Community Story Space as Revolution:
Jordan Gross |
TEDxBergenCommunityCollege
• March 2020
Why Compassionate Creative Space Holding is Key to Cultivating Authentic Connection & Change
Artist, educator and single mom Katie Elevitch tells the story of how she transformed on-going personal and collective societal grief, depression and hope- lessness, into deep wisdom, power and healing through helping to tell the stories of those around her through creative expression and storytelling.
In 2017, Elevitch founded and directed a storytelling project for women in response to the election of Trump, and then opened a community art space for all, in a narrow storefront on Main Street in Down- town, Nyack, NY.
Over the course of two years, the space organically became a volunteer run incubator space for artists and a physical home of community storytelling for creatives, women, youth, and members of the LGBTQ communities through mission-driven, collaborative multi-arts exhibits, programs, workshops and events.
This was Community Space as Inspiration – energiz- ing and restoring personal and collective healing, empowerment and agency despite the difficult politi- cal climate.
This was Community Space as Intimate Revolution – a safe place to take pause and open to renewal, rev- elation, and authentic becoming for all.
This was Community Space as Art – an imperfect, human process of Compassionate Space Holding – Deep, Active Listening; Seeing and Being Seen. Through her story, Elevitch teaches us that we too,
can create our own story spaces to help cultivate community and affect real change for ourselves and others.