CreateNYC Team to Hold Brooklyn-Wide Workshop Next Week at BRIC

On December 6 at BRIC (BRIC House, 647 Fulton Street at Rockwell Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217), the CreateNYC team will hold its Brooklyn borough-wide workshop where residents can participate in the process of creating New York City's first-ever comprehensive cultural plan.

From fall 2016 through spring 2017, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and Hester Street Collaborative are connecting with residents across all five boroughs through public events, online surveys, open office hours, social media, and more.

The CreateNYC borough-wide workshops will provide New Yorkers an opportunity to get involved and examine our cultural assets through the lens of specific places, concerns, opportunities, and issues unique to the communities that make up each borough. For the CreateNYC to be a success, every community's voice must be included in the plan.

The workshop will include:

· Performance by Ifetayo Youth Ensemble Drummers;

· Remarks from NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, and BRIC President Leslie Schultz;

· Interactive story and photo booth activities;

· Access to the gallery exhibition BRIC Biennial: Volume II;

· Food from local vendors;

· Facilitated break out groups focused on specific topic areas like arts education, public art, and more;

· "Ping Pong with the Commissioner": Commissioner Finkelpearl plays ping pong with residents as an ice breaker for discussions about art and culture.

In attendance will be: Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl; Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo; BRIC President Leslie Schultz; the CreateNYC project team, and Brooklyn residents and stakeholders.

In May 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation requiring the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) to lead creation of New York City's first comprehensive cultural plan, CreateNYC. Public input will be the backbone of CreateNYC, providing a long-term blueprint for the efforts and policies of the City and its partners in expanding access to cultural opportunities for all New Yorkers. The plan will also examine a number of specific issues crucial for maintaining New York City's cultural vibrancy, including affordable artist workspace; access to arts education; and the role of cultural activities in public space. An initial draft of the plan will be released for public comment in spring 2017. More information is available at www.CreateNYC.org.