GPI Gathering: Sunday, October 8, 2006
GPI Gathering — Sunday, October 8, 2006
NEXT GATHERING: November 12, 2006, location TBD
Attendees: Jeff, Laurie, Shahid, Mai lynn, Travis and Hunter
Opportunities
· G-town – Urban Fare – Oct. 27 – possible opportunity (UPDATE: we found out later today 10/8 around 8pm – this is not happening)
· Spring Tour: We're working on a spring tour hitting campuses in the midwest, including Purdue and the University of Michigan. We have lines on more potential opportunities through a few different sources. Shahid will be following up on the academic departments and let the group know the plans.
o Plan to hit 2-3 college campus in a 100 mile radius.
Confirmed Performances/Workshops
· Oct 14 – Workshop at Wilson High School – Jess & Shahid – bringing in $200 + $100 from last year. Shahid is bottomlining
Oct 17 – Laila, Jess and Laurie are performing on John Bakers, GWU radio show. 6:30-8pm!
· Oct 24 – U of Maryland – Terpoets asked us to feature. Still waiting final details, Shahid is bottomlining.
· Oct 26 – Performance Workshop at Blair/Menocal House – Train Component First – Then normal workshopping. Laurie/Mo Bottomling – info will go out about schedule
· Oct 31 – Halloween Lyrical – Critical Mass potential – have the race stop there – coordinate stopping point (Stone House, Mst between 31st and Wisc). Mo/Laurie Bottomlining
Reportbacks
· Greg Mosen’s show at Baltimore ethical society: Laurie attended and several poets experessed interest in coming to DC. One organizer for a homelessness conference asked us to consider performing in June 2007. Details to follow.
· Inner City Coordination: We've kickstarted bi-monthly conference calls among street poetry organizers in 3 different cities in the region (Baltimore, DC, Asheville), with open invitations and an ongoing outreach effort to 5 others around the country (Chicago, SF, NYC, Greensboro, and Philly) in an effort to facilitate / fan the fire of the GP phenomenon.
o Purpose: Tighten ccordination between political assertive and create a national group where we could pull for roadtrip/requests in cities where we don’t have a presnce.
o Calls will occur bi-monthly
· Campus Progress: Mo and Shahid met with Campus Progress about potential connections at their member campuses (connected to students organizing on campuses). As long as we have a gig – they can reach out to people in area to expand our visit
· GMU: Discussed this show that was organized by Gustav but then was not followed through on. Laurie said she’d call organizer again as no response to her email. Group discussed that this type of situation would not be acceptable and folks who didn’t fulfill their organizing commitments would not longer be granted permission to organize under the GPI name.
o Group discussed needed a statement that it could point to for these types of situations moving forward. Perhaps putting it under GPI ‘values’. Proposed statement:
Anybody is welcome to perform and organize with the DC Guerrilla Poetry Insurgency. DC-GPI takes our activites seriously and thus those who agree to organize a show are expected to fulfill on their commitment and communicate issues with same. If an individual does not fulfill a commitment, the group reserves the right to disidentify itself with the individual as organizer, resulting in their no longer being empowered to organize on behalf of the DC-GPI.
o Group discussed that regular members were empowered to organize under the GPI “flag” but that new members would need to discuss with the group before commiting their “name” to the event.
Equipment/Logistics/Infrastructure
· Passport P10 – arrived and is ready to deploy
· Larger system on back order, but hope to have it by December.
· Winter Lyrical Ambush’s: Group agreed to follow last year’s model and go small from Dec-Mar. This would mean about 45-60 minutes in the circle with limited drums and small sound system, and then move into the trains. Discussed train targeting (by color line). Group discussed going to Metro center and then up either orange/blue/red, with a return to Gallery place and then end on Green.
· Discussed an artistic response to any criticism. Talk of doing a piece where we do freedom of speech, that expresses by GPI does what it does.
· OCU – Fiscal Sponsorship – discussed the concept of an “OCU Sponsorhip.” All agreed that this wouldn’t be “ideal”, but if the money was actually from OCU efforts, we’d be willing, but perhaps changing to partnership. Shahid go back to Hawah and clarification on what would be considered sponsors or not (i.e., if GPI go the money independent of OCU and were only using them as a fiscal intermediary, it would not be an OCU sponsored event). Group also agreed to generate their own tax letters and thus money coming through OCU would be charged a 5% admin fee (vs. 7.5%).
· Banner – Group discussed banner and looked at current progress. Laurie will talk to Chris Stylez about giving us an hour of direction, so members can help finish and/or possibly bringing in another advisor. Goal is to have it finished with in the next month.
Misc.
Film Project – Hunter and Travis from AU attended the meeting as part of a project on DC activism featuring the GPI. Project will be an 8 min (teaser) will be finished in November. He is copied on these notes, so if you are willing to be interested – please email him hunterherrick@yahoo.com to set up a time for your interview. He will also be at the next circle and possibly other Oct. events. He would like to interview as many GPI members as possible. He hopes to get funding to expand it. Willing to give to us for our website.