Puppets, Art & Creativity Celebrated
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Activists battled a giant Toxic Trade puppet Tuesday as the Great Labor Arts
Exchange/Conference on Creative Organizing (GLAE/CCO) wrapped up three days of
art and activism. The puppet was part of street theater organized by the
United Steelworkers – who are planning a July 9 demo in DC – to draw public
attention to the health consequences of trade, including toxic toys, red-leaded
steel, counterfeit circuit breakers, poisoned pet food and contaminated
medicine. Organized by the Labor Heritage Foundation (LHF), the 30th annual Arts
Exchange offered workshops on the arts from film to music to plays, while
participants in the 11th Organizing conference explored topics like “Just Who
is a Creative Organizer?,” “Communicating with the Image” and “Laughter:
Comic Relief or Guerilla Tactic?” Former LHF Executive Director Peter Jones’
contributions were recognized Monday night and the gathering wrapped up with the
traditional Closing Night Concert Tuesday night in the chapel auditorium at the
National Labor College, which hosted the event.
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report/photo by Chris Garlock