In partnership with College Unbound, AS220, the City of Providence, and a diverse local Steering Committee, Imagining America (IA) invites participants to gather in Providence, Rhode Island for the in-person 2023 IA National Gathering. Invoking the cleansing work of fire, the changing form of water, the steadiness of the earth, and the ethereal nature of air, the 2023 IA National Gathering conjures the elements to guide the radical work of reckoning with the past to create a future of collective liberation.
The IA National Gathering offers participants a three-day immersive experience in which to connect, dialogue, learn, and strategize around the ways to build new knowledge and inspire collective imagination towards transformative education and action. It convenes artists, scholars, and culture bearers from across the country for learning, sharing, community building, and celebration through performances, participatory workshops, roundtable discussions, and community-hosted site visits throughout Providence and the surrounding region.
The 2023 IA National Gathering is in Providence, Rhode Island. The Gathering’s sessions and workshops will take place in multiple spaces across Providence. Friday October 20 activities are held at the Providence Public Library (150 Empire Street, Providence, RI) and AS220 Main Stage and Gallery (115 Empire St, Providence RI). The Friday evening reception is held at the Casino in Roger Williams Park (1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI). Saturday and Sunday October 21-22 activities are held at the MET High School (325 Public St). Community hosted site visits will take place on Saturday throughout the city of Providence and surrounding region.
Pre-Gathering Email (Week-of Instructions): https://conta.cc/3M39KHH
Presenter Information: https://conta.cc/3rDtsTy
Site Visit Registrations: https://conta.cc/3PHTywk
Everyone interested in receiving IA Gathering notifications should register for the Gathering and sign up for the IA Newsletter.
Follow IA on social media for additional information @imaginingamerica
GENERAL INFORMATION:
- The National Gathering Print Program Schedule PDF is available for download. You will also receive a copy with your name badge at the registration desk.
- You should expect 20-30 participants, depending on room size, in attendance for your session.
- We received requests for specific space needs and tried our best to accommodate. Please bring a spirit of generosity and flexibility as we all work to make this Gathering the best it can be!
TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION:
- Please bring your own laptop and necessary adaptors (for HDMI especially). We will have a very limited number of these to share.
- Each room will have internet access, sound capability, and either a monitor or projector and screen.
- We suggest you email a backup of your presentation to yourself, or save it on a USB drive.
IF YOU ARE PRESENTING ON FRIDAY, OCT 20:
- Friday sessions are scheduled in either the Providence Public Library (150 Empire St., Providence) or AS220 (115 Empire St., Providence).
- Rooms in both spaces will have projectors and screens. Please make sure you bring your own laptop and necessary adaptors – both USB and HDMI.
- A note that AS220 is a unique community art organization and we will be using some rooms currently supporting youth programs. Please be open to the special opportunity to share work in this treasured community space.
IF YOU ARE PRESENTING ON SATURDAY, OCT 21 OR SUNDAY, OCT 22:
- Saturday and Sunday sessions are scheduled in the MET School (325 Public St, Providence), in the following buildings: Justice, Equality, Unity, and Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE).
- All classrooms at the MET School will have a large monitor that connects directly to your laptop via HDMI adaptor. All commons rooms at the MET School will have a projector and screen. Please make sure you bring your own laptop and HDMI adaptors.
- A note that MET School is an active high school. Classroom spaces may have personal affects and student work, so please be aware of moving objects in those rooms.
A PDF of the print program is available on the Program Schedule webpage. It includes the timing and locations of IA Gathering events and sessions.
A copy of the print program with the detailed IA National Gathering schedule will be given to every registered participant upon picking up their registration materials, and a virtual program app can be downloaded the week of the Gathering.
UPDATE 10/17: Site Visit Online Registration is Now Closed.
Some site visits still have available spots; these are listed as “Tickets Sold At Door” on their Eventbrite registration pages. Registered Gathering participants can sign up on Friday October 20 at lunch time from 12:15 – 1:00 PM at the IA Gathering Registration desk (PPL Grand Hall) for remaining spots in community site visits.
Site visit registration is available only to registered IA Gathering participants. To fully ensure access to site visit registration, it is recommended that you register for the IA Gathering by September 1, 2023. A separate registration process opened on October 4, 2023 to sign up for site visits.
All IA Gathering registrants were notified in advance via email (see email here) – please check your email and spam folders for messages from gathering@imaginingamerica.org. The site visits are first-come, first-served opportunities and have limited availability based on community space and staff capacities.
Everyone attending the IA National Gathering should register here.
We have different registration rates depending on whether you are an IA Member, affiliated with higher education, a community organization, or a student.
- IA Member: You are faculty or staff at an IA member higher education institution. Not sure if your institution is a member? Find out here.
- Non-Member Higher Education: You are faculty or staff at a non-member higher education institution, or you work in a higher education adjacent professional organization.
- Sustainer: You work at a private business or foundation. Or, you are an individual who can afford the full sustainer rate.
If the registration types listed above do not apply to you, please select the reduced registration rate below that best matches your professional and financial situation. These rates are designed to support participation from our diverse network of collaborators and being honest in this selection allows us to subsidize reduced rates for students, community members, and independent creatives and organizers.
- Advocate: You work at an organization, governmental body, non-profit, or independently with resources to attend conferences.
- Friend: You are an independent creative or organizer, or you work at a small, grassroots organization with limited resources to attend conferences.
- Student: You are an enrolled student at any educational institution.
We have an early bird discount rate that ends on August 15. After that date, full registration rates are charged as follow:
- IA Member: $450
- Non-Member Higher Education: $500
- Sustainer: $600
- Advocate: $300
- Friend: $150
- Student: $150
If you registered, you should have received a confirmation email from Eventbrite, so check your spam if you don’t see it. If you cannot find your confirmation email, please contact gathering@imaginingamerica.org.
Yes! Students, community members, and IA member organizations already receive a reduced registration price. We also offer several registration discount options to IA members and non-members:
- IA Member Discount and One Free Registration (members only)
- Early Bird Discount (through August 15)
- Team Discount – Buy 4, Get 1 Free
Details on registration discounts can be found here. If you have any questions about registration, please reach out to us at gathering@imaginingamerica.org.
We are partnering with the Omni Hotel Providence, centrally located in downtown Providence, with special rates for IA Gathering attendees on the nights of October 19, 20, and 21. BOOK HERE
The Omni Hotel Providence includes the following amenities:
- In-room fitness kit available
- Indoor heated pool + hot tub
- In-room dining, 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- ADA-equipped facilities
- Concierge
- Coffee shop – Morsels
- Express check-in/check-out
- Full-service restaurant – Re-opening November 2023
- In-room safes
- Omni Kids Crew
- Personalized wake-up calls
- Steak house – Fleming’s Steakhouse
- Valet and self parking
- Wi-Fi Internet service
If booking by phone, mention the “Imagining America National Gathering” room block.
Room Block Nights: Wednesday, October 18 through Saturday, October 21 (Check out Sunday, October 22) Please note, the booking link may only be used over the actual room block dates.
The discounted room block deadline is October 4, 2023.
All registered IA National Gathering participants will have daily breakfast, coffee/tea, and lunches on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additionally, all registered participants will be treated to appetizers and beverages at our Friday evening reception.
As of July 2023, the City of Providence does not require mask wearing indoors. However, we encourage all participants to monitor Covid-19 transmission rates and follow the guidance of the Rhode Island Department of Health, which recommends wearing a mask indoors near anyone you don’t live with if Rhode Island becomes a high-risk area. IA will have masks and hand sanitizer available to all attendees at the registration area, and we encourage and welcome practices that help each other feel safe and welcomed for full participation.
Friday October 20
In the morning, registered IA Gathering participants will have the option of either walking or taking a complimentary shuttle/bus from the Omni Hotel to the Providence Public Library. The Omni Hotel is approximately an 8 minute walk to the Providence Public Library. A complimentary shuttle/bus will be provided for registered IA National Gathering participants for the evening reception, departing from the Providence Public Library to the Casino at Roger Williams Park (3.6 miles) and returning to the Omni Hotel after the reception concludes at 8:00pm.
Saturday October 21
In the morning, registered IA Gathering participants will have the option of taking a complimentary shuttle/bus from the Omni Hotel to the MET High School (325 Public St), or arranging their own transportation via rideshare or public transportation (Bus 1, departing from Kennedy Plaza). Complimentary shuttles/buses will transport all IA Gathering participants to pre-registered community site visits on Saturday afternoon, and return them to the Omni Hotel. There is an optional transportation service provided from the Omni Hotel to the The Steel Yard (27 Sims Ave) that evening.
Sunday October 22
In the morning, registered IA Gathering participants will have the option of taking a complimentary shuttle/bus from the Omni Hotel to the MET High School (325 Public St), or arranging their own transportation via rideshare or public transportation (Bus 1, departing from Kennedy Plaza). Complimentary shuttles/buses will transport all IA Gathering participants to the closing plenary session at the WaterFire Arts Center. Participants will need to arrange their own transportation from the WaterFire Arts Center when the IA Gathering concludes at 3:00pm.
Please note, timing and location details are subject to change and will be communicated to all registered participants via the IA Gathering program and app.
We have several sponsorship packages and other sponsorship opportunities. Contact IA Managing Director, Stephanie Maroney, at srmaroney@ucdavis.edu to secure your sponsorship opportunity at the 2023 IA National Gathering.
You can view the list of IA members here. If you are not a member and would like to get more information, please fill out the IA Member Inquiry Form.
For other questions regarding the Imagining America’s 2023 National Gathering, please contact gathering@imaginingamerica.org
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