Polly attended the Annual Meeting of Alternate ROOTS a dynamic organization of Southern artists who are community activists committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the natural world. ROOTS is based in Atlanta, and held its intensely creative, energetic annual meeting every August in the mountains near Asheville.
Two years ago A New Kind of Listening screened at ROOTS annual meeting to increase members’ understanding of disability rights and inclusion as a social justice issue affecting all of our communities. Since this screening, Alternate ROOTS has awarded scholarships to individuals with disabilities and ROOTS leadership and artists have initiated discussions and trainings around inclusion. At this years Annual Conference, seven members of Interweave Asheville, the inclusive theater group organized in 2010 after screening A New Kind of Listening, attended and participated in a variety of activities and meetings and generated significant awareness of our issues and perspectives. It was an exciting time of change for inclusive arts.
Pictured above: Polly and filmmaker Linda Booker.