultura

If you're a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver or University of Colorado Denver and been awarded work study, you can earn $10/hour while contributing to the work Cafe Cultura does in the community.

Apply today:  www.cafecultura.org/jobs





In this newsletter....
Cafe Cultura Logo

Join Our Mailing List!

Contact Information

Cafe Cultura
910 Galapago St
Denver, CO 80204

Hours: Mon-Fri from 8am to 6pm

info@cafecultura.org
720-394-6589
 cafecultura.org 

facebook.com/cafecultura    

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.

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. Recent partners: Stein Elementary, McElwain Elementary, Brady Exploration School.

Letters from McElwain Elementary students:


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.

Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops
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:  Last Saturday of the month (December 26th, January 30th, February 27th)
 
TIME:  11:00 to 12:30pm

WHERE:  Cafe Cultura @ Denver Inner City Parish (9th Ave & Galapago St)

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

December Guest Facilitator:  Ara Cruz
 
Questions: 720-394-6589; info@cafecultura.org
Exciting Updates
-Thank you to everyone who joined us at our most recent open mic. Special shout out to "I Have a Dream" Foundation of Boulder County who organized an excursion for about 20 youth (mostly 8th grade girls from Casey Middle School). Many had previously participated in our monthly spoken word workshop. Props to the open mic participants for your words. We really appreciate the power our features brought to make it an amazing night: Vaniesha Egypt, PARAMIDA Matt Barkhausen w/ Four th World Creative , and Denver Homeless Out Loud . Thank you to the volunteers who helped make this event possible. 

Videos from 11/13/15 Open Mic
Videos from 11/13/15 Open Mic




-Performances/shows from Cafe Cultura poets:  If you want us to perform at an assembly or 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). 

-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), Biennial of the Americas, National Association for Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples , 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: Caf?? Cultura
2013 Denver Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Arts and Culture - Youth Arts Award: Cafe Cultura