On Saturday, November 14th, 2015, Middle Circle will present a pilot event with a unique focus on building community and creating a unique space for exploring the intersection of meaning and fun.
The three hour long event will take-on the challenge of providing deep, meaningful, and timely content while remaining open to diverse points of view and keeping the mood light and entertaining. The event will begin with an appropriately named "happy" hour, meant for intentional lingering and casual get-to-know-you time. Following the happy hour will be ninety minutes of curated content meant to inform and inspire. Presenters will use a variety of mediums to share subject matter expertise on topics such as: exploring American family, building grassroots community, alleviating stress in teamwork, acting, Improv comedy, and much more. To wrap up the night, attendees will be invited to grab a drink, socialize and learn more about the Middle Circle network.
Mia Birdsong, Co-Director of Oakland-based Family Story and Co-Founder of Canerow, will deliver the main presentation of the night. Ms. Birdsong has spent the last three decades advocating for social justice through loving and developing the communities around her work. Mia has held leadership roles in organizations that leverage access to information, advance public education, increase space for the power of storytelling, and promote art as of way of empowered self-expression. Mia has a TED talk and recent interview with New Profit that further illustrates her optimism and vision of change in our communities.
This pilot gathering will encourage all participants (speakers and attendees) to reflect on what it means to foster curiosity, community and social good. Parts of the evening will be for listening and reflecting and other portions will be for engaging in conversation and relationship building. Our presenters, whose backgrounds range from start-up initiatives, to academia, to long-running non-profits, will explore how communities can build stronger networks and use art as a medium for social change.
Presenters and Programming:
Mia Birdsong: TED speaker, Co-Director of Family Story & Co-Founder of Canerow, both in Oakland, CA
What makes a good family?
Ankit Shah: Founder of Bay Area non-profit, Tea with Strangers
How are we connected?
Jaren Haber: PhD Candidate in Sociology at UC Berkeley
What makes teams stressful in the workplace?
Quiles & Cloud: San Francisco band with unique blend of folk music, acoustic instruments and storytelling
Carl Holvick: Education Director for SF Shakespeare Festival, Actor and Director
Ashley Holvick: Costume Shop Manager for Marin Theatre, Costume Designer
How do we live with the unknown?
Secret Improv Society
What improv can teach us?
Briana Forney: Creative Writer
Why does music move us?
Middle Circle Fall 2015:
Saturday, November 14th, 2015
7:00 pm–10:00 pm
The Red Victorian, San Francisco
Register Online. Limited tickets available.
middlecircle.org
About Middle Circle
Middle Circle is an independent 501C3 nonprofit organization under the auspices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). After months of research and listening to Bay Area residents discuss their hopes and desires for modern community, Middle Circle was launched with the intention to foster Curiosity, Community, and Social Good in the Bay Area. While affiliated with the ELCA, Middle Circle seeks to foster conversation and community from perspectives. Middle Circle’s primary audience are those who are seeking a space to belong to something, increase their civic engagement, reflect on the meaning of life in all of our various interpretations, and have fun in the process. The organization’s quarterly event is open to anyone and welcomes a diverse crowd.