Coventry P.E.A.C.E. to host Burning Man co-founder May 31

Michael Mikel, co-founder of Burning Man.

Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus will host a discussion with one of the founders of the annual Burning Man festival, an event that draws more than 70,000 people to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada for a week of creative expression, at a fundraising event to benefit the campus on May 31.

The event, "The Art of Community: A Discussion with Burning Man Co-Founder Michael Mikel,” is a unique opportunity to learn about the “10 Principles of Burning Man” and how they can apply to permanent communities and placemaking.

Michael Mikel (M2) is best known by his playa persona “Danger Ranger.” He is both an historian and futurist with an interest in technology and social communities. He serves Burning Man as director of advanced social systems, is an ambassador and speaker for the organization, and serves on its board of directors. M2 will speak on the 10 Principles (10P) of Burning Man, which were crafted as a reflection of the community’s ethos and culture as it has organically developed since the event’s inception in 1986.

In addition to the talk, Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus will offer tours of the building and a free screening of the film “Spark: a Burning Man Story” in Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park.

The event will benefit Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, which is embarking on a facilities planning process that members hope will lead to a land lease with Heights Libraries, the renovation of the 1970s-era building, and its self-sustaining operation. The building is a former elementary school in the CH-UH City School District, which closed it as a school in 2007, and subsequently rented space to a diverse group of arts and community nonprofit organizations. In 2018, the district sold the property, which includes the building, a playground and green space, to Heights Libraries. Its Coventry Village branch is immediately adjacent to the property, and it has given the tenants the bridge they needed to create a shared future.

The nonprofit members of Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus are Ensemble Theatre, ARTFUL, Family Connections, Lake Erie Ink, FutureHeights and Reaching Heights. The campus provides a sustainable, supportive and collaborative environment for these organizations that offer artistic and educational opportunities, as well as community services, for residents of the Heights and Greater Cleveland. Their goal is to transform the building into a modern and self-sustaining arts, culture, education and incubation center, which will interact with an improved playground and park, be open to all, and capable of hosting even more community events. With thoughtful creative placemaking, Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus seeks to solidify Cleveland Heights’ reputation as “Home to the Arts.”

More information and tickets for the fundraiser, which start at $50, are available at http://coventrypeacecampus.org/events/the-art-of-community-fundraiser/. The program begins with a Meet & Greet with Michael Mikel for PEACE Maker ticket holders at 6 p.m. The talk will take place at 7 p.m. The movie screening, which is free and open to the public, will screen at approximately 9 p.m. in the park. The movie is not rated and may not be suitable for children.

Deanna Bremer Fisher

Deanna Bremer Fisher is executive director of FutureHeights, publisher of the Heights Observer, and president of Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus.

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Volume 12, Issue 5, Posted 11:12 AM, 05.02.2019