Here are our latest updates for public workshops, speaking engagements, writing, and more.
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Upcoming NCPH & Creative Futures Workshop Series
In this participatory virtual workshop series, the Creative Futures team (Linda Norris, Braden Paynter, and Stacey Marie Garcia) will facilitate three workshops for public historians to strengthen our skills and our relationships. Attendees can register for any of the three, or get a discount when registering for all three.
Workshop 1: Basic Facilitation and Introduction to Dialogic Work | April 10, 2026, 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET
In this first foundational workshop, the Creative Futures team will introduce dialogic facilitation in public history and the classroom. You’ll learn dialogic approaches to discussing history and engaging people in meaningful conversations. The workshop will cover these key questions:
What’s needed to listen carefully?
How can dialogic questions be used in the workplace and classroom?
What do we need to understand about ourselves and others to have meaningful dialogue?
Workshop 2: ethics conversations | April 17, 2026, 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET
In the second workshop, the Creative Futures team will discuss ethical communication externally (with the public or students) and internally and explore how to communicate our ethical positions around difficult issues in ways that retain room for connection, learning, and understanding. The workshop will cover these key questions:
Are your organization’s ethics and values statements reflected in the way communication happens?
How to engage in conversations without reverting to binary thinking?
How do organizational and field-wide codes of ethics support (or not) ethical communication?
How do transparency and ethics connect in our communication?
How do we create ethical leaders in the next generation?
Workshop 3: Up & Down the ladder: organizational and classroom communication | may 8, 2026, 2:00 – 3:30 pm ET
In this final workshop, the Creative Futures team will focus on internal organizational communication and share a framework for reflecting on how power and decision making is distributed in your organization. The workshop will cover these key questions:
What do we need to understand about how power is distributed and held within an organization or classroom to effectively communicate?
How can power and decision-making be shared?
What systematic changes could be made to improve the communication?
How do we listen to points of view we strongly disagree with when institutional hierarchies are involved?
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Braver Together: Strengthening Civil & Human Rights
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 10:30-12PM EDT
Strengthening civic structures and supporting civil and human rights takes bravery.
Individual acts of heroism can be inspiring, but movements and consistent change are built through collective bravery. This pay what you can interactive virtual session will draw on experiences from across the country and around the world to offer tools and frameworks for cultural workers to ignite bravery around themselves and be forces for positive change.
Check out our free Braver Together Workbook here.
Past Workshops 2025-2026
Stories: Imagining New Possibilities
Tuesday, March 24, 12PM EST
No matter what kind of cultural organization you work in, there are stories embedded there: of power, of change, of the same old same old, and sometimes even some new stories. How can we refocus our storytelling efforts to encourage meaningful learning and conversation? In this active, participatory webinar, we’ll consider our own blind spots and share some techniques for refocusing narratives and helping your communities and visitors understand those choices. You’ll come away with useful tips, clear examples, and as always, a chance to connect with colleagues.
Building Bold Futures Over & Under the Radar
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 12-1:30PM EDT
Facing increased repression and censorship, cultural workers are at a crossroads. How do we not just resist, but proactively build the world we envision? This participatory virtual workshop is an invitation for cultural workers to build solidarity and shared knowledge. Together, we'll explore historical and global examples of "over and under the radar" cultural strategies. We'll learn from each other, share experiences, and collectively brainstorm innovative approaches to build a brave, creative, and just future
Good Neighbors During Slow & Fast Disasters
Thursday, September 18, 2025 1-2:30PM EDT
Communities are better able to face disasters when their cultural institutions take an active role in building resilience. In recent years cultural organizations have made an impact responding to fast disasters like fires and floods. It is equally important that they help respond to “slow disasters”, things like gentrification and climate change. This workshop will bring cultural workers together to learn and share about how they have responded to slow and fast disasters, and how we can better support resilient communities.