Allied Media Conference

Presenters: Capital D, All Natural INC.; Invincible, Emergence Music; Bec Young and Pete Yahnke, Just Seeds Visual Resistance Artist Cooperative; Jessica Care Moore, Moore Black Press

This interactive session will move from a multimedia process of envisioning the type of interdependent economies we as independent artists need in order to thrive and evolve, then to a dialog around the specific challenges we face in creating what we envision. Participants will take an up close look at the ins and outs of 4 organizations working to develop alternative economies for independent media makers--Just Seeds, a national collective of visual artists; Moore Black Press, the independent publishing company of Detroit poet Jessica Care Moore; the Chicago-based All Natural, Founders of the label All Natural, Inc.,and Emergence Media a brand new label currently 'emerging' from Detroit.

Presenters: Victoria Law; Kameelah Rasheed; Dannette Hoarde, Women and Prison: A Site for Resistance; Anthony Rayson, South Chicago ABC Zine Distro

While working towards the long-term goal of prison abolition, we must also take on more immediate efforts to support those silenced by incarceration. Those dedicated to independent media should consider reaching out to and collaborating with those lacking media access as a way to amplify marginalized voices and to make the movement for participatory media more inclusive. This session will include a discussion with independent media makers and prison activists on current initiatives, barriers and possibilities of media access for prisoners, sustainability and growth of prisoner-focused media.

Participants: Aurora Harris, Broadside Press; Ron Scott, For My People; Khary Frazier, The Michigan Citizen; Shea Howell, The Michigan Citizen; Zak Rosen, Detroit Today; Oya Amakisi, Amakisi Unlimited; Arvell Jones and Desmond Jones, Encode Media; Nkenge Zola, U of D Mercy Digital Media Studies Department
Facilitator: Lottie Spady, Free D Media

Jennifer Granholm has earmarked millions of dollars for her "21st century jobs" initiative. Detroit is home to hundreds of independent recording studios based out of peoples basements, garages and bathrooms. Free D media (In Our Own Backyard) has instituted a program to offer media-based cooperative economics skills to displaced workers in Detroit. Motown Records was started with an $800 loan from the Gordy family "co-op"in a house on W. Grand Blvd! What kind of economic future for Detroit can we advance through independent media?

Presenters: Robin Hewlett, Mary Tremonte, Shaun Slifer, The Howling Mob Society;
Sandra de la Loza , Pocho Research Society
Moderator: Nicolas Lampert

This panel examines the work of two radical art collectives that use signage to explain a historical event that has been marginalized. For The Howling Mob Society's inaugural project they created a historical sign project that would draw attention to the Railroad Strike of 1877, one of the most significant and violent labor strike’s in US history. The Pocho Research Society is best known for installing their own plaques on the surface of monuments and buildings (often next to the “official” plaque) that offers a counter perspective and a critique of not only the monument in question, but the form of the monument itself. This presentation is ideal for ideas for artists, activists and organizers interested in creating similar projects in their communities.

Presenters: Malkia Cyril, Center for Media Justice; Edyael Casaperalta, Center for Rural Strategies; Joshua Breitbart, People’s Production House; more TBA

This session is an open conversation about the challenges and opportunities that urban and rural communities face. Our goal is to explore avenues of rural+urban collaboration via dialogue, imagination, and media. In one word, our goal is to UNITE! Our conversation will feature three components: 1) small group discussions about the challenges and opportunities of urban and rural, their differences and similarities, and how media contributes to amplifying challenges and creating opportunities; 2) stories of successful rural+urban collaborations from panelists and the audience; and 3) writing/live-blogging of insights and action steps that emerge from the conversation. Whether you are from a rural or urban community, or somewhere in between, come UNITE and make our efforts stronger for all.

Presenters: Binh Ly, Global Action Project; Kat Aaron, Radio Rootz; Jennifer Macchiarelli, Youth Rights Media; Amber Marie Felton, Philadelphia Student Union

Many in the youth media field believe that they are doing social justice work by simply working with youth of color or youth from underserved communities and exploring issues that impact them. While that work may tackle important social issues, it does not necessarily fulfill its potential to affect social change. This panel will share strategies from several youth media organizations, who are connecting youth voice with social justice movements.

Presenters:Abayomi Azikiwe, Ron Scott and Sandra Hines of the Fighting for Justice Radio Show, Jeanette Monsalve, Kellee Coleman and Paula Rojas of Mamis of Color Rising Radio Collective, Eric Yates and Dan Jones of the Philadelphia Student Union
Moderator: Desi Burnette, Prometheus Radio Project

This panel will examine different models of radio projects that were developed by and for specific communities--The Fighting for Justice Radio Show, a project of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, Mamis of Color Rising, an Austin-based radio show for poor and working class mothers of color, and the Phildelphia Student Union radio show. It will survey different formats for radio shows-- from call-in shows to investigative reporting. It will also address the question: how can community radio go beyond a "service" model of providing information to the community, towards something that will be an instrument for community organizing?

Presenters: Gary Wise, New Media Artist and Appropriation Connaisseur; Leslie Raymond, Professor of New Media Program, UTSA and Live VJ/Video Artist; Sterling Toles, Detroit audio/visual artist

If artists have historically copied from other artists, why are contemporary artists criminalized for sampling sounds and images? The artists on this panel appropriate sounds, music, and moving and still images in their work. They will offer different perspectives on how artists can relate to copyright restrictions in the 21st Century, from navigating current copyright laws, to working with fair use and creative commons licenses, to saying f* intellectual property!

Presenters: Mary Dee and Aiko Shirakawa, 5th Element

More and more people are reclaiming party and music spaces to nurture a transformative music movement. What are the sustainable economic models of party promotion and event production that support positive and progressive agendas? How can we create more of these transformed spaces across the country? How do organizers improve their skill in putting events together? Can organizations pair with promoters to create these kinds of spaces?

This workshop will highlight the experiences of 5th Element,a collective of women who use hip hop to challenge sexism and misogyny by producing shows and workshops highlighting positive artists. Participants will leave with practical, innovative approaches to throwing parties and booking shows that will apply within any music scene.