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The Brien center 100+ Years

Saturday, October 22, 2022 5pm – 8pm 

Over the last 100+ years, with your help, The Brien Center has advanced behavioral health in the Berkshires and served those in need. This event is a culmination of the work we’ve done as a community to help assist our most vulnerable population. Even better, it’s an opportunity to celebrate this vulnerable—yet courageous—population and stand by their side, too. 

Calling in Not calling out: a conversation for divided times

September 22 @ 6:00pm – 7:15pm

Loretta Ross

Award-winning, nationally recognized expert on racism and racial justice, women’s rights, and human rights.

Associate Professor
Program for the Study of Women and Gender
Smith College
Northampton, MA

Live via Zoom Webinar – Free Registration

House of Seasoning Grand Opening

September 18, 2022 at 11:30am

Come experience true culinary diversity at House of Seasoning Grill’s grand opening. Located at 117 Seymour St in Pittsfield. 

ArtWeek Berkshires

Mass Cultural Council

September 15 – September 25th across Berkshire County

Welcome to ArtWeek Berkshires! Individuals, organizations, and/or businesses from throughout the Berkshires are invited to be a part of this 10-day festival of creativity. It is FREE to participate! The festival is open to creative people (not just visual artists) of all ages and experience levels and is countywide, with over 100 events spread throughout 15 communities! The festival is coordinated by the five Cultural Districts of the Berkshires (North Adams, Williamstown, Pittsfield, Lenox, and Great Barrington) along with 1Berkshire. 

Pittsfield Lending Hands

Westside Rollers Community Give Back

August 20th 12-10pm @ Dorothy Amos Park

Enjoy rollerskating to the beat of music and performances by local artist! 

Jacob’s Pillow

Dichotomous Being: An Evening With Taylor Stanley

July 27-31 on the Henry J. Leir Outdoor Stage at Jacob’s Pillow.

To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival this summer, we’ve set aside 90 free tickets for all 6:00 PM performances on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage! More information can be found here: Jacob’s Pillow 90 for 90th

Already a celebrated principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Taylor Stanley pursues new movement frontiers for this program alongside special guest artists with Kyle Abraham as the Creative Producer. During two 2021 Pillow Labs, Stanley developed a Pillow-commissioned ensemble work by postmodern choreographer Jodi Melnick and a solo by choreographer Shamel Pitts. They will also perform an adaptation of Andrea Miller’s sky to hold, originally created for the New York City Ballet’s 2021 Fall Gala, and Talley Beatty’s renowned Mourner’s Bench, a solo of great significance to the Pillow, having been danced here by Beatty himself. Stanley and their collaborators returned to the Pillow Lab again in March this year, ahead of the Festival performances. 

Jacob’s Pillow

Black Grace

July 27-31 at Jacob’s Pillow in the Ted Shawn Theatre.

Dedicated to the rich storytelling traditions of the South Pacific, New Zealand-based Black Grace masterfully blends contemporary and Samoan dance genres, expressing them with “phenomenal strength, stamina and spirit” (The New Zealand Herald). The company has been praised as “the most positive, living expression of any New Zealand art” (Sunday Star Times).
Founded by Neil Ieremia in 1995, the company masterfully blends contemporary and indigenous Samoan dance genres with a body of work “that crosses geographic and social boundaries, often with innovative flair and theatricality” (The Boston Globe). New York Times critic Brian Seibert said, “the dancers break into motion, and once they start, they barely ever stop. The distinguishing spirit of this troupe is incredible speed and stamina, an exhilarating, seemingly inexhaustible energy.” 

Jacob’s Pillow

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble

August 17-21 at Jacob’s Pillow in the Ted Shawn Theatre

Founded by master teacher, choreographer, and cultural ambassador Cleo Parker Robinson in 1970, this Denver-based distinguished modern dance company is renowned for a dynamic body of work inspired by the African American experience and rooted in dance forms and traditions worldwide.

Having recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance returns to the Pillow for the first time in two decades. Their retrospective program features masterworks that draw from a richly diverse and historic repertoire: Ragtime (choreographed by Katherine Dunham), Crossing the Rubicon(choreographed by Donald McKayle), Mary Don’t You Weep (choreographed by Cleo Parker Robinson), Salomé’s Daughters (choreographed by Nejla Yatkin), and Catharsis (choreographed by Garfield Lemonius). 

The Black Legacy Project

Black Legacy Project DocuSeries World Premiere Screening In Honor of Juneteenth

 

In each community the Black Legacy Project travels to, a new episode of the Black LP docuseries is produced, highlighting the Black American experience and the history of race relations in the local community. In celebration of Juneteenth, please join us for the world premiere screening of the pilot episode filmed in the Berkshires followed by a community conversation. Free & open to all! The Black Legacy Project is a musical celebration of Black history to advance racial solidarity, equity, and belonging.

 

Friday June 17th at 7:30PM at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield

Saturday June 18th at 7:30PM at Studio 9 at the Porches Inn in North Adams

Sunday June 19th at 7PM at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington

 

Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience’s Juneteenth Celebration

Tickets start at $12

When: Saturday, June 18th at 8pm

Where: MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA

GRAMMY-winning zydeco all-star, educator, activist, and 8th-generation Louisiana Creole Terrance Simien brings his red-hot band back to MASS MoCA for a special night of music, storytelling, and joy on the eve of Juneteenth to celebrate the holiday. 

AIM Networking Event in Berkshire County

When: Thursday, June 9th 10am-11:30am
Where: Berkshire Innovation Center- 45 Woodlawn Ave Pittsfield, MA

 

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) is thrilled to bring the employers of Western MA and AIM members back together for an in-person networking event.

The community of business leaders will connect for a networking event on June 9th from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. The Berkshire Innovation Center will host the event which is sponsored by AIM member, TD Bank. This event is free and open to all Massachusetts employers. We are pleased to partner with AIM to share this event with Berkshire Black Economic Council members. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity to grow your network and “level-up” your business.

We’ll see you there!

Cravins Soft Serve & Frozen yogurt

 

**Doors Open for the Season**

 
Date: 
May 27th, 2022
 
When: 
Monday-Saturday 12pm-11pm
Sundays 12pm-10pm
 
Where:
119 Elm Street Pittsfield, Ma 01201 Pittsfield MA 01201 

ABOUT CANDACE WASHINGTON


Leadership and professional development guru Candace D. Washington empowers emerging leaders with professional development skills to accelerate performance, take ownership of their growth and thrive at their highest levels.

Her career experience spans Fortune 500 corporations, academia and not-for-profit. Prior to founding Pivotal Impact in 2016, Candace served as Senior Lead of Training and Development at the University of Chicago. She’s an alum of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and received her MBA, with emphasis in Learning and Development, from Roosevelt University.

A keynote speaker with deep-seeded learning and development roots, Candace’s early career experiences as a rising leader included many setbacks that inspired her to hone interpersonal skills and relationship-building strategies for on-the-job success.

Candace established her firm with the mission of helping mid-sized and fast growing organizations empower young professionals/rising leaders with essential professional development tools and inclusive cultures that drive performance, innovation, and belonging. Her clients include CIBC, The University of Chicago, National Urban League, AmeriCorps, University of Illinois and other notable organizations committed to helping their people thrive.

DLE Ownership Workshop: Leading from Any Seat

Wednesday, May 18th 6pm-7pm

Authentic leadership doesn’t rely on titles and “symbols” of power. Rather, it is about achieving results through others. The May 18 virtual DLE Ownership Workshop dissects how you can positively influence others to support and contribute to goals regardless of your job title.

Leadership expert Candace Washington will provide a strategy for developing savvy through self-awareness, managing and communicating up and building relationships. Register now for Leading From Any Seat to learn how to:

Leverage the power of self-awareness to authentically lead yourself and influence others
Apply a communication tool to manage up, influence the work culture you desire and elevate your professional outcomes
Build winning relationships that open doors and advance your career.
The workshop fee is $20.22. A discounted rate is available to DLE members only. To get the promo code, contact dle@dulye.com.

The recording of this workshop will be available to registrants only on the DLE YouTube Channel. Access to this resource is a bonus dividend for attending a DLE Ownership Workshop. 

 

 

 

 

BOYS II Men’s Weekend

 

Saturday, June 4th

Cookout & Car Wash – 12pm – 2pm

Free Hotdogs & Hamburgers

Car Wash $12/each

Free Gospel Rap Concert – 6PM featuring Zion

 

Sunday, June 5th

Service – 11AM Guest Speaker Harold (Zion) Edwards 

 

Contact: 413.212.0130 for any questions 

 

WestSIDE Block Party

Join us for some good time in the community this Memorial Day Weekend!

Saturday, May 28th from 12pm to 4pm

Westside Riverway Park

Food & Games 

 

 

WEST Side summer 2022

Westside Block Party @ Riverway Park

May 28th

 

Harry Bateman Fishing Derby @ Onota Lake’s Frank Controy Pavillion 

June 4th

 

Westside Xtraordinary Day 

June 8th

 

Juneteenth @ Durant Park

June 19th

 

Independence Day Fireworks @ Bousquet 

July 3rd  

 

State of the county 2022 Report release

In collaboration with the Berkshire Leadership Impact Council, Berkshire Benchmarks invites you to the inaugural release of the Berkshire Benchmarks 2022 State of the County Report. Please join us as we highlight the region’s successes and challenges
Date:  May 23rd, 2022
When: 9-11am
Where: Berkshire Innovation Center 45 Woodlawn Ave. Pittsfield MA 01201

 

 

Come join us at 4pm-5:30pm

 

You must be in middle school to join.

 

Located at 163 Linden Street, Pittsfield Ma 01201

 

THIS PROGRAM IS FREE 

Please share this with friends, family, and coworkers to spread the word.

If you have any questions you can message us on messenger or email: tgsclubhouse@gmail.com

TG’s Clubhouse Art Program

April Art Session Dates: 4th, 11th, 18th, & 25th

413 POC

A space created for, by, and in complete commitment to BIPOC Youth in Berkshire County.

Your Voices, Your Experiences, and Your Ideas

We are a group of youth of color who connect biweekly, share stories, relax and go on trips. Any youth of color is welcomed to this space.

If you are interested in joining 413 POC or if you have any questions please contact Regina at regina@rsyp.org (413) 717 1098.

Mondays 4-5pm biweekly   

Hard Conversations in Safe Spaces

You are invited to engage in a self-reflective conversation on the history and impact of dehumanizing language, the “N” word. How we all use language and the extent to which language is a reflection of our innermost thoughts.

Please join us for this important conversation and please share with others.

Panelists:

Dr. Frances Sneed, Dr. Leticia Haynes, Dr. Eden Renee-Hayes, and Pastor Akilah Edgerton

Date:

April 13th, 2022 at 6PM

Where:

Taconic High School 

Meet Artist Iddrisu Saaka
Iddrisu (Iddi) Saaka is an award-winning West African dance and music performance artist and teacher who specializes in Ghanaian dance and music as well as contemporary dance. Saaka holds a Diploma (with distinction) from the University of Ghana and an M.F.A. in Dance from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has performed and taught nationally and internationally.

Jacob’s Pillow “Move with us!”

In-Person West African Dance Community Workshop
Join dancer, storyteller, and drummer Iddrisu Saaka for an exciting workshop exploring Ghanaian culture through movement and storytelling.

Families and participants of all ages are invited to learn the Kpatsa, a traditional recreational dance from the southern part of Ghana, and hear about its cultural background and role in modern Ghana.

All are welcome, open to all levels, no prior experience needed, wear comfortable clothing to move in.

We ask that all participants please observe our COVID-19 Health and Safety policies – please see below.

Sunday, February 20 at 2pm

Common Room
Zion Lutheran Church, 74 First Street, Pittsfield
Part of Love Pittsfield’s 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival

In partnership with the NAACP Berkshire County Branch and
The Town of Great Barrington W.E.B. Du Bois Legacy Committee

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