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Village Building Convergence 7 Home Page

Village Building Convergence 7 Home Page

Read the 2007 VBC Report

To read the report, click on the image below.

Be involved with the Village Building Convergence now!

Registration & Tickets

Convergence Fees

Volunteer Opportunities

Evening Event Speakers and Performers

Daytime Project Sites

Workshop Schedule

FAQ's

VBC Orientation on May 17

Subscribe to the VBC7 list-serve here!

What is the Village Building Convergence?

The Village Building Convergence 2007 (VBC7) is a 10-day event from May 18th – 27th, 2007 in which neighborhoods activate to build shared public places that they have envisioned, designed, funded, and will maintain for themselves. Projects are created as a way for neighborhoods to craft physical places that express their local relationships, culture, and facilitate gathering and communication. All projects are built through collaboration, community conversations and commitment of a neighborhood to strengthen itself. Projects are founded on developing strong local relationships, social capital and equity, placemaking and ecological design, and supporting our local economy.

VBC is powered through an all-volunteer effort and established by partnerships between neighborhoods and local schools, government agencies, businesses, organizations and individuals. Projects are funded through grants, in-kind and monetary donations and creative neighborhood fund raising efforts.

VBC7’s theme is 7 Generations Beyond: A 200 Year Story of Portland. Let us be reminded of the impact that we will have on generations to come and the impact past generations have had one us today. As always, VBC seeks to develop long-term partnerships and expose the links between our Village Centers. Through effective communication, feedback, creative resourcefulness, education and hands-on learning, we will continue to envision a city that is built on all our previous hard work. We also encourage existing VBC sites to continue developing their community with new cycles of activity. This could include community gardens, non-monetary barter systems and, skills sharing.

HIGHLIGHTS

Like previous years, VBC will feature numerous public and private project sites that support community in various neighborhoods. These will include public squares and meeting houses, community kiosks and benches, solar-powered and artistic innovations, and many other new ideas. During VBC7 there will be multiple neighborhood projects occurring concurrently. While all of these project sites build community in similar ways, they will vary according to each neighborhood’s expression of their local culture. Most sites will be located in or adjacent to the public right of way in prominent locations, though some projects will take place on private sites. Private project sites will be structures or systems that are built by and available to the communities concerned with that site, and hopefully available to some extent to more people who live nearby.

In addition to projects and hands-on workshops, VBC hosts evening events, including visionary speakers, performances, community dialog, music, and dancing. Dinner is also including in evening event participation from 5-7pm each evening. Each evening of VBC explores a unique theme to continue the tradition of coming together as a community to share skills and build our village. Events are educational, cultural, entertaining, participatory, and designed for the whole family.

VBC7 has an amazing line up of speakers including Paul Stamets, Penny Livingston, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Starhawk, and more! Evening performance highlights include March Fourth Marching Band, 3 Leg Torso, Extra Action Marching Band, The Everyone Orchestra with Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident.

We plan to delve deep into a multi-sensory approach to evening events this year, which will celebrate and renew our spirits with abundant nourishment and creative expression. In our lineup we hope to integrate sustainable theater, time-based art, story-telling, and magical puppet shows. We will even make time to reflect, relax, have conversation, and reinforce the sensations that make us feel like we truly belong and are at home in this world!

Everyone will be invited to attend to participate in workshops. VBC7 will include hands-on education in permaculture design and construction, ecological building, and public art!

The VBC expresses the profound power of community in action. Through building VBC projects, neighbors come together to create welcoming gathering places for the entire community. The overall impact ripples throughout the community, strengthening trust, connection, and hope.

...more interesting links

Event Design

Publicity - Press Information available!

Placemaking

Permaculture

Logistics & Materials

Village Building Convergence 7 Core Organizing/Planning Meeting

Tuesdays, 6:45pm, City Repair Headquarters (CRHQ) 2122 SE Division Street

The planning for VBC7 is in full swing. If you are interested in becoming involved, please email the VBC Coordinator, Yveline Wilnau with questions, or please drop in at one of our weekly meetings. We welcome all levels of background, skill, and enthusiasm. Please note that this meeting is conducted with the mission to uphold the highest regard for spirit of collaboration and cooperation in all we do.

Village Building Convergence 7 Open Meeting Times

Event Design & Venue
Thursdays 4pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Elliot

VBC7 Venue
Thursdays 7pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Mark

Nourishment
No Meeting Time, Contact: Tsarra or Jahred

Placemaking
Mondays 6:45 pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Josiah or Amanda

Education
Every Other Wednesday 1 pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Alexis

Publicity
Tuesdays 5:30pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Meghan

Village Builder
Mondays 6pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Rich

Permaculture
Sundays 7pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Leonard

Health & Well-being
Wednesdays 7pm, City Repair Head Quarters, Contact: Kelly

Questions

Please contact the VBC Organizer/Placemaking Coordinator with questions:
Yveline Wilnau
503-235-8946 (office)

If you are interested in helping to organize the VBC, contact the VBC Volunteer Coordinator:
Maralena Murphy
617-406-8299 (cell)