Your gifts towards the 2019 Year-End Appeal are supporting many vital changes at Earthdance in 2020:
Strong Community Connections
Central to Earthdance history, mission & vision is the spirit of community connection. Earthdance provides many opportunities for coming together across social differences: Community SINGS!, Sunday Music & Movement Jams, Social Change Sundays (trainings for undoing oppression), Work Weekends, and Community Appreciation Days. Your gifts support these free & low-cost community offerings in 2020.
Watch an interview with Carl Sigmond about Earthdance's community connections >>
Better Staff Wages
As anyone who has visited will know, Earthdance's staff members are incredibly committed, creative, and caring. But like most nonprofits in this country, Earthdance has struggled to have enough resource to fill all needed positions and pay a livable wage. This past year, your donations helped fill two essential positions: Marketing Manager and Operations Director; and raised staff wages to beyond the minimum. Our goal in 2020 is to increase staff wages even more, and provide further opportunities for staff support.
Watch an interview with Penny Schultz about Earthdance's staff wages >>
Renovated Facilities
Drafted in 2017, started in 2018, and taking place over much of 2019 and 2020, Earthdance's Farmhouse renovations are creating remarkable opportunities for greater accessibility, ease, and comfort in our main gathering space. By mid-2020, the Farmhouse will have new wheelchair-accessible entrances, fire-safe doors, and a walk-in cooler directly connected to the kitchen. Your donations are making the Farmhouse a space that all can safely enjoy!
Watch an interview with Bruce Hooke about Earthdance's Farmhouse renovations >>
The Launch of the Earthdance Institute
For almost 35 years, Earthdance has provided multifaceted programming that encourages people to think, move, and create intersectionally. Starting in 2021, this innovative programming will find new rigor, focus, and synthesis through the Earthdance Institute (EI) — an educational program for CI practitioners and teachers, somatic professionals, and community leaders. EI participants will develop their skills and deepen their understanding of CI to inspire their teaching and performance practices, advance research in the field, and engage in creative collaborations with local and regional organizations.
Watch an interview with Sarah Young about the new Earthdance Institute >>
Local & Regional Creative Partnerships
Starting in 2020, largely through the new Earthdance Institute (EI), Earthdance will expand upon the work of past Creators-in-Residence to fortify existing creative partnerships and forge new ones across Western MA and the Pioneer Valley. Churches, community centers, art centers, bookstores, social and environmental justice groups, etc. will find a welcome home for cross-pollinating and co-curating learning opportunities and creative sharings, with the intention of benefiting the communities they serve and bringing greater access to Earthdance.
Your donations support all this and more.
