Engaging with Our Community
EastHUB’s vision is for the Eastside celebrated as a unique, vibrant, and inclusive cultural destination. There is no better time for this: The potent blend of a growing technological presence, the development and population boom, and an increasingly diverse population base presents the perfect opportunity for a shared reimagining of the Eastside. In order to help meet this moment, EastHUB established our mission to engage our diverse community to create a shared future for arts and culture on the Eastside.
Consensus Organizing
We are engaging with our diverse community on the Eastside, utilizing principles of Consensus Organizing. EastHUB uses principles of a method called Consensus Organizing as the basis of our engagement with our diverse community. We hired a team of individuals from within various cultural communities to lead this work from within, ensuring that relationships are based on common experience, rooted in shared culture and values and built on trust. Our organizers work with the arts and culture community of which they are a part to understand their needs and the opportunities to contribute to a shared future. We do this by understanding:
- Where they envision their path in the near and long-term future, and their place within the broader Eastside landscape
- How to foster cultural identity during this ongoing and rapid development of the Eastside
- How evolving technologies can contribute to exciting new Arts and Culture experiences
- How to reimagine and deliver compelling cultural programming in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
- How to increase access to cultural programming and events by harnessing the opportunities provided by greater transit connectivity with neighboring cities
Our team of Consensus Organizers are out in the community cultivating deep, authentic relationships and partnerships among and between community residents, stakeholders, and external influencers to facilitate positive and tangible change.
Through dialog and development of strategic partnerships with our communities, we aim to:
- Identify existing partner organizations and understand the history of their efforts
- Identify existing formal, informal, and potential partners and supporters
- Identify community needs and gaps in services
- Identify community strengths and opportunities
- Integrate partner and community input into EastHUB operations to expand access to the arts
- Create opportunities for local businesses, corporations, and developers to generate sustainable economic incentives
Check out our Culture Creates Community Event series to learn more about our efforts to engage the community in difficult arts and cultural topics.