Host a Happening
Guidelines for Happenings:
ACTION:
Happenings are designed to inspire action on issues of urban social and spatial justice that are occurring in your community. The ideal Happening is one that culminates with an “ask” of the audience, whether that means getting folks to sign a petition, donate money or time to a local group, or stage an action after the screening. This ask will be determined by your group and your constituents on the ground. We’d be happy to help you figure this out and share what’s worked for other Happenings.
DIVERSITY:
The idea of a Happening is to be as open, accessible, and diverse as possible, both in terms of who shows up, as well as the kinds of art, performances, or other components beyond the film. and encourage the coming-together of many different kinds of people. Food is also a great way to bring people together! Sometimes local restaurants will be happy to sell their food at an event, which cuts down on the up front costs to organize a Happening.
ACCESS:
Happenings should be free to attend. You may of course ask for donations or sell DVDs to defray the costs of your event. Ideas for venues: community centers, independent theaters, book stores, small parks, art galleries, school auditoriums or gymnasiums—many of these locations in our communities are accessible and comfortable places for different types of people to gather.
DETAILS
In order to help you plan a Happening, we need you to be as specific as possible about who you are and what you want your Happening to accomplish. Here’s some basic info that would be helpful:
- Are you officially associated with an Educational Institution (i.e. have funding from them to put on the event)? If so, we ask that you clearly indicate this in your Happening submission, and check out the For Educators section of our site.
- Are you affiliated with a community group, or non-profit? If so, what issues are you currently working on in your community?
- Do you intend to sell tickets for admission to the screening?
Feel free to ask us any questions about your Happening! We’d love to work with you to make it the best it can be.
Sign up to host a Happening today!
