The Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission (RAC) presented a conference that cultivated innovative strategies in community cultural development March 2010.

This conference brought together a cross-section of artists, community partners and leaders in a platform for critical dialogue about arts and community development.

Consisting of presentations of new scholarship, workshops, and discussions, At the Crossroads: A Community Arts and Development Convening connected and engaged people working in diverse practices, inspiring new ideas and creative collaborations in communities.

See http://crossroadsconvening.com or contact roseann@stlrac.org for more information

At the Crossroads: A Community Arts and Development Convening was facilitated by the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute at the Regional Arts Commission in St. Louis, Missouri and was generously sponsored by the Nathan Cummings Foundation. Special support provided by the Whitaker Foundation and National City-Now Part of PNC.

Since 1997, the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute is an innovative program centered on the belief that art has the power to be an agent for social change. The CAT Institute is a five-month curriculum fostering successful partnerships among artists, social workers, educators and community activists with the goal of creating relevant arts programs in community settings such as neighborhood organizations, social service agencies and after-school programs.

About 175 Community Arts Training Institute graduates are currently working in areas such as neighborhood organizations, at-risk schools, prisons, homeless shelters, hospices, labor unions, community centers, jobs programs, and daycare facilities. With dedication, creativity and resolute spirit, these artists, community activists, social service workers, educators and administrators are a force in the St. Louis area equipped with powerful tools to foster transformation in individuals and in our community.

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Prison Performing Arts is dedicated to enriching the lives of adults and young people in the Missouri criminal and juvenile justice systems. We foster individual and social change by providing current and former inmates opportunities to participate in the performing arts as artists, students and audience members. ...More Info