The 2008 Camp will take place the weekend of September 12th-14th on the Portland Community College Cascade Campus, in the Moriarty Arts and Humanities Building. We will also be holding events each evening at community spaces affiliated with the Media Camp.

 

The Portland Grassroots Media Camp is a weekend of hands-on skill shares, media workshops, presentations, discussions and gatherings aimed to empower people with tools and skills to express themselves. The camp is open to anyone, emphasizing the inclusion of those who are traditionally excluded from media representation, creation and production. Our goal is to create a teaching environment based on a popular education model, where media makers and community organizers can come together to share skills and build connections. We  hope that everyone involved will continue collaboration after the Camp, and that many individuals and groups will have been empowered to effectively tell their story in a media environment that is increasingly hostile to independent voices.

 

For the 2008 Camp we have an amazing lineup of classes and panels covering a wide range of media forms, facilitated by many well known and lesser know local media makers. Mediums covered include; video, audio, computers skills, stenciling, performance art and much more. We have organized these classes into a system of three different tracks; Becoming a Citizen Reporter, Creative Story Telling and Tools for Community Organizers. For a full version of the schedule and program with facilitator bios and class descriptions visit the "Program" section of our website.

 

Registration will be conducted during an open house at PCC on Friday the 12th from 4:30-7:30 PM, or if class space permits on the days of the camp itself. Special pre-registration is available to members of social justice or community organizations. Pre-register by contacting us in advance by phone or email. Registration for the camp is by suggested donation, with no one turned away for lack of funds. We suggest a $5 donation, but those who are able are encouraged to give more.

 

Evening Events: During the open house on Friday from 6-7:30 we will be hosting a caucus on Media Justice, where local media groups are encouraged to come meet and discuss challenges and opportunities in the Portland/Vancouver media landscape. For more information contact the Media Camp.

 

After registration and the caucus we will move to Liberty Hall for an Opening Night Party from 8-11 PM. The party will include an art show featuring pieces from three different art collectives form around the world; Taring Padi of Indonesia, Collectivo TK from Oaxaca, Mexico and Just Seeds from the US. In conjunction with the showing, representatives for each group will hold a panel on the topic of the intersection of art with social movements. Music will be provided by the Underscore Orchestra and Aircrash2000. Liberty Hall is located at 311 N Ivy St. one block south of Fremont and two blocks west of Vancouver Ave.

 

On Saturday night beginning at 6 PM the New Born Tribe African community center will be co-hosting an African dinner along with a screening of various grassroots film projects that we previewed at our "Tell It Like It Is" event. We will be showing the following short documentaries.

"Finding Common Ground in New Orleans" by Walidah Imarisha, a film that gives an on the ground look at the immediate after effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had on New Orleans and the surrounding area.
"Moving to the Beat" by Caleb Heymann and Abdul Fofanah, shows how hip-hop can act as a bridge between communities in the US and Sierra Leone.
"Moving In: A Non-Profit Feminist Bookstore and the Politics of Space" by Dawn Jones, examines how a non-profit feminist bookstore both contributes to and challenges racial tensions and gentrification in NE Portland.
We will also be showing a documentary on the situation in Haiti by Paul Reineke.
New Born Tribe is located at 3525 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.

 

Our final evening event will be a community dinner for everyone who participated in the Media Camp. Discussion topics will be provided for each table, and we will hold a closing plenary including an open mic, where participants will be able to give their impression of the camp or other topics. This event will also take place at Liberty Hall.

 

Get in contact with us if you or your group has something to or has a request from us. We can still use new volunteers and participating organizations to help in our organizing effort.

 

Most classes will be able to be translated from English to Spanish and vice-versa, but we will need to be notified in advance.

 

Programs and schedules in English and Spanish are available in pdf form on our website, or we can provide printed versions upon request.

 

A list of some of our participating organizations:

 

PCC Multimedia Center, Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, KBOO Community Radio, Portland Community Media, From the Inside Out, Street Roots, United Voices, Portland Youth Builders Multimedia Education, Independent Publishing Resource Center, Free Geek, Just Seeds, Black Rose Collective Bookstore, Free School Portland, Theater Change and more.

 

Visit our website at www.pdxmediacamp.org

 

Email us at pdxmediacamp@gmail.com

 

Or call us at 503 236-7916 c/o PCASC