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Welcoming Week will take place from Sept. 11-19, organized locally by the New Neighbors Coalition.
"We all know the difference between being allowed into a space and actually feeling that we belong there," said Momina Di Blasio of the New Neighbors Coalition. "Welcoming Week asks how we can create that sense of belonging for one another, especially for neighbors building a life in a new country and community."
The week begins in partnership with Sukanya Burman Dance and the Jamestown Dance Festival. At 7 p.m. tonight, Sept. 11, at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, immigrant-founded Sun Kim Dance Theatre and Music From the Sole will perform. Sun Kim's Alien of Extraordinary explores the experience of navigating the U.S. immigration system while pursuing a life as an artist. Tickets can be purchased through the Reg Lenna box office.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, St. Luke's Episcopal Church will host the Talent Has No Borders: Immigrant Artists Panel in the church undercroft. The panel discussion will focus on the impact of the immigration system on the creation and performance of art in the United States.
The New Neighbors Coalition will also host a Welcoming and Belonging Through Everyday Advocacy Workshop in the St. Luke's Undercroft on Monday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. The workshop will explore how to practice immigrant advocacy from a place of bridging and connection, considering ways to have difficult conversations with curiosity and compassion.
The week's central community conversation takes place Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m., when the New Neighbors Coalition and the H. Jackson Center host Community Conversation: Welcoming & Belonging. Moderated by Kristen McMahon, president of the Robert H. Jackson Center, the conversation will feature Daniel DeMarte, president of Jamestown Community College, Michael Edwards, director of Jamestown Renaissance Corporation, Patricia Graves, director of Chadakoin Valley Project, and Twan Leenders, director of conservation at Everwild Land Trust. Together, they will explore how schools, neighborhoods, public spaces, history, and community institutions can help create a Jamestown where people don’t simply feel welcomed but know they belong. The September 12 panel, the September 14 workshop, and the September 16 community conversation are all free and open to the public.