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Happy Black History Month.

Our mission is to create accessible spaces for healing. So we would be remiss if we ignored the need for culturally competent spaces for healing. And when that comes to race, that means making space for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color to be able to heal (even momentarily) from the ongoing trauma that is white supremacy and systemic racism. It also means looking at what that looks like for Black people specifically not just this month but every month of the year.

But we digress. We've got a lot to get to and not a lot of your time to share it in:

The power of going after the unimaginable

What makes Catharsis on the Mall such a unique experience is the fact it is not a festival like Lighting in a Bottle or Coachella, nor an art gallery that charges a fee to both enter and display. It’s not even close to a concert on the Mall like Folk Life. It’s a First Amendment Protest and Vigil held on Federal Grounds in the heart of Washington DC. What is more stimulating about attending the Vigil is that changes year to year depending on what people are called to share and bring. Two of those elements that change per year are Theme Camps and Interactive Art.

For this blog post, we are going to conversate with an Interactive Artist and Theme Camp Leads new to the event last May of 2019. While they have had familiarity or had previously been to Catharsis or an adjacent event before, this was the first time sharing in something.
Read Now

Black Identity Caucus

For participants of Catharsis who identify as Black, Nexus would like to offer an opportunity to gather together this month, and possibly on a regular basis if there is interest. If you're not familiar with the concept of Identity Based Caucuses, Fractured Atlas has a great blog post about it:

"Caucuses are focused meeting times for groups of people to connect around like identities. Frequently, rhetoric around unity overemphasizes our similarities: for marginalized people, this “unity” can be akin to erasure. Caucus spaces allow for a centering of identity that can be freeing simply in its being named."
Read More
Put another way, caucus spaces are healing spaces. So if you are interested in this one, email Nexus. And whether you're Black or not, if the idea of an identity Caucus centering another identity you hold is of interest to you, still feel free to email Nexus and we can see how Catharsis might be able to support you in finding and making space for and with you.
Email Nexus

Grant Review Panel

Catharsis is looking for volunteers to serve as advisory review panelists for our Grants for the first time. The role of a panelist is to review and score an eligible application’s content against the established grant program review criteria. 

The panel will be meeting on Sunday, February 9, 2020 starting at 12:30 pm for at least 5 hours. To serve yourself or nominate someone else to serve as an advisory review panelist for a grant program, email us.
Nominate yourself or someone else

Applications Closing February 4

Our applications for art placement, theme camps, and grants close Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
Apply Now

Keeping Yourself Healthy at Catharsis

Thursday, February 6, 2020. The Health and Safety Branch will host a Community Stakeholder Meeting to discuss how community members can remain safe while attending the event. This meeting will review our various health and safety capacities on site during Catharsis, as well as personal and group preparedness recommendations for an extended vigil on the National Mall. We hope the content & discussion will be useful for anyone participating in the event, from theme camp organizers, to fire performers, to builders, to dancers.
RSVP Now

Ceremonial Fire Application

The Ceremonial Fire Letter of Intent is for any potential fire arts on the Mall. Whether a Temple, Effigy, Flow Arts, Propane Art, or other ceremonial practice involving the use of living flame, this application is for our community members to participate even more in the process. This flexible and open ended process should spark creativity in our community. As an applicant, expect to work closely and collaboratively with our permitting, safety, and finance departments from conception to completion. The deadline if Monday, February 10, 2020.
Apply Now

Event and Performance Application

This application is for folx WITHOUT a theme camp. If you are part of a Theme Camp, please do not fill out this form as you will have another process. Eligible applications include: Live Music, Performance, Workshop, Panel, Class, DJ, Gathering, Discussion, & More!
Apply Now

Privacy Policy Update

There has been an update to our website's privacy policy.
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