Thank you to all who joined us in Chicago, spoke, sponsored, and helped to make the 46th Annual Convening an inspiring few days!
Recordings of the conference sessions are available to members by logging in on the Members Page of the website.
This year's conference will be held in Chicago, a place known for its complicated history and racial tensions, as well as its response to those challenging moments through organizing and activism. Time and time again, communities in Chicago have come together to challenge policies and practices around issues of systemic injustice, immigration, response to trauma, and other issues driving a shift in the approach to design.
We want to build on the legacy of that work while forging new ways that question and define new models of collaborative community-led practice. When addressing the wicked problems facing our communities today, we start with the question “How are WE creating change in a(n) ______ way?”
We will create opportunities across disciplines for emerging and established practitioners to find and share their ways to create change through radical design action.
OUR HOSTS
This year's conference is being organized by individuals and organizations representing various professions and passions who have volunteered to envision and put together a meaningful event for our community.
Maria Bergh of We Build Agency, Emma Jasinski and Clio Lyons of Design Trust Chicago, Jason Terrell Minter of Justice Assistance, Dave Pabellon of Columbia College Chicago, Liezel Pimentel of WJW Architects, Craig Stevenson of OAC Chicago, Traci Wile of Good City Group, and Kelsey Zlevor of MUSE Community + Design.
A giant "THANK YOU" goes out to them for their time, effort, and enthusiasm.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
The 2023 Conference's Opening Session will begin at 9 AM Central on Friday, October 20. There will be two full days of content held at the DuSable Museum in the Theater. Speakers from around North America will be featured covering a wide variety of topics about the WAYS we approach change in a mission to advance racial justice and build equity in our communities. We'll conclude the evening of Saturday with a closing party at Gallery Guichard. All events on Friday, October 20 & Saturday, October 21 are included in the price of registration.
Interested in some additional Professional Development? Thursday, October 19 will be a Pre-Conference day for participants to be able to take advantage of some professional development opportunities from various organizations with similar missions. Take a look at the workshop descriptions and consider joining us in South Chicago at various community facilities for an in-depth focus on a variety of topics.
SPONSORS
Thank you to our sponsors committed to helping bolster the mission of ACD and building a more just and equitable environment for all people:
KATIE SWENSON KRISTEN CHIN
SAMUEL CARLSEN PAOLA AGUIRRE SERRANO
Interested in being a sponsor? Donations accepted online are tax-deductible.
Interested in providing an attendee with a scholarship? Email Michelle to find out how to contribute specifically to the scholarship pool at mstadelman@communitydesign.org.
OTHER DETAILS & COMMUNICATION
ACCESSIBILITY & ACCOMMODATIONS
In need of audio descriptive assistance or services? A nursing space? If you are in need of any accommodations to make your attendance at the event possible, please reach out to Michelle at mstadelman@communitydesign.org to help coordinate.
NOTICE OF FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHY
By attending this event you will be entering areas where photography, audio, and video recording may occur.
Your entry and presence on the event premises constitute your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with the Association for Community Design and its initiatives, including, by way of example only, use on websites, in social media, news, and advertising.
By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event, including, without limitation, any right to inspect or approve the photo, video, or audio recording of you, any claims for invasion of privacy, violation of the right of publicity, defamation, and copyright infringement or for any fees for use of such record media.
You understand that all photography, filming, and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please indicate so in your registration and confirm with the Association for Community Design when checking in to the event.
A POST-PANDEMIC/CURRENT COVID WORLD
ACD is aware that gathering in public in a post-pandemic culture is still not something everyone is comfortable with and we will take precautions to ensure everyone who joins us feels safe and that we protect our community. ACD will strive to allow for physically-distant seating and event space set-up to allow individuals who wish to physically distance themselves while in sessions to do so comfortably. The venue has an occupancy of 445 people and we plan to only allow 250 registrants for the conference to allow for safe distancing.
Additionally, to help attendees communicate their level of comfort in interacting with one another, ACD will provide color-coded lanyards to all attendees at registration as part of the name badges:
Red = Greet From 6 Feet
Yellow = Elbows Only
Green = Handshakes and Hi-fives