‘Unmanageable’ launches free monthly convenings for artist-activists

Unmanageable launches Stay Righteously Unmanageable, a free monthly virtual series connecting artist-activists and cultural organizers. Facilitated by Je Naè Taylor, sessions focus on art, advocacy, and building a national network of creatives in response to federal funding cuts.

Octavia Yearwood, director of ‘special projects’ for Unmanageable

‘Unmanageable’ has announced ‘Stay Righteously Unmanageable,’ a free monthly series of virtual convenings for artist-activists and cultural organizers.

The gatherings, facilitated by Je Naè Taylor (cultural organizer at the Highlander Center and founder of Taylor Space) will bring together artists and organizations to examine their roles in social movements and envision the futures they hope to create. Sessions will be held via Zoom, with registration open online.

The initiative comes in response to recent cuts in the National Endowment for the Arts and other federal funding, which have hit artists across the country, particularly in the South. To address these challenges, Unmanageable has developed a cultural organizing framework aimed at strengthening the link between artistic practice and advocacy.

“Artists in the South are often overlooked, and with large-scale funding cuts, many are left trying to figure out what’s next for them,” said Octavia Yearwood, Unmanageable’s director of ‘special projects.’ “This series is our answer to that call. It will not only support the artists who attend, but it will also help shape our work moving forward.”

Each month’s session will explore themes of art, organizing, and collective action, including:

 •   Aug. 25: ‘Rooted + Raging: The Artist Ancestral Tree’ – grounding cultural work in lineage, rage, and righteous defiance.

 •   Sept. 29: ‘From Feeling to Force: Strategy as a Container for Rage’: channeling emotion into collective action.

 •   Oct. 27: ‘Offer What You Can: Time, Talent, Tithe’:  sustainable contribution and shared responsibility.

 •   Nov. 24: ‘What Artists Need: Building a Culture of Support’: creating infrastructure to sustain liberation work.

The long-term goal of Stay Righteously Unmanageable is to cultivate a national network of creatives engaged in cultural advocacy, offering spaces to share knowledge, build authentic connections, and strengthen community support.

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