Mississippi Center For Cultural Production

TO SUPPORT GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS CREATING SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION TOWARD LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE RESEARCH, CREATION, AND PRESENTATION OF ARTS, CULTURE, AND AGRICULTURE.

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2022, THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION D/B/A SIPP CULTURE OPERATED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:(I) THE DIGICULTURE LAB IS A THREE-WEEK SUMMER PROGRAM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, AGES 12 14 IN UTICA, MISSISSIPPI. IT IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SKILLS AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO USE DIGITAL MEDIA TOOLS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO, AND AUDIO PRODUCTION TO BUILD PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE RURAL NARRATIVES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE LAND, FAMILY, FOOD, AND CULTURAL PRODUCTION. THE DIGICULTURE LAB SUPPORTS THE MISSION OF SIPP CULTURE TO ADVANCE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES THROUGH CONNECTING STORIES ABOUT FAMILY, LAND, AND FOOD WITH DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. (II) THE RURAL PERFORMANCE / PRODUCTION LAB (RPPL) IS A CREATIVE PRODUCTION PROCESS THAT SEEKS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PERFORMANCE MOVEMENT, STORY, AND SOUND ROOTED IN RURAL HISTORY, PLACES, AND BODIES. THROUGH LEVERAGING THE COMBINED ASSETS OF A RURAL, PLACE-BASED INITIATIVE DEDICATED TO CULTURAL PRODUCTION, THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION D/B/A SIPP CULTURE WILL SUPPORT RURAL ARTISTS IN THE CREATION OF NEW WORK BY PROVIDING TIME, SPACE, AND CONNECTIVITY. THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION D/B/A SIPP CULTURE SEES THIS INITIATIVE AS INTEGRAL TO CREATING SPACE FOR RURAL NARRATIVES TO FILL GAPS IN THE ORGANIZATIONS NATIONAL STORY AND EXPAND THE CONVERSATION TO INCLUDE UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES. (III) THE INTERCULTURAL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (ILI) IS A YEAR-LONG INTENSIVE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR ARTISTS, CULTURE BEARERS AND OTHER ARTS PRACTITIONERS. ILI IS A COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM OF ALTERNATE ROOTS, FIRST PEOPLES FUND, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ARTS & CULTURES (NALAC) AND PAI FOUNDATION. THE EFFORT GREW OUT OF OUR DIRECT EXPERIENCES AS LEADERS OF THESE FOUNDING CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION D/B/A SIPP CULTURE OFTEN FOUND THAT MANY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS EMPHASIZED DOMINANT CULTURAL NORMS, MODES OF LEARNING AND SOCIAL APPROACHES THAT DIDNT MATCH THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTIONS D/B/A SIPP CULTURE COMMITMENT TO CULTURAL EQUITY AND CHANGE-MAKING IN THE ORGANIZATIONS OWN COMMUNITIES.ILIS INTERCULTURAL APPROACH EMPHASIZES OVERLAPPING EXPERIENCES, SHARED SPACES AND MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND SEEKS TO CHALLENGE DOMINANT SOCIAL NORMS WHILE HONORING DIFFERENCES OF HISTORIES, TRADITIONS, VOCABULARY AND MORE. THE ORGANIZATION SEEKS TO DEVELOP LEADERS SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE ARTS & CULTURE FIELD TO ADEPTLY RESPOND TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT IMPACT SOCIETY, POLITICS, ENVIRONMENT AND ECONOMY. AS A PEER COHORT, ILI INTERCULTURAL LEADERS HONE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TO AFFECT LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNITIES AND PROMOTE A SHIFT TOWARD GREATER AWARENESS, RESOURCING AND ACTION IN THE BROADER FIELD OF ARTS & CULTURE. (IV) EQUITABLE FOOD FUTURES: ACTIVATING COMMUNITY MEMORY, STORY, AND IMAGINATION IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI - THIS RESEARCH PROJECT WILL DOCUMENT AND ACTIVATE COMMUNITY AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE AND ASSETS TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE, AND HEALTHY FOOD CULTURE AND ECONOMY. SITUATED IN UTICA, A LOW TO MODERATE-INCOME PREDOMINANTLY BLACK RURAL COMMUNITY IN MISSISSIPPI, THE RESEARCH IS FRAMED WITHIN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF THE CREATIVE CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES OF THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRODUCTION D/B/A SIPP CULTURE AND A LONG-STANDING HISTORY OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS FOR LAND-BASED SELF- DETERMINATION AND LOCALLY OWNED BLACK FARMING IN THE U.S. SOUTH.(V) SMALL FARMER APPRENTICE PROGRAM TRAINS BOTH ASPIRING AND EXPERIENCED FARMERS IN THE SKILLS NEEDED TO MEET THE PRODUCTION NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS RURAL COMMUNITY. THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS PARTICIPANTS OVER THREE YEARS THROUGH AN 18-MONTH APPRENTICESHIP WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING IN SMALL FARM AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.