We are excited to announce that we are creating an Independent Media Center in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood of Seattle.
Starting in August, the Cascadia Underground will have a place to live in a space that’s more than just a website. So far, we have secured partnerships with local leaders from the worlds of politics, advocacy, non-profit work, community service, and activism, all of whom are eager to connect with the Cascadia community at large in order to bring the Cascadia Underground to life. We are partnering with Horizon Books, one of Seattle’s oldest independent used bookstores, to rent half of their space they have had to close because of COVID-19, and be able to provide a great centrally located space for a media center. This arrangement will help support them in these hard times, and also provide for a new hub that can amplify the voices within our bioregion.
Since its inception in the 1980’s, the Cascadia movement has inspired thousands to reimagine the world around them, encourage citizens of all walks to dispute our dependence on “The world as it is known” and the status quo and inspire all citizens of Cascadia to take action. We pay homage to those before us and to protect those that would come after by taking direct action in opposition to those that would seek to deny our inhabitants, within this bioregion or beyond, unblocked access to equitable treatment, agency, and autonomy.
To support this project, we have started a Patreon to launch this awesome initiative:
Seriously, every dollar goes a long way. It is a direct result of the last 15 years of community building and social activism that we are ready for the next step: The creation of an open media and broadcast center, that will serve as an incubator for a new era of citizen journalists, a protected space that amplifies the voices of our community by doing more than handing over the mic – we want them to own and never have to give it back.
You can join us! Our vision for the Cascadia Underground looks like this:
- The development of a training and performance space
- Live broadcast and recording equipment for interviews, streaming media, and more.
- Computers for audio and video editing
- Projectors and screens for presentations
- Portable audio and video recording equipment
- Shared distribution pipelines, to include easily accessible podcast networks that pushing media to all digital platforms, robust websites devoted to showcasing articles, recordings, and live stream content.
- A maker space for DIY print publishing for all Cascadians.
- And that’s just for starters…
Our leadership team is proud to represent a wide variety of Cascadian voices. With more than half of our organizing team comprised of people of color, as well as gender non-conforming and LGBTQIA2+ (LGBTQ) individuals, we continue to build upon our foundational commitment to strengthening diversity within the Cascadia movement.
This is your movement and this is your space. We can’t wait to hear your ideas, and work with you to make them a reality.
To support this idea, feel free to hit the patron button in the side bar or end of post, or support it here:
https://www.patreon.com/cascadiaunderground
