Beloved Community, 

Many of you have asked how you can support the MayDay Celebration Metamorphosis over the next few months. The Council has been convened and is excited to begin sharing more about what to expect in 2020. 

We understand so many people are grieving at this time of transformation and shift. We wanted to address people’s desire to honor this season, while also sharing our commitment to this year of chrysalis. 

First of all, thank you for your patient support as Free Black Dirt (FBD) and In the Heart of the Beast Theatre (HOBT) have navigated the first few months of an emergent partnership, in addition to the selection of the MayDay Council (MDC). We are inspired by the ways we are creating this work together; intentionally and responsibly. The process will bring forth the whole community. 

The council takes both the practices of art-making and this metamorphosis process extremely seriously. HOBT has put its trust in the IBPOC womxn led council to lead. Our events are geared for all of your participation and we invite you to be a part of this process of radical transformation. However, as we move forward we are interested in making clear that MDC, and FBD, are maintaining a fair amount of autonomy from HOBT.  Please give the council space for our work and use the tea and treats for time to interact with the council. 

We are focused on the social and spiritual responsibility of the important and relevant work at hand. We want to ensure the quality of a long term, and sustainable process that can continue beyond this inaugural stage. Seeds are being planted as we speak. 

In the year to come, we plan to host community through a variety of events. We are devoting time, energy and resources to community healing and building.

• FBD will be hosting a Free Black Dirt-y Talk Discussion Series at The Avalon, with a kick-off event on February 28, 2020 at 7pm. There will be a screening of media with space for discussion about cultural appropriation. Other dates are July 10th and August 8, 2020. 
• As Spring arrives Tea and Treats events will take place at The Avalon. These low-curation, drop-in spaces, will be a place for intermingling of HOBT staff, board, FBD, and members of the MDC. Be among the first to hear what the MayDay Council is working on, be a part of the community sounding board for the MayDay Council to share ideas, input, and shape the future of MayDay.
• On Sunday, May 3, 2020: We are shaping plans for what will take place in the park on the first Sunday in May 2020. In this moment we are conceiving activities to take place in the park that support rest, reflection, collaborative building, art-making, and relationship building. It is our intention that this event supports the MayDay Council in designing the 2021 celebration with/for community. To be clear, we - MDC and HOBT- are not putting on May Day in 2020. This is so that the MDC can focus all of its attention on the extremely important work of re-imagining May Day for 2021. 

 

We will also be in support & solidarity with the many other public and outdoor events throughout the year. We are not the only community gathering. We are interested in lifting up other celebrations within our communities. As a council we commit to this support and have encouraged HOBT to do this as well by boosting the profile of other major happenings throughout the Twin Cities:

• Little Mekong Night Market
• Powderhorn Art Fair
• Cinco De Mayo Minneapolis and Saint Paul
• FLOW: Northside Arts Crawl
• Twin Cities Jazz Festival
• PRIDE (especially supporting IBPOC vendors and cultural producers throughout the week)
• Little Earth Mother’s Day Powwow
• University of Minnesota Powwow
• South of the River Powwow
• Augsburg’s Spring Powwow
• Pride at the Library (Hennepin County Library
• Rondo Days, Our Streets (Open Streets), etc. 

In summation, we as the May Day Council are excited to share and build with you all as the chrysalis season continues to unfold.

 

More soon, in love and in solidarity.

MayDay Council + Free Black Dirt