Join festival producers, artists, and event professionals from across the state for a celebratory learning & networking event to close out our North Carolina program! We’ll feature top takeaways from our events in the Outer Banks, Black Mountain, and Raleigh, and share exciting next steps for enhancing creative community resilience in the state. This event is entirely online.
11 am – 2 pm
Tuesday Nov. 28th
Past Events in this Series
This September, the Art of Mass Gatherings came to Raleigh, NC, in partnership with the International Bluegrass Music Association & the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. We hosted two free experiential learning events for musicians, event producers & people who host large gatherings. Participants learned concrete practices, resources, and new connections to help enhance their events and build sought-after cross-sectional skills to help improve community health outcomes & emergency preparedness. Browse event details below.
Festival Safety, Sustainability, Accessibility, and Community Engagement:
The Art of Mass Gatherings Approach
The future of bluegrass is being shaped by natural disasters, climate and socioeconomic disruptions. Artists, event organizers, and culture-bearers have long leapt into the role of first responders for their communities in times of crisis. Whether a concert, protest, refugee encampment, or emergency shelter, mass gatherings of all kinds share a common infrastructure. By evaluating just four key factors, you can design more resilient events, and play a pivotal role in the practice of resilience of your entire community.
Through community stories and interactive site tours, we’ll explore these ideas hands-on alongside fellow members of the bluegrass community. Songs, stories, and art play a key role in resilience, and will play a part in this session, as well as a walking case study of the Raleigh Convention Center, which has doubled as an emergency festival venue during hurricanes.
Light refreshments will be provided.
When & Where
2-4 pm on Thurs. Sept. 28th
IBMA Conference
Raleigh Convention Center, Room 304
View in Google Maps / Apple Maps
Creative Resilience Pop-Up Recording Studio
Share your stories of “creative resilience” and be featured on the upcoming The Art of Mass Gatherings podcast! In this pop-up recording booth, we’re collecting stories, songs and thoughts about resilience, mass gatherings, community preparedness, and the intersections between the arts and disaster response. Memories related to safety, sustainability, or accessibility at festivals, stories about North Carolina, Bluegrass, Piedmont Blues, artists as responders, and more: surprise us! We will be interviewing and trying to bring out the most heartfelt content we can.
When & Where
Times were available from 12-6 pm on Fri. Sept. 29th, with varied availability on Wednesday and Thursday as well.
World of Bluegrass Festival
Our booth is on South Street next to the Kulture City Sensory Space
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