In The Chrysalis Goo 🐛 Moving from Theory to Action

To see the original version of this email message sent to our community on Thursday, March 17, 2022, click here.

Screenshot from “What’s Inside A Caterpillar’s ‘Cocoon’?” by Science Insider

hello kin,

Beginning in early 2020, we began a process to deeply reflect on what kinship in practice looks and feels like for us. This process continued throughout last year as we explored a guiding question:

How might we better support QT &/or BIPOC artists and cultural workers for the sake of systemic and social change?

The closure of our space due to COVID-19 was a significant financial challenge, but it also presented us with an invaluable opportunity: the space and time to reimagine what it means to be an equitable, accessible, artist-led cultural space. 

This work is not finished. We are still in the middle of the chrysalis goo. But we are excited to share our learnings and invite you to get gooey with us in 2022 as we co-create our vision for just, creative, caring worlds.

NAVEL is a Test Site For Kinship.

We share space, tools, and resources with artists and cultural workers to nourish kinful and regenerative cultural ecologies. Through incubation, partnerships, and events, we co-create experimental spaces in Los Angeles and beyond which imagine and build a more just and collaborative world.

Our Values –

from Theory to Praxis –

Our reimagined mission and values are meaningless unless they are lived and put into practice. NAVEL’s 2022 programming is an invitation to learn alongside fellow artists, movement workers, and cultural workers to explore the role of cultural work in creating more just, creative, caring worlds.

This year’s ASSEMBLIES, launching in April, will cultivate a space to move from theory to action, as we explore our driving question:

“How can we ‘just transition’ artists and cultural workers from our current extractive cultural economy to a regenerative and caring one?”

Keep posted for more about ASSEMBLIES, including signups, later this week.

Explore our Programs & Offerings

ASSEMBLIES is funded through grants received from the National Endowment for the Arts Grant for Arts Program, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Grants Program, and the Wilhelm Family Foundation.

book the space.

Although we have been able to keep our lights on and doors open through pandemic relief support, these funding streams are ending even though the pandemic isn't over. 

Booking our space for your production or event helps us maintain a beautiful and accessible space for our community's experimental arts & cultural programs.

Check out our updated booking process and tiered pricing for independent artists, NGOs (including collectives), non-profits, and commercial usages. We work with budgets of all sizes.

make kin. make trouble.

If you are a…

CULTURAL WORKER who loves weaving webs of relationships and resources

WORKER GOVERNANCE GURU with experience incubating coops and collectives

ARTIST innovating models for self-determination and community wealth

RECOVERING CAPITALIST or CLASS TRAITOR with access to wealth who wants to redistribute resources towards values-aligned ventures & local power-building initiatives

SOLIDARITY ECONOMY EVANGELIST... OR SKEPTIC

DESIGNER or TECHNOLOGIST exploring decentralized autonomous organizations and building tools to empower the future of work

LIFELONG LEARNER who approaches their work with humility and honors the lineages of what’s come before

…we want to make trouble with you.

Join us as we make a multi-year commitment to co-design a caring organizational infrastructure for the world we want to see.

–

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

― Arundhati Roy, War Talk