The Potential of Music Festivals to Build Community

When Gallup and the Knight Foundation set out to answer the question “What attaches people to their communities?” they found that the key reasons cited by residents for loving their cities were entertainment and social offerings, how welcoming the city is and its aesthetics — in other words, the arts and culture.  That finding was not news to Alderman Michael Scott, Jr., or his wife Natashee.  The couple have been patrons of the arts for years.  In an effort to build community and make North Lawndale a destination for arts and entertainment, the Scotts started the annual Westside Musical Festival, which will run again on August 20 2016. Join Natashee and Michael Scott, Jr. as they share lessons learned in developing the festival. We will discuss ways the Westside Music Festival is being used to build community; develop a sense of place for North Lawndale and to spur economic development and tourism. Call in live at (347) 884-8121. You don't need an account to listen, but, if you want to participate in an online chat, open a listener-only account at https://secure.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx?type=listener to participate in a live chat. Visit Valeriefleonard.com. Archived episodes may be found at http://Valeriefleonard.com/NonprofitU, iTunes, Podcast Chart, Blubrry and Stitcher.