Deep in the summer slog we are. Starting and growing a nonprofit org from nothing is a slog in and of itself but then summer hits, the lights go up, the roaches scatter and us lifers are left out, spread thin and getting crispy. August especially leaves me feeling sloggish, and sluggish, I suppose. There are also just less people around to maintain the enthusiasm, so the burden of cultural activism is lopsided for three solid months. The students of Boston by and large all go away for the summer and normal people (even show goers) take small vacations to cooler places. Despite the heat exhaustion and the temporarily dwindled crew, good stuff is still happening this summer and I would like to tell you about it in no particular order.
For one thing BRAIN Arts has identified a new and extremely important ongoing effort: making our community and the spaces we occupy safer for ALL people, especially those marginalized by mainstream society. Until we decide on an official name we’re calling it the Safer Space Initiative and we encourage you to join the conversation. As one of my fellow volunteers put it at our last meeting, if you don’t know what this means or why it’s important, then you especially should get involved and find out.
Under The Underground continues its monthly film series highlighting the works of lesser-known filmmakers on August 21 at Lilypad. Our grants team has applied for our second grant, and we are looking to expand the effort. If you have grants/nonprofit experience, please reach out! The Compass production crew has restructured to get more people involved in the process and we are currently seeking graphic designers with InDesign Skills, copy editors, writers, and any reliable people who want to make this project their own. Similarly the Hassle website team is continuing to grow and seeking more help covering ALL kinds of rad things happening in, around or affecting Boston. Even our show-booking concern has restructured and stepped up the effort to cultivate more all-ages spaces for shows. Good Stuff.
We have a newsletter about all these fine happenings, but I figured I’d just throw it all out there for you here, in brief. It’s too hot for anything but underwear right now anyway, am I right? Thanks for picking up the rag and see you out there in the heat waves!
Sam Potrykus
