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| Welcome to Cafe Cultura's November 2016 newsletter! We are excited to update you as we work to fulfill our mission. #CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories #ArtInThePark #WordsToActions #RiseUp |
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| 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. |
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Cafe Cultura's 11/11/16 Open Mic
a portion of proceeds goes to Standing Rock & #NoDAPL
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Spread the word...Bring your family & friends!!!!!
VOLUNTEERS PLEASE ARRIVE AT 6pm
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...November 11th, December 9th, January 13th
--->Doors open w/ Vendors, Food for Sale, Door Prizes, & Art @ 7pm
WHERE:
910 Galapago St
$3-$5 donation (nobody turned away)
Everyone is welcome!
Feature performers:
---->Denver Singers
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Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca is a non-profit traditional Mexica/Azteca group made up of Chicano/Mexicano families and students of all ages dedicated to preserving and nourishing the ancient knowledge of their ancestors. They have pledged to uphold and walk a spiritual way of life and have committed themselves to help educate the public's view of the Aztec culture. Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca is the first and oldest group of its kind to flourish in the Denver area, receiving numerous awards, trophies, and certificates since 1980.
::Grupo Tlaloc Short::
---->Art by Elizabeth Lindsay: I'm Seminole, Choctaw and Creek from Oklahoma. My main accomplishment is becoming a blue belt in Taekwondo. My intrest is graffiti, painting, and playing basketball.
Community Feature:
---->The International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC) is a youth-led organization that empowers indigenous youth to become leaders of their communities. The IIYC has two chapters, the IIYC Standing Rock and the IIYC Denver. The IIYC Standing Rock is currently protesting to halt development of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The IIYC Denver is assisting the Standing Rock chapter by bringing awareness to DAPL and raising funds to support the water protectors in North Dakota.
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#CafeCultura #XpressYourself #TellingOurStories
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Cafe Cultura finished our Poetry/Spoken Word classes at Kepner Beacon Middle School and La Academia (click on book cover below to read the book online). Although finishing up the trimester with
DSST College View
, we started 2nd quarter @ Kepner and Grant Beacion Middle Schools.
Below are some examples of participant writing:
"
I come from a place,
a place where there are no walls needed.
I come from a place,
where Donald Trump is wanted
for racism.
I come from a place
that suffers.
I also come from the God within.
I am a girl that you see
proud and brave,
with no fear.
We all love.
I am the person
who warms up your heart
and lights up your whole day.
"
-Sophi, La Academia student
"
I have a dream
that dreams might come true,
that more kids will care about their education
than what they mean to you.
and go down a different path.
They study,
stick to books
to show the hood their wrath.
They will grow up with good jobs
and change the way they are seen,
instead of being classified as a
drug dealer,
cokehead,
or crack-fiend.
"
-Rico, DSST College View student
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I solve problems by dreaming.
Thanks to God
that helps me get through hard times.
I imagine my positive future.
I can solve my problems.
I see myself experiencing the ups
and downs
of life,
crying
and feeling joy
Let us start by imagining ourselves
in the future,
by being positive about ourselves
-Natasha, Kepner Beacon Middle School student
If you are interest
ed
in having Cafe Cultura bring our "Telling Our Stories" workshop series to your school as
an electi
ve, after-school enrichment, or a part of an existing class
, contact us.
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.
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Join Our Movement!
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| Contact Information |
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Cafe Cultura
910 Galapago St
Denver, CO 80204
Hours: Mon-Fri from 8am to 6pm
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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. 
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| Xpress Yourself Spoken Word/Poetry Workshops for Youth (#XpressYourself) |
We have worked with schools and organizations throughout Colorado to give underserved youth an opportunity to express themselves
. We have recently conducted our workshop for the following schools/organizations: Dawson School, Fuerte Latino Boys Conference @ UNC, Colfax Elementary, and East High School.
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 a decade 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
support Language Arts curriculum (4th through 12th grades)
. 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 more information.
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| Promo video for Cafe Cultura's Xpress Yourself: Hip Hop, Poetry, & Spoken Word workshops |
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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 (new dates):
3rd Friday of the month (November 18th, December 16th, January 20th)
TIME (new time):
6 to 7:30pm
WHERE:
910 Galapago St
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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Exciting Updates
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-Thank you to everyone who came out on Friday for Café Cultura's 12th Anniversary Showcase, Book Release, & Fundraiser.
Special thank you to
1) our poets (
) and youth participants (
Rosine Mares
, Simako
Marshall, Nizhonii Mitchell
)
for sharing your words and energy with us 2) Cafe Cultura Words to Actions Youth Leadership Program
participants for unveiling and gifting your mural 3)
community members
who prepared
the food. Shout out to all the volunteers who made it all possible. Thank you!
-Thank you to the
Denver American Indian Commission
for nominating our
Executive Director Ara Cruz for a 2016 Mayor's Diversity & Inclusion Award
...he accepted it on behalf of Cafe Cultura and everyone who makes what we do possible.
-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. 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 past and current funders:
Imagine 2020 Fund, Hispanics In Philanthropy, Latino Community Foundation Colorado, Young Latino Philanthropists, Bowen Family Performing Arts Fund (The Denver Foundation), Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), National Association for Latino Arts and Culture Fund for the Arts, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples
,
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:
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| 2013 Denver Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Arts and Culture - Youth Arts Award: Cafe Cultura |
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