Agency Details:

Vision: Spirit & Place will be a national model for engaging arts, humanities, and religion in collaborative action to promote civic engagement, respect for diversity, thoughtful reflection, public imagination, and enduring change in the communities where we live. It honors the places we call home and uses the traditions and creative capacities of individuals and organizations to help all citizens develop richer lives in community with each other.

Mission: Spirit & Place serves as a catalyst for civic engagement and enduring change through creative collaborations among the arts, humanities, and religion.

Description:
Spirit & Place connects inspiring ideas, places, organizations, and people through a wide range of high-quality public programs, which occur principally during a 17-day communitywide festival. Founded in 1996, this annual November festival opens with a Public Conversation between three noted individuals from the arts, humanities, and religion. These nationally known figures examine the annual theme through a spontaneous, moderated conversation before an audience of approximately 1200. In the days that follow, thousands of Central Indiana citizens explore the theme through programs created and presented by dozens of local congregations, art and historical organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, social service organizations, and civic institutions. The festival’s adjudicated programs include workshops, lectures, exhibits, plays, panel discussions, concerts, intergenerational gatherings, worship services, and more. On average, 75% of programs are offered free of charge and more than 80% offer opportunities for active inquiry and participation.

Through its process (collaboration), delivery system (arts, civic/humanities, and religious organizations) and product (public programs), Spirit & Place celebrates and connects diverse communities together in ways and helps to stimulate an engaged and educated citzenry.

History:
The Spirit & Place Festival grew out of a research project that examined the relationship between religious practices and urban life, neighborhood life, as well as ethnic communities in Indianapolis. The notion of place shaping identity emerged when Indiana natives Kurt Vonnegut and Dan Wakefield, along with John Updike, were invited to speak at Clowes Hall in 1996 through a collaboration with Butler University. Engaged in a "public conversation" rather than a keynote speech, this lively presentation was augmented with literary readings and discussions hosted by ten other organizations that same weekend--and so began the model for the Spirit & Place Civic Festival.

Contact people:

Pam Blevins Hinkle, Director, (phone), (email) Jennifer Gilles, Program Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

1200 Waterway Blvd., Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN 46202 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.spiritandplace.org

Directions:

Spirit & Place is located in The Polis Center on Waterway Blvd. - west of Indiana Avenue (formerly Stadium Drive.)

Last updated on September 25, 2009