Empowerment Congress:

Derek Jennings and his Team worked alongside the Arts & Culture Committee to co-produce the inaugural "Imagining Renaissance" workshop at the 24th Annual Empowerment Congress.  The workshop, through art installations, guest speakers and spoken word performances, centered around the themes of Homelessness and Civic Engagement.

Revitalize -- creating jobs with cultural placemaking to kickstarting the local creative economy.

Educate -- making education exciting and relevant with arts integration (ie: STEM → STEAM), while training the next generation of creative leaders in every sector through arts education.

Activate -- increasing civic participation with creative expression on social issues.

Connect -- bridging communities to build a more unified Los Angeles with cultural exchange.

Heal -- making communities safer & healthier with arts to address addiction, mental health, recidivism, and other rehabilitative interventions.