Tom's Book "America Needs You!" Hot Off The Press!

Buy the book! Just published on Lulu.com! "America Needs You! Why You Should Become a Creativity Champion." Only $11.76! Download for $6.00!

"Creatives as Leaders" Workshop @ Allianbce for Artists Communities Conference

At the 2008 conference of the Alliance of Artists Communities in Seattle....

Creatives as Civic Leaders

Led by Thomas Tresser, consultant, producer, educator, and trainer on creativity and civic engagement, this workshop will explore the connection between one’s private or professional role as a creative or generative person and a civic identity and civic responsibility.

This workshop is open to the public. Artists, arts administrators, cultural leaders, and others are welcome to attend.

Saturday, November 15, 2008
9:00 - 10:30 am

Henry Art Gallery
University of Washington
15th Avenue NE and NE 41st Street
Seattle

Workshop fee: $30 - Click to register.

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Watch Tom's Mini-Presentations on iTunes U!

I'm teaching a new class for DePaul University's Distance Education Program - "Creative Tools for Social Change." As part of the material we made five short videos, including "Our Creative Heritage," "Introduction to the Creative Economy," and "Introduction to Community Organizing." You can view them here - and you don't even have to register for the class (iTunes software required)!

Join the New Creativity Champions Community

Join the new "Creativity Champions" Community at ning.com - the home of "do-it-yourself" social networks.

View my page on Creativity Champions

Tom Presented "Creatives As Leaders" at 2008 Performing Arts Convention

Over 3,000 leaders from America's performing arts community gathered in Denver last week for the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention. Chorus America, Dance/USA, Early Music America, the League of American Orchestras, OPERA America and the Theatre Communications Group are the principle conveners. I presented a workshop that lays out the argument for creativity as a national value and makes the case that artists, cultural workers and creative professionals have values and skills desperately needed in public life. View the presentation using the viewer from Slideshare.net. Email me at to@tresser.com if you'd like a copy of the presentation.

Here's what one attendee said: "I attended Tom's seminar "Creatives as Leaders" at the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver. He perfectly articulated what I have suspected for years now--that artists, creatives have a unique ability to influence public policy if only we would stand up to be counted! I have seen this in action and it was a breath of fresh air to hear Tom say it publicly. The next day I attended another meeting of the 50+ people from our group that attended the conference together. At least one person stood up and said that as a direct result of Tom's seminar, she planned to run for local office in the next five years. One can think of no higher praise for Tom's work than that!" - Laura Murphy, Adjunct Instructor, Adams State College Art Department & VP, Monte Arts Council, Monte Vista, Colorado

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Tom Helps to Keep Lincoln Park Public

Tom has been active with a group of neighbors from the Lincoln Park community in Chicago who have been fighting the privatization of the treasured lake front jewel. We formed a grassroots group, Protect Our Parks, and sued the Chicago Park District and the Latin School of Chicago to stop them from building an artificial turf soccer facility in the heart of Lincoln Park that would've been for the exclusive use of this very wealthy private school. We sued and won. Now we're working to roll back the illegal construction and return the field to an open grass meadow. We have seen citizens groups in a number of states rise up to stop the privatization of their local parks. Judges in New York City have blocked two separate projects, one on Randall's Island involving a consortium of 20 private schools building private soccer fields and one involving the installation of an upscale restaurant into Union Park.

How Do the Arts Build Communities?

I visited a class on arts and social change at Roosevelt University taught by visual artist, Maggie Leininger. I gave this presentation about my work for Peoples Housing, where I organized a community arts program that combined culture, training and micro-enterprise.

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"The Artist as Leader" at Links Hall

Join Tom and the folks from the Stockyard Institute for an interactive workshop at Links Hall on Monday, April 7- "The Artist As Leader - A Workshop for Community, Political, and Social Change Agents."

We'll show you why we think artists, cultural workers and creative professionals have what it takes to lead in the public sector. We'll combine presentation and group creative work.

Are You A Creativity Champion?

Does your work, politics or lifestyle cause to study, celebrate, defend, or accelerate creativity? Then you're a creativity champion - and we' love for you to:

(1) Join the LinkedIn "Creativity Champions" Group.

(2) Stop by the "Creativity Champions" blog and introduce yourself.