The Living Well 2014-15

The

Living Well A Center for Social & Economic Vibrancy | 2014-2015 Media Press Kit

Live well. Be more.

Contents LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR PAGE 4

ABOUT US PAGE 6

OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT AT A GLANCE PAGE 8

2 | LIVE WELL. BE MORE.

ABOUT US PAGE 4

PHOTO CREDITS: Stan Marrow Jason Harris

OUR RECURRING CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES PAGE 10

Jennifer White-Johnson Saddi Khali Michael King

OUR CHANGE MAKING ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES

Tafari Melisizwe

PAGE 14

Reuben Greene

Dominic Nell Zizwe Allette

OUR SPACE PAGE 16

Contact Us

The Living Well 2443 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 Telephone: 410.212.5953 Email: admin@livewellbemore.com Instagram: livewellbemore Twitter: @TheLivingWell1 Facebook: TheLivingWell Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/thelivingwell

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A Letter From

THE DIRECTOR Friends,

W

hen I hear people talk about The Living Well, they often describe

how they have experienced the space.

Some may say it’s a yoga studio, others an exhibit space, and many a banquet hall ideal for baby showers or workshops and retreats. We provide all of these opportunities and more. We are a Center for Social & Economic Vibrancy and have been described as a place where dreams thrive. Our motto is “Live Well. Be More.”

Our central location in the Old Goucher neighborhood of Charles Village provides us with a large reach of consumers that represent the business and residential sector. Our programs and services are driven by what the community supports and desires. As the needs of our community members and patrons evolve, so does our role in the community.

Our urban oasis houses a network of community practitioners, social change agents, entrepreneurs, artists, and community stakeholders who use our studio for a variety of events and activities. We value diversity and support individuals and organizations in their efforts to turn their ideas into action.

In a society where our personal and

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professional relationships hold great value, the leveraging of relationships translates into what we know as social capital.

The Living Well provides a platform for building individual and collective social networks. Through a variety of the networks we’ve created, individuals and organizations gain access to skills, services, and customers that may not have been previously within reach. Through us, they can maximize social capital and economic opportunities.

At the Living Well, we view creativity and social capital as economies that can be used to build powerful and enriching social and professional connections. Our facility can be used to build individual brands, businesses, and resumes via nonlinear approaches to education and career development. We also welcome applied learning internships.

THE LIVING WELL STAFF MAURISSA STONE BASS Director maurissa@livewellbemore.com JANELLE WILLIAMS Director of Communications janelle@livewellbemore.com UKANA MCPHERSON Facilities Manager ukana@livewellbemore.com JASON HARRIS Director of Creative Services, Sound and Lighting Engineering jason@livewellbemore.com MENES YAHUDA Director of Musicology menes@livewellbemore.com MICHELLE STAFFORD Director of Fitness/Wellness michelle@livewellbemore.com

We hope to share our space and partner with you as you plan your next endeavor. If you have an idea or need space to host an event or activity, please give us a call.

Maurissa Stone Bass Director

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About Us WHAT IS THE LIVING WELL? We are a community development entity that uses art as a vehicle for individual and community change and empowerment.

We subscribe to a Vibrant Community model using creative spacemaking tactics and strategies.

We focus on building social capital while using business principles to create economic outcomes.

We believe that using vibrant approaches to community building creates a distinct culture of engagement.

WHAT IS OUR MISSION? To build diverse communities and develop social capital.

To use a creative space approach to bring people together for a variety of events, classes, and initiatives.

To remain dedicated to individual and community change by way of conscious expansion, soulful expression, and optimal wellness.

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Vibrant

HAVING OR SHOWING GREAT LIFE, ACTIVITY, AND ENERGY; VERY BRIGHT AND STRONG.

CONSCIOUS EXPANSION Any forum, event or activity that increases knowledge, conscious thought and action towards positive change; a process by which community dialogue circles/sessions,

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

workshops, and activities are used to impact the human spirit and energy.

Our centrally located and open-space studio design provides the perfect place to host

SOULFUL EXPRESSION

events meetings, workshops, and exhibits.

Any forum, event or activity that uses

Everyone from instructors, facilitators, and

movement, visual esthetics, yoga, dance

coaches/counselors to business owners,

and or music as a vehicle for personal and

organizations, and individuals can rent

community enlightenment, physical and

space on a monthly, hourly and/or daily

emotional wellness and change. A process

basis. We also welcome partnerships with

by which yoga, dance, movement, music

social entrepreneurs and social enterprise

classes and workshops are designed to create

organizations using a cooperative business

opportunities to release stress and achieve

model that promotes opportunities to build

fitness and wellness goals.

social capital, organizational capacity and the development of civic and personal

OPTIMAL WELLNESS

leadership.

Traditional and non-traditional methods of increasing the human spirit, health and energy. Any forum event or activity focused on developing organization and community wellness.

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Our Community Impact

at a Glance

W

e understand that one drop in the bucket can cause a wave of change, and that real change always starts at the community

level. Since joining the Old Goucher neighborhood in 2008, The Living Well has served as an impetus for positive change. We want to continue to increase the number of visitors to this rich community, which has one of the most diverse social, racial and economic demographics in the city of Baltimore.

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“

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES ACTIVELY PROMOTE THE WELL-BEING OF THEIR MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. TAMARACK AN INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Our location on Charles Street is at the center of one of Baltimore’s most-traveled arteries.

Our neighbors, including major retail chains and education institutions such as Safeway Food Stores, CVS Pharmacy, PNC Bank, Johns Hopkins University and various social welfare organizations, provide a diverse stream of business and residential traffic by our storefront.

We also have had a direct impact on the community by hosting a multitude of events, classes, music forums, exhibits, community

Helped make impactful connections

meetings, etc. Find a snapshot below.

between social entrepreneurs Hosted retreats using interactive and

WE HAVE:

creative methods such as arts, music and

Incubated cultural arts, social enterprise

dance

and wellness entities—3 martial arts, 5

Hosted community milestone events,

yoga instructors, 30 dance instructors, and 1

including retirement parties and baby

vegan chef

showers

Touched youth in Baltimore city

Created an institute for the study of dance

neighborhoods through youth leadership

and music of the African Diaspora

development programs and workshops Hosted financial wellness and professional

AUDIENCE:

development classes using local financial,

Our platform represents diverse gender, ethnic

marketing and business coaches

and racial backgrounds.

Supported emerging artists through

Average age: 28 yr. – 54 yr. old

exhibitions, artisan markets, and pop-up

Average salary: 38k – 72k

shops Featured international and local performers

SOCIAL MEDIA:

through our Living Room Concert series,

6,500 followers across various social media

album release parties, and live music forums

platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

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Our Recurring Calendar of

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

THE LIVING ROOM CONCERT SERIES

as possible to a Neo-traditional sound.

The Living Well Concert series offers an

Urban Foli provides workshops for men,

intimate, comfortable, affordable, and

women and children on topics including:

convenient setting. It brings top-notch

Dance of the African Diaspora

musical performances to the neighborhood

History of African drum and

and provides an opportunity for authentic

dance

exchange with the audience and the artist.

Drum construction and care

Hand techniques URBAN FOLI

Poly rhythmic assignments

Urban Foli is a musical theater

Rhythms and African ethnic/

performance group that expresses

region origin

traditional African drumming and dance bridged with contemporary sound and

Summer day camp workshops and school

movements.

break sessions are available for individuals and groups. Drum rentals, repairs and sales

The focus is to cultivate a mixture of West

are also available.

African and African American percussion and culture. Under ancient tradition, each

EMERGING ARTISTS EXHIBITS

ethnic group or percussionist develops

The Living Well features photography,

their own sound; Urban Foli encourages

visual art, applied design exhibits and

its members to combine ancient teachings

events throughout the year. We host an

with the evolution of R&B and hip-hop

annual Handmade Holiday event during the

culture.

winter season that allows artisans to sell products as vendors. Our space also serves

The goal is not only to preserve traditional

as a gallery for emerging photographers,

music and history, but to continue the

visual artists, and applied designers. We

legacy of percussion and movement that

regularly feature the work of artists and

has been passed down in the Americas.

designers in an ideally located window

The group’s mission is to expose as many

display on Charles Street.

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organizations and communities. Iona Concepts provides the following change management services: Strategic Planning Community Development/

Organizing Non-profit Board Development Career/Life Coaching Retreat Planning/Facilitation Motivational Speaking Organizational Development Training EMPOWERMENT RETREATS

Iona Circles*

We support and host retreats and workshops on

COMMUNITY FORUMS

various topics, and can provide our expertise from

The Living Well has hosted several community

program design to implementation. The Living Well’s Studio Director, Maurissa Stone Bass, is founder of Iona Concepts, Inc., a Training and Change Management Consulting organization and the umbrella for The Living Well studio. Iona Concepts’ mission is to facilitate planned change in systems,

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forums aimed at increasing awareness surrounding community issues, supporting community initiatives, and other topics that impact the community. Our community forums often feature keynote speeches by experts in the field and by representatives from the city

and state government. We have hosted forums

play and instruction surrounding Art and

related to the following topics:

Community. Exercises and discussions regarding

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

communication and self-expression will help

Eliminating Institutional Racism

students to build effective communication and

Social Entrepreneurship

team building skills. Each session addresses

Resilience in the New Economy

a different aspect of citizenship as a student,

Developing Healthy Relationships

community and family member.

Preventing Sexual Harassment Domestic Violence Breast Cancer Awareness THE LIVING VILLAGE The Living Village is a new Conscious Expansion initiative for Baltimore City Public School System (BCPS) middle and elementary students.

Workshops are designed to teach and reinforce respect for leadership and authority and are held during scheduled BCPS school closings.

Students participate in focused interactive

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Our Change Making

ACTIVITIES and SERVICES

Our studio space can be used to host a variety of events.

We’ve provided just a snapshot here.

• Retreats • Yoga • Youth Leadership Development Programs and Workshops • Financial Wellness and Professional Development Classes • Multimedia Art Exhibitions • Artisan Markets and Workshops

• • • • • • • • • •

Pop-up shops Album Release Parties Live Music Forums Djembe Drumming Dance Wellness Events Baby Showers Birthday Parties Retirement Parties Educational Empowerment Forums and Dinners

• • • • •

Community Rallies and Vigils Fashion Shows Comedy Shows Social Entrepreneurship Hour Sewing and Applied Design Workshops • Strategy Sessions • Domestic Violence and Relationship Management Workshops • Artist Exchange Meetings

CREATING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Our business neighbors have been a direct

The Living Well has partnered with the following

beneficiary of our success. Many of our

agencies, institutes and organizations.

customers leave The Living Well and enjoy dining

St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center

at local establishments and our community

University of Maryland Carey School

partners such as:

of Law St. Vincent de Paul

The Terra Café – Our community partner the Terra

Speakerbox Magazine

Café provides food and technical assistance for our

Terra Café

events, meetings and classes. As a result many

Capoeira Luanda

of our customers in turn use the Terra Café as a

MICA

convenient, affordable and great place to dine.

Yelp Grindhouse Juice Bar

Grindhouse Juice Bar –The Grind House Juice bar

Baltimore Rhythm Festival

expanded their Beet Trip series to our location.

Redlines Publishing

Local young music makers had a place to expand

Just Advice Law Clinics

their artistic footprint and created a safe an artistic

University of Baltimore

space to come together around a common cause

Dubscience Photography

and interest.

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St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center – This center

Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) – This local

serves as our community liaison for services

college partners with The Living Well to help

such as financial counseling, home buying,

students earn internship credits and to provide

legal services.

workshop resources from local artist.

Reflection Eternal – Reflection Eternal provides facility oversight and management has direct access to facilitate community gatherings and lectures regarding issue that impact the African American male.

Sankofa World Bazaar – This retail provider has partnered with us to provide education and artifacts from the African Diaspora.

Equity Matters – An organization founded in Baltimore that has created partnerships and

PARTNER WITH US Are you interested in partnering with us? Email us at admin@livewellbemore.com or call us at 410.212.5953 to schedule a time to discuss how we can work together. We would love learn about you and the work you are doing to empower individuals and communities.

currently houses the Dismantling Institutional Rascism potluck meetings.

TELL US YOUR VISION, AND WE’LL HELP CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE YOU NEED!

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Our Space

Simple | Flexible | Affordable CREATING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

3 – 84 inch round tables

Whether you are hosting a small meeting,

60 assorted chairs (35 black hard back)

milestone celebration or a fitness class, The

1 glass desk

Living Well’s open-space studio is the perfect place to host events under 100 people. The Living

Accommodations for audio visual systems,

Well provides access to our large storefront

public address systems, and flipcharts are also

windows located on the North Charles Street

available, upon request.

artery of Charles Village and is less than 6 minutes from Baltimore’s Penn Station.

Renters also have access to the kitchenette.

Pedestrians from John Hopkins University, motorists traveling North on Charles, and

Alcohol: You can NEVER sell alcohol, however

community residents have daily visual access to

you can serve it. Renters can obtain a temporary

products, classes, and events that are marketed

liquor license by contacting the Baltimore City

and held at The Living Well.

Liquor License Board. Renters must ensure patrons are over the age of 18.

Our customer service standards mandate that all guests are provided the highest quality

RENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION

of services and professionalism. Attendees

We welcome you to host your next special event

should be treated as honored guests at all

at The Living Well! We rent our studio space

times during the registration and learning

on a first- come, first-served basis. We will do

process. We will collaborate with you to

everything in our power to honor your request.

achieve your vision of success.

PAYMENT AND DEPOSITS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Hourly Rate: $95

Our open space design accommodates 80 people

Facility fee: $40

comfortably with room to spare.

Security fee: $50

Tables and chairs are included in rental prices and will be set-up upon arrival with prior set-up

A 50% deposit of your total rental is due to

requirements. Our inventory of tables and chairs

reserve the space. Your total deposit includes

include:

your $40.00 Facility Fee and $50.00 security

1 - 6ft rectangle table

deposit, in addition to your hourly rental

1 - 9ft rectangle table

cost. Your Security Deposit is returned upon

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inspection of the facility and will be returned

logo on marketing materials (un-amended). We

within 7 days after your rental. Trash and food

request a final approval on flyer designs before

debris must be removed and the floor should be

flyers are reproduced and distributed. Flyer

broom swept. Patrons loitering out front with

designs scaled for 11x17 can be produced into a

open containers will forfeit their security deposit.

poster for display in our front window. Flyers

Music must be kept to a level that does not create

should be submitted 30 days prior to event to

a disruption of peace for our neighbors. Music/

admin@livewellbemore.com.

bass volume must be turned down at 12:00 am. *Staff support: $15.00 per hour (by request only)

FOOD We have a kitchenette for limited storage and

LIABILITY

prep. We request that food be ready to go. The

The Living Well does not provide the renters

Living Well strongly encourages renters to

with liability insurance/coverage. All renters

purchase liability insurance and to use caterers

must have liability coverage and provide class

who are licensed and practice sanitary methods

participants with liability waiver forms. The

for food preparation, storage and delivery.

Living Well parent company Iona Concepts must be named as an additional insurer on all liability

CANCELLATIONS

policies.

Cancellations must be requested in writing 10 calendar days prior to the event to receive an

OUR VISIBILITY AND MARKETING REQUIREMENTS

80% refund of the down payment and deposit.

Event hosts are responsible for self-marketing.

Deposits are forfeited if cancellation is made

The Living Well logo must be included on all

less than 10 calendar days before date identified

marketing materials. Rentals that are booked

on the renter’s Space Rental Agreement. NO

for public events must use a jpeg version of our

EXCEPTIONS.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact The Living Well at admin@livewellbemore. com or at 410-212-5953 for more information about long-term rental agreements. Complete a booking application on-line at www.livewellbemore.com.

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Live well. Be more.