On June 24, more than 100 people from across the world will descend upon Seattle for the Global Street Paper Summit, hosted by INSP (International Network of Street Papers) and Real Change.
INSP and Real Change are bringing together staff, board members and vendors with street newspapers and magazines from around the world. Street papers are a global movement that has grown into a diverse array of publications that range from human-interest stories to advocacy journalism.
For three days, people from street newspapers will learn from each other, share innovations and work to create better publications that serve homeless and low-income people through low-barrier employment.
Each day the public can participate in keynote presentations. Additionally, INSP and Real Change are hosting a benefit concert featuring some of Seattle’s greatest independent musicians, including Jason Dodson, frontman of The Maldives, a Seattle institution with an Americana slant.
INSPired Together: A Gig for Global Street Newspapers will showcase five fantastic acts: Dodson, whose band The Maldives has a new album coming out this year, has a soulful country-rock sound; Naomi Wachira was named Best Folk Singer by the Seattle Weekly; Valley Maker, whose frontman Austin Crane has developed his music from Columbia, South Carolina, to Anacortes, Washington; The Dip, an electrifying soul group comprised of seven musicians who originated at the University of Washington; and COHO, a Seattle Band with dancey beats and impressive harmonies.
The concert is on Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m., at the Crocodile Café at 2200 Second Ave. in Belltown. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at tiny.cc/inspiredtogether. Come to the event to hear a showcase of great local music, meet people from Real Change and from street newspapers and magazines from all over the world.
The public can also attend three keynote speakers at Seattle University as part of the conference:
Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, will give a keynote titled “How to Talk About Power,” June 24 at 4 p.m. Liu directs the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program. He and Nick Hanauer co-authored two national best-selling books “The Gardens of Democracy” and “The True Patriot.” Liu served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and has been a columnist and correspondent for cnn.com and theatlantic.com. To order tickets, visit tiny.cc/ericliu.
Mike Fancher, interim director of the University of Oregon’s Center for Journalism Innovation and Civic Engagement, will give a keynote titled “Re-Imagining Journalism,” June 25 at 3:30 p.m. Fancher spent 30 years at The Seattle Times, 20 of which he served as executive editor. He is the author of the public policy paper “Re-Imagining Journalism: Local News for a Networked World,” which discusses transforming journalism through experimentation, collaboration and public engagement. To order tickets, visit tiny.cc/fancher.
Kyle Kesterson, founder of tech company Freak’n Genius, will give a keynote address titled “Homeless to CEO: A Journey Through Fear, Momentum, Mentorship & Creativity,” June 26 at 3:15 p.m. Kesterson spent time in homeless shelters and at food banks as a child and attended 14 different schools. He started Freak’n Genius in Seattle in 2011, and it has since grown and moved to Las Vegas. To order tickets, visit tiny.cc/kylekesterson.
All the keynote addresses will be held at Piggott Auditorium at Seattle University.