[Peace] OFF TOPIC: "The Public Square" April 24-May 16

[Sarah Kanouse]

--Please forward widely--

If you could make a claim to public space for public needs, what would 
you do?

  "The Public Square is a series of events and broadcasts designed to 
make claims to public spaces as places to consider and discuss the 
issues that affect our lives.  The project runs April 24-May 16th.  The 
opening event is a discussion on "Our Work and Why We Do It" to take 
place at  5:30 PM on April 24th at the Krannert Art Museum.

"The Public Square"  is an attempt to create both physical and virtual 
locations in Champaign-Urbana for public participation on a range of 
political, social, and cultural topics.  Each day, for the duration of 
the MFA exhibit at the Krannert Art Museum (April 24-May 16), a public 
discussion, workshop, walk, or other event will occur public places 
related to the topic addressed.  Individuals will be invited to join 
the event either formally or informally; others will doubtless happen 
upon the discussion and perhaps stay awhile.  The events will activate 
the nominally public spaces in which they take place, infusing them 
with lively debate, public activity, or political participation, 
drawing attention to what usually doesn't take place in them while 
suggesting what those spaces might become.  At the same time, the 
events will be broadcast on the radio and archived online so that 
people who were not able to experience them in physical public space 
might find them over the public airwaves or on the internet.  The 
project website is www.thepublicsquare.net.

I am compiling an email list to invite individuals to the daily events. 
  Please email info at thepublicsquare.net to be added to the list.

Events for the week of April 24-May 1 are:

April 24, 5:30 PM "Our Work and Why We Do It," an open conversation, 
Krannert Art Museum, 500 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign

April 25, 12:00 PM "You Make the Call," conversations with athletes and 
fans on women's sports at the university, Eichelberger Field, 1201 West 
Florida, Urbana

April 26, 12:00 PM "Finding the Village Square," a guided walk through 
downtown Urbana, meet at the Urbana Civic Center, 108 Water Street, 
Urbana

April 27, 12:00 PM "Where are the WMDs," an event to raise awareness 
about military research at the university, meet at the fountain on the 
Engineering Quad

April 28, 4:00 PM "Abstain from What?" a conversation by teens for 
teens about abstinence-only education, (participation limited to people 
under 20) Westside Park, corner of Church and State, Champaign

April 29, 5:00 PM "Listening to the Electronic Citizen," an open 
conversation about technology and democracy, Champaign City Building, 
102 N. Neil, Champaign

April 30, 7:00 PM "Take Back the Night" rally and march against sexual 
violence, (rally on to all; women and transgendered persons are welcome 
to march), Westside Park, Champaign

May 1, 4:00 PM "International Workers' Day in an Era of Globalized 
Consumption," Wal-Mart parking lot, 913 Marketview, Champaign