(And info also in google calendar at bottom of list AND download calendar info at link below! Check out blog posts with updates below google calendar)
Free Skool website link to list of classes for 2nd part of Free Skool Santa Cruz summer session (August and September) – click here
Calendar download for August – September 2022:
- 1st: hand drawn – front
- 2nd: alphabetical list of classes -back
Calendar download for June – July 2022:
- 1st: hand drawn – front.
- 2nd: alphabetical list of classes -back
Note: regarding calendar download – please double check info with google calendar (at bottom of this page) to be sure info is the most up to date (sometimes unavoidable changes occur that aren’t reflected on download-paper calendar).
A radically different approach to living and learning, Free Skool Santa Cruz is a grassroots educational project beyond institutional control. It is an opportunity to learn from each other and share what we know, to foster communities of mutual support and autonomy.
Our summer calendar goes from June 5th to the autumnal equinox (Sept 22). We have two rounds of submissions for adding new classes to our calendar. The first submission deadline was May 31st and the second was in mid-July. All classes will follow the recommended Covid precautions. Please email questions to: freeskoolsantacruz@gmail.com
-Autumn Equinox Ritual – with Ritual Skills Free Skool Class, CANCELED – do your own thing! Equinox still happening! Thursday September 22nd / 5:30 p.m. gather facilitated by Breaking the Heavy Troupe (breakingtheheavy@gmail.com)
Location: At Lighthouse Field, Santa Cruz, CA (look for signs!)
Description: All are welcome to participate in an autumn equinox ritual, hosted by the Ritual Skills Free Skool class. The equinox is when day and night are in balance, that is, they are of equal length – and winter is coming nearer. How do we prepare? Individually? As a community/ies? More info to come as the Ritual Skills Free Skool class crafts an intention for the ritual which will help guide our working together this day.
Materials: Come prepared to spend a couple hours outside in the evening. Bring a water bottle.
Accessibility: The site must be walked into and is not the most wheelchair accessible. Please bring a chair if you’re not able to stand for a long period of time
-B40 and Before B40 – Wednesday, June 22nd / 6 p.m. with Blaize & Michelle (michelle.glowa@gmail.com)
Location: starts at Goss Ave. & N. Branciforte Ave. intersection (walking tour), Santa Cruz, CA
Description: If we look back to the past of our world, we can see that 1973 was an inflection point, a moment when things that had been going in one direction changed course and curved (abruptly and radically) the other way. Approximately 25,000 people live in Aulinta, formerly Santa Cruz. The buildings of the former downtown were moved out of the liquefacting floodplain after the 1989 earthquake. The downtown floodplain and the creeks that feed it are now in an ongoing program of painstaking restoration back into viable and vibrant seasonal wetlands, coastal prairie, and redwood forests. Come learn about B40 as it is in Aulinta and explore who you are in this new world.
Accessibility: There is a steep grade, and we will be walking on dirt.
-Basic DIY Electronics – Saturday, September 17th / 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. with Wang Di Diao (diaowd@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: We’ll learn about power supplies, batteries, and practical skills like how to plug things into each other safely, work with electricity safely, how to replace batteries, and how to make and build electrical circuits that last.
Accessibility: Students need to have use of their hands to be able to participate in this class.
-Basic Songwriting Twists and Tricks! – Saturday, September 3rd / 6 p.m. with Rip (projector.collector@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Description: In this class we will be exploring introductory concepts to songwriting, the building blocks of songs, demystifying the songwriting process, and exploring what contributions we would like to make to ourselves and our community through song.
Materials: Paper/ Pen or digital note-taking device, musical instrument (optional), & availability to share and hold a space of nurture & vulnerability with a group.
-Bike Mechanics for Beginners – Tuesday, August 23rd, / 6 – 8 p.m. with Tessa Nefouse and Justin Valone (thebikechurch@gmail.com)
Location: The Bike Church, 703 Pacific Avenue (enter on Spruce St), Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Bikes can be mysterious and intimidating! In this class we will learn basic bike fixing skills and how to keep your bike rolling. We will cover flat tire repair, adjusting brakes and shifting, and other basic maintenance.
Note: contact us to register at thebikechurch@gmail.com (class cap at 10. 1/2 of slots for WTF).
-Bioregional Herbalism: Get to Know Your Local Plants! – Wednesday, September 14th / 5:30 – 7 p.m. with Magic Nocks (madeleinelkeller@gmail.com)
Location: Meet at Ocean View Park, we will be walking (102 Ocean View Ave, Santa Cruz, CA)
Description: This class is a short intro to medicinal plants growing locally and thinking about how our local climate affects our health needs.
Materials: Notebook and camera if desired.
Accessibility: We will be walking down stairs/a steep grade and nearby a busy street.
-Blue for the People: Community Indigo Vat – Saturday, August 27th / 2 – 4 p.m. with Vicki Winters (onyourleft2@gmail.com
Location: Riverside Gardens Park, 629 Riverside Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Discover the magic of the natural indigo vat and get blue together. Learn how to create patterns with string and stencils, and get to know other natural dye plants in the dye garden at Riverside Gardens Park.
Materials: Bring small pieces of natural fiber cotton or linen clothing or fabric to dip (t-shirt size or smaller). Items should be clean but preferably laundered without fabric softener. Some cotton squares suitable for bandanas will be available if you don’t want to bring your own. Requested donation of $2-5 for materials.
-Children’s Art Class (Ages 7+ though all ages welcome) – POSTPONED for Sunday, September 18th / 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and POSTPONED Friday 23rd / 4 – 6 p.m. – NOW on Thursday, September 29th / 4 – 6 p.m. with Ariella Patchen (ap73999@gmail.com and google form to see who is/how many are interested in the class!
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: session on 18th postponed and session on 23rd still happening! In this children’s art class we will tackle three different types of art styles and media! Our first lesson will explore color and shapes through Matisse-like cutouts. We will then move on to mosaic/tile artwork and learn how to create art on 3-D surfaces. Our final project will be a Frida Kahlo inspired self portrait using collage style methods with items/images students want to bring in! The hope for this class is to create a space where children (or anyone interested in coming) can express themselves without artistic constraints.
Materials: Yes! Before the course I will send out a list of supplies to bring, though I will try to always have extra resources available.
-Community Workout Day – Friday, August 12th / 1 p.m. with Frog is (IG https://instagram.com/froggy.doll)
Location: London Nelson Community Center Lawn, 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Comrades, homies, randos and all meeting up to exercise! It’s hard to exercise sometimes, so we’ll be each other’s gym buddies at the park!
Materials: Just bring water :^)
Accessibility: There is shaded area and benches available. Lawn and sidewalk are both available.
-Creative Writing: Process Writing (a 4 part series) – Tuesdays, August 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th / 6 – 8 p.m. with Samuel Miller (samuelmillerwriting@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: How much does the way we write affect *what* we write? In this course, we’ll focus on creating intentional writing conditions to explore the way it shapes our expression. You are welcome to come to any part of the series.
Materials: Pen and paper.
-Creative Writing Workshop: Intro to Fiction – Tuesday, July 19th, 26th & August 2nd / 6-8 p.m. with Samual Miller (samuelmillerwriting@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: A discussion on the fundamentals of fiction writing with prompts to practice. Then an opportunity to write a short story and share it.
Materials: Pen, paper, and a snack to share.
-Crescent Moon Mending Circle and Tea Social – Saturdays after the new moon (July 2nd, July 30th), 12 p.m. with Laura Tucker (lmtucker@ucsc.edu)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: A social gathering where folks can bring their mending projects and hang out. I have sock darning skills and am learning various forms of mending on YouTube. I also teach hand-sewing stitches and what they are used for.
Materials: Bring your mending projects, sewing supplies and a cup for tea. You might also like to bring a journal for personal use. Donations are not necessary, however poems, quotes, music and songs are always welcome.
-Crochet Windspinners for Beginners – Saturday, August 13th / 2 – 5 p.m. with cát linh tran (caitlinctran@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Learning how to crochet the basic stitches and introduction to how to start off crocheting anything. Class suitable for beginner to intermediate crocheters! Come with multiple colors of lightweight yarn and 3-4mm crochet hooks. If not available then materials from Fábrica will be provided. We will be making windspinners! Feel free to bring anything else that you would like to use, share, or provide for the class.
Materials: bring a crochet hook 4-5mm. However I might be able to borrow some.
-Cultivating Compost – Wednesday, June 29th / 4:30-6 with Peter (peterdeandiz@gmail.com)
Location: Hardcore Compost Site, Shaffer Rd., Santa Cruz, CA (next to Homeless Garden Project)
Description: Come and learn about the joys of composting! In this class we will go over the basics of food waste and its management in Santa Cruz County. If you’re interested in learning about the structures of food systems from a systemic and microbial level- then this is the class for you!
Materials: Recommend wearing closed-toe shoes and pants.
-Drag Ultimate Frisbee Meetup – Saturdays, August 20th and September 3rd / 3:30 p.m. withMagic Nocks (madeleinelkeller@gmail.com)
Location: Grant St. Park (150 Grant St, Santa Cruz, CA)
Description: Let your freak flag AND your frisbee fly! Come play a game of ultimate in a queer-friendly space. No experience required, ultimate frisbee is a no-contact support and able to accommodate a range of athletic abilities. Dress up optional but highly encouraged!
Materials: Bring a frisbee if you own one!
Accessibility: Ultimate frisbee involves some running and a basic ability to throw/catch a frisbee.
-East Meadow Walk – Tuesday, September 6th / 6 p.m. with Nadia and Michelle (michelle.glowa@gmail.com)
Location : The East Meadow – Hagar Ct and Coolidge Dr (UCSC Campus)
Description: Join us to learn about the incredibly rich cultural and natural history of the East Meadow, the UC’s plans to develop and destroy this place, and what you can do to help save the meadow!
Accessibility: This walk will be on uneven trails.
-Emma Goldman’s Autobiography – Discussion Group – Thursday, July 7th & 28th (note: date change and previously scheduled for 21st) / 5:30-7 p.m. with will (willparrish2017@protonmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Emma Goldman is one of Euroamerican history’s best-known anarchists and fiercest feminist voices. She was also a legendary free spirit who saw no reason for revolutionaries to deprive themselves of beautiful and joyful things. Her autobiography Living My Life covers her life from childhood to 1927. During the first session, we’ll discuss chapters 1-11, as well as decide collectively which chapters to read for the second session!
Materials: Bringing your own copy of the book would be nice. And feel free to bring an offering for a temporary altar to anarchist ancestors.
-Fábrica Open Hours – Saturdays / 2-5 p.m. and Mondays / 1-4 p.m. with Fábrica Collective (thefabrica@thefabrica.org)
Location: The Fábrica, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: The Fábrica is a community workspace where folks can come to learn and share knowledge about textiles arts. This includes Sewing, Knitting, Quilting, Embroidery, Crochet, and Bookbinding, among others. The workshop is operated by volunteers and funded by donations from participants.
Materials: We have sewing machines as well as generous amounts of fabric, zippers, notions, and the other tools and supplies one needs for most sewing and yarn-based projects. There is no charge to use the shop, but please consider a $5-10 donation to help with our operating costs.
Accessibility: Classes will take place in the courtyard or shop space of the Fabrica. The shop and courtyard are level with the sidewalk, with no steps up or down. A flexible range of participation is available and no previous sewing experience is needed. If you want to participate in the hands-on part of the class, it involves sitting in a chair at a table for 10-15 minutes at a time, some manual dexterity, and moderate to high visual acuity. The class will use spoken English and there will not be a sign language interpreter but you can bring interpreters or support people of any kind you may need. The Fabrica is approximately 450 feet from the Metro Station downtown, with city sidewalks with regular curb cuts between the station and the Fabrica.
-Fall Equinox Apple Picking, Plus Apple Press – Saturday, September 24th / 10 a.m. with Pete Brook (prisonphotography@gmail.com)
Location: Corralitos (RSVP for directions and address)
Description: Pick apples at your leisure in an old orchard. Learn about local apple histories. Grind and press, bring a bottle and take home fresh juice.
Materials: Bring a jug and/or basket for harvesting.
Accessibility: The apple orchard has a small gradient that might be challenging for folks with limited mobility.
-Find Solid Ground: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Practice Group – every Monday from July 4th to August 22nd / 5 p.m., with Laurence White (laurenceadrienwhite@gmail.com)
Location: Zoom (contact instructor at laurenceadrienwhite@gmail.com for URL!)
Description: I will be teaching skills from the therapeutic modality dialectical behavior therapy. Specifically the two modules emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Each class will include instruction, discussion and even in session skills use. Each class will be an hour, but preferably an hour and twenty minutes. I have over two hundred hours of experience facilitating DBT. Ideally folks commit to the whole series, as it is cumulative, but if folks want to join for a class that’s ok too! You still might pick something up.
Materials: any items students might need will be commonly found in a house. The instructor will give a heads-up before each session concerning what students need to bring to the next class.
-Fire Walk with Me – Sunday, August 28th / 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Facilitated by Maya Elson, Michelle Glowa and Taye Bright (michelle.glowa@gmail.com)
Location: Carpool/caravan leaves Santa Cruz at 9:30, hike in Bonny Doon 10-12:30pm – Here is the registration link. Location details will be emailed to you once you submit this form – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS8oXzdWmHI1MsRVK9tcS1mt2X4rtDI6R2RJ885QFdsD4Zrg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Description: Take a walk on fired side in a rural neighborhood in Bonny Doon within the CZU burn scar. We’ll explore the history of fire in our bioregion, and the role of colonialism and capitalism in throwing fire out of balance with the other elements. We can take time to grieve the impacts of megafire, and find inspiration in the incredible resilience of our human and ecological community. We’ll explore what’s growing in the post-fire landscape and see some of the study sites used in CoRenewal’s post fire fungal inoculation research. Join us to explore the myriad of ways that we can take action to make catastrophic megafires less catastrophic and to reimagine how to live in relationship to fire moving forward.
-First Aid Fundamentals for a Protest Environment – Sunday, July 17th / 1-3pm with Tyler McCann-Acosta (510-910-2323)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: First aid fundamentals, including how to treat penetrating injuries at a BLS level, how to splint arm and shoulder injuries, eye rinsing, and other Stop the Bleed skills.
Materials: Wound simulators, medical supplies for training purposes (trauma dressings, tourniquets, chest seals).
-Fresh Indigo: Salt Rub Method – Tuesday, July 12th / 6-8 p.m. with Vicki Winters (onyourleft2.gmail.com)
Location: Riverside Gardens Park, 629 Riverside Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Salt rub with fresh indigo is a simple yet magical dye process that yields beautiful color on silk and silk/cotton fabrics.
Materials: Bring a large plastic, glass or stainless steel bowl and silk or silk blend fiber to dye (silk scarves available to purchase.)
-Herbal Mutual Aid: Community Medicine-Making – Monday, June 20th / 5 p.m. with Michelle G. (https://schma.weebly.com/)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Join us to make herbal medicine for distribution through Food Not Bombs and other community events! We will bring the plant friends and supplies. Please only come if you are feeling well and please bring a mask!
-Guitar Church: how to take care of your guitar (or other stringed instrument) – Friday August 26th / 5 p.m. with BB Lange (they/them) (IG contract: https://instagram.com/swell_guitar)
Location: Ocean View Park, 102 Ocean View Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Guitars! Magical tools but like all of us magical beings, they need some tlc now and again. How to help it help you have the most fun playing.
Materials: An instrument (if you have one), strings (if you’d like to change them), a string winder/cutter wouldn’t hurt but isn’t necessary. If your instrument came with any little wrenches or other tools, bring them!
Accessibility: light to moderate manual dexterity.
-Intro to Hand-Stitching – Sunday, June 26th (session canceled) & do go on July 24th / 1-3 p.m. with Anastasia Oleson (Anastasia.oleson@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Learn hand-stitching tricks and techniques for beginners. This class will instill the skills needed for practical mending of cloth items and introductory embroidery practice.
Materials: Scissors, universal needles, pins+case or cushion. Optional embroidery needles, embroidery hoop, embroidery floss, cloth items they want to mend.
-Intro to Lyric Writing and Performance – Monday, August 8th and 22nd / 6 – 7 p.m. with Daniella (6treetime6@gmail.com)
Location: on 8/8 – Ocean View Park and on 8/22 – SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Students will learn skills about creative expression from a teacher who has undergone 8 years of choir and released two albums (all original songs). Students will be empowered to show their imagination and will be exposed to a variety of writing styles and encouraged to explore the cultural and sound diversity of music.
Materials: Notebooks suggested, pen and paper provided.
Accessibility: Perfect for students of all ages and levels. English and Spanish speaking.
-Intro to Mindfulness – Sunday, September 4th / 1 p.m. with Stefania Cotei (stefaniacotei@gmail.com)
Location: Spring Street entrance of Pogonip
Description: Many neuroscience studies show how mindfulness changes the way our brains work: it helps us deal with various emotions, improves our learning and communication, and helps us get rid of our addictions. It leads us to discover oneness, interconnection and love. We live in a world more and more stained by hate, violence, discrimination, racism, disrespect and destruction of our environment. Mindfulness practices and the compassion they unveil help us become aware of and begin to undo these unconscious elements of our social conditioning. Mindfulness helps us quiet the mind and open the heart to see with clarity and compassion. This in turn helps us respond wisely to the world around us, tending and caring for each other. This course will introduce the concept of mindfulness and explore basic ways of how we can practice it to help us respond to stress positively, identify our emotions without judgment, and love the present moment we are in.
-Intro to Writing Poetry – Every Tuesday in September / 6 – 8 p.m. with Taylor Gorman (985-778-5050, yimyamet@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: I have a Master’s in Poetry, and I’ve taught poetry at the college and HS level, so I wanted to share what I do, but for free. The class focuses on creating meaningful images, how to edit succinctly, and how poetry can connect us. We’ll also read a lot of non-white dude poets and discuss what modern poetry means.
Materials: Other than a pen and paper, I will print and provide everything for everyone in the class. I’ll even bring the pens and paper, if need be.
Accessibility: This class is open to any and everyone, though we may discuss some poems that deal with mature content.
-Jessie Street Marsh iNaturalist BioBlitz – Wednesday, September 21th / 6 p.m. with Vicki Winters (ecosocialism@dsasantacruz.org)
Location: meet at corner of Jessie Street and Barson Street, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Join the DSA Santa Cruz Ecosocialist Working Group in the Jessie Street Marsh for an iNaturalist BioBlitz event. We’ll be using the iNaturalist app to record observations of plants and animals in the freshwater and saltwater marsh habitats in this little-known city greenspace (see https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/jessie-street-marsh for more info.) Why do we want to document the species in the Marsh? For over 20 years, the city of Santa Cruz has shirked its legal obligation to preserve and restore this urban wetland and instead has managed the habitat to the specifications of the police department. Rather than wait for the city to conduct a full biological survey of the wetlands habitat it has mismanaged over the years, we can take collective action to create a research-quality record of the biodiversity there.
Materials: Bring a phone or other device to download and use the iNaturalist app. Or bring a camera, notebook, or sketchpad if you want to do your documentation offline.
-Journaling in Nature: Observing outward and within – Friday, September 2nd / 2 p.m. with Tiffany Thisner (IG https://instagram.com/tiffavision)
Location: Enchanted Trail Trailhead. There’s not a numbered address for it, but google will direct people to it. Here is the map link. https://goo.gl/maps/2vekEPdNQNje7vyw5
Description: Join a nature walk with guided journaling practices, including nature sketching, writing, and meditation.
Materials: Students can bring a journal, pencil, and art supplies, but I can also provide paper and pens for those who don’t have one.
Accessibility: We will go on an easy hike/walk and take frequent stops for journaling exercises. Students are invited to wear comfy walking shoes.
-Let’s Make Buttons! – Sunday, August 21 / 3 p.m. with Jacín (full.moon.rising.tides@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: I’m very fond of buttons – the round badges that you can pin to so many things! And I like making them. And I enjoy hanging out with folk. So let’s do all of this together! I’ll bring a couple of button makers and supplies and we can make buttons and share them with each other.
Materials: Bring ideas / images / playlist for us to listen to / snacks / and I’ll come prepared so just bringing yourself is great too!
-LiveLoop Lesson- Friday September 16th / 5:30 p.m. with Weston Mossman (https://instagram.com/swayor_music and wmossmaneston@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Learn how to use a simple loop pedal to have fun, compose, practice and perform music for less than $100. Great for musicians of all skill levels. – Demo / – Introductiong to loopin / – Group Lesson / – Tips / – End by all making a livelooped song together
Materials: Voices, instruments, sound objects, or nothing.
-Make your own Astrology Chart – Session postponed, new date TBD with penske, community astrologer (penske.pocket@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: This class will take you through the basic building blocks of a natal (birth) astrology chart through drawing your own chart by hand. These days, we rely on computers to generate our charts, but this can be done by hand as well and can help you deepen your connection to your chart. We will cover the houses, angles, and planets.
Materials: Supplies will be provided but please come with a copy of your own astrology chart to reference.
Accessibility: This class will focus on western astrology solely.
-Making Stuff with Junk – Tuesday, August 9th / 1 p.m. with Angela (IG https://instagram.com/froggy.doll)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: From timers made of water to shelves customized with string, we’ll be getting creative with making contraptions and fixing things with everyday materials. Why? Cuz its fun and funky.
-Mutual Listening as a Tool for Activists (or, How I gathered Almost 2,000 Signatures and Enjoyed the Heck Out of It) – Mondays, August 29th, September 5th, 12th, 19th / 5 – 6:30 p.m. with Roland Saher (rolandsaher@gmail.com; 831-295-6106)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Participants take turns talking and listening to each other for clearer thinking and more effective action. This class is designed specifically for activists.
Accessibility: People must be willing and able to take turns listening (strongly recommended that people abstain from drugs and alcohol for 24 hrs prior to a class).
-The Participation of Women in Global Revolutionary Struggle – Saturday, July 16th (note: date changed) and 23rd / 1 p.m. AND Saturday, August 6th (on zoom) and 13th / 1 – 2:30 p.m and August 20th / 11:30 with Ariella Patchen (ap73999@gmail.com)
Location: Tabby Cat Cafe, 1101 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA / note: Class on August 6th is on zoom at this url: tinyurl.com/bdebcjue (others at Tabby Cat)
Description: In this collective course I would like to think about how women in liberation movements, such as the Zapatista, Kurdish, Palestinian, and Black Panther Party, have opened up space for women to form connections with one another while challenging both external and internal patriarchal gender dynamics. We will focus on reading mainly auto-biographical accounts from women in each movement and then work on collaborative art making that represents what we have learned from the readings. This can look like portraits, print-making, poetry, dance, etc! As we engage with this material I would like us to focus on what we can learn from each movement, and how it relates to us as we work towards making revolutionary alternatives and combatting patriarchy in our own lives.
Any donation fine! Would just need help covering art supplies.
Materials: Supplies like canvas, painting materials, fabric, beads, etc.
-Practicing Abolitionist Principles in daily life & Lgbtqi+ Inmate snail mail workshops – Every second Sunday, June 12th, July 10th, August 14th, September 11th / 1-4:30 p.m. with Stephanie/Burrito (Little.Burrito@yahoo.com)
Location: The Slough Brewing Collective, 65 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA
Description: These courses will be open conversations about the ways we can reach out and advocate for LGBTQI+ Inmates, sharing statistics, the cycles of entering incarceration and the prison system, and how we can shift our way of engaging with others around us, approach and resolve conflicts in ways that no longer adhere to structures of the carceral state (cancel culture, detention, time out, silent treatment, “ghosting” etc). The classes include art as a healing form and we will be making letters, photography, postcards and other pieces of snail mail to send to LGBTQI+ Prisoners!
Donations are always welcome to help fund the postcards and materials! If people are interested in directly sending funds to inmate commissary we will have a qr code that leads to that.
Materials: We will have some postcards and materials available, most prisons only accept color pencils and ballpoint pen.
-Pregnant Picnic: a hangout for radical pregnant people – Friday, August 19th / 6 p.m. with penske preggers (penske.pocket@gmail.com)
Location: Ocean View Park, 102 Ocean View Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: I’m pregnant and I want to be around other pregnant people! This will be a lightly facilitated space that is mostly about sharing, having fun, and finding camaraderie around the experience of pregnancy. Kids, partners, and friends are welcome!
Materials: Feel free to bring a fav snack or drinks to share and blankets/chairs to make yourself comfortable.
Accessibility: This will be a welcome space for all genders and bodies that are pregnant. Not all pregnant people are women. I ask others to come with openness and the ability to hold all experiences.
-Queer Poetry in the Forest – Thursday, June 16th, 23rd, 30th / 6-8 p.m. with River Eisenbach (They/Them)
Location: meet at Pogonip at the Spring Street entrance, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: In this class we will read poems from various queer and trans poets in an outdoor space. We will read poetry, discuss said poems, and write our own poetry as well. We will explore queer theory, the concepts of how the personal is political, nature, and analysis of poetry.
-Queer Yoga – Wednesday June 15th / 5-6 p.m. with Sapphire Yoga Collective (chloe.m.rosen@gmail.com or instagram @sapphireyogacollective)
Location: Ocean View Park, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: This is an all-levels yoga flow for queer, trans, and nonbinary identified folks. No prior experience necessary. The class incorporates traditional yogic practices including philosophy, meditation, pranayama (breathing) and asana (physical postures) — which stem from India — through a queer/abolitionist lens. Queer spaces are INVALUABLE, and queer yoga spaces, in particular, are radical by nature, as connection with the mind/body/spirit is essential in caring for oneself and thus practicing collective/community care.
Donations are kindly appreciated to compensate teachers for thoughtful preparation. Any donations appreciated.
Materials: Yoga mat or towel, water, blocks (if needed).
-Radical Political Theory Reading Group – Thursdays, 1:30-4:30, August 4th, 11, 18th, 25th / 1:30-4:30 p.m. with Gabriel (gabrielmindel@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: In this reading group we are exploring political theory in two senses of the word “radical”. First we are looking at texts that are from of the edges of contemporary political theory – feminist care, black anarchism, autonomous zones, anonymity, abolition – ideas of politics and the political that are original, that defy convention, and that challenge our notions of what is acceptable to say, do or think. The second sense is one that takes seriously the origins of the word “radical”, suggesting “roots” or the hidden networks underground that both give strength to the foundations of political activity, and that draw into it the necessary elements for flourishing. We will be looking at contemporary works of political theory that seek to transform the world from the (under)ground up.
Each week we’ll read one short book and have a discussion facilitated by our small collective. Everything we’ll read has been published in the last two years, giving us a chance to engage in a diverse collection of new ideas about how we change the world.
Please contact in advance to find out more about the reading group and to get our reading list! – gabrielmindel@gmail.com
Materials: We’ll be reading a short book every week. It’s highly encouraged that folks get a hard copy of the books, most of which cost about $15 new. Anyone unable to afford this can get a pdf/ebook copy for free. However you do it, please read as much as you can before we meet! Folks are also encouraged to bring snacks, food or beverages to share.
-Really Really Free Market – Every second Sunday, June 12th, July 10th, August 14th, September 11th / 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the Really Really Free Market Crew (SubRosa@riseup.net)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: ¡Tianguis Realmente Gratuito! Todo es gratis. Really Really Free Market – 11am-2pm. No money. No trades. Everything is free. This gathering is not about the “stuff” we give and take, but more about how we can freely give and receive from each other. ¡Todo gratis! No intercambio de dinero, no negocios, no trueques. Trae lo que gustes, toma lo que necesites. Este mercado gratuito es basado en una economía de regalar.
-Ritual Skills (Reclaiming influenced style) – Thursday, September 15 / 6 p.m. with Breaking the Heavy Troupe (breakingtheheavy@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: This class will focus on ritual skills, including those we have learned and practiced from the Reclaiming witchcraft tradition (which combines a commitment to spirit and anarchistic engagement with the world). We’ll go over some basic elements of magic and practice techniques. The hope is that participants in this class will help facilitate a public equinox ritual the following week! More about Reclaiming at https://reclaimingcollective.wordpress.com/principles-of-unity/
Materials: a journal and writing implement
-Salsa Dance Club Basics – Saturday, July 9th / 9:30-10:15 a.m. AND Saturday, August 13th / 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. with Annalisa Carrillo-Fulk (Salsawithanna@gmail.com)
Location: Seabright Beach, lifeguard tower 2-3
Description: Salsa Dance is a massively popular culmination of dance styles, rooted in Afro-Cuban dances. Learning the basic Salsa rhythm will not only be your ticket to jumping onto the dance floor with some new moves, but give you a foundation for your own style, creativity and Salsa “sabor”/flavor that you can enjoy developing over time. I’ll teach a few go-to movements then we’ll dance all together to a few of my favorite songs. THIS CLASS WILL TEACH FOOTWORK INDIVIDUALLY AND WILL NOT INCLUDE PARTNER DANCING.
Materials: No flip flops; tennis shoes or athletic shoes are ideal.
Accessibility limitations to note: we’ll be dancing in uneven sand, outdoors. People can dance barefoot or with socks/shoes if they dont mind getting those getting very very sandy. Bring sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses).
-Securing your digital presence – Tuesday, June 28th / 6 p.m. with Jacob (fskoolsc@jonesjacob.com)
Location: SubRosa, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: There is no such thing as 100% secure, but we will work you help you understand your threats and what you can do to mitigate them. We will cover protecting online logins as well as discussions about encryption and secure communications.
Materials: Bring something to take notes with.
-Socialist Stitch and Bitch – Every third Sunday, June 19th, July 17th, August 21st, September 18th / 2-3:30 p.m. with Vicki Winters (instagram: @dsasantacruz.org, onyourleft2@gmail.com)
Location: Tabby Cat Cafe, 1101 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, CA (NOTE: location changed for Sunday July 17 – now at Lupulo Craft Beer House 233 Cathcart St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA)
Description: Join us for a session of hand stitching and the ruthless critique of all that exists! (co-sponsored by DSA Santa Cruz Auntie Fa Caucus).
Materials: Bring along your own embroidery, knitting, crochet, or other other handwork. Beginners welcome! Yarn, needles, thread and fabric will be supplied if you want to learn to knitting or creative mending.
-Star Lovers Club: Equinox Edition – Sunday, September 25th / 7:30 p.m. with penske (penske.pocket@gmail.com)
Location: Twin Gates (on Empire Grade)
Description: Join us on the new moon at Twin Gates just after sunset to stare at the sky! We will learn and share constellations and star stories as well as learn about the general layout of the night sky. Please come with warm layers, blankets and chairs if needed! Snacks and drinks to share are always welcome!
Materials: Please come with warm layers, blankets and chairs if needed! Snacks and drinks to share are always welcome!
Accessibility: The site must be walked into. Please park on the side of Empire Grade above or below the twin gates entrance. We will be on the ocean side of twin gates and there will be lights showing the entrance. Clouds in town do not cancel because it is often clear at Twin Gates even if overcast in town.
-Tenants Rights in Santa Cruz series – Sunday, June 26th, July 24th, August 28th, September 18th / 3 p.m. with Zav Hershfield (tenantsanctuarysc@gmail.com, 831-200-0740)
Location: Tenant Sanctuary’s office, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: This course will be a series of presentations on basic tenants rights. A different topic will be covered in each class. Topics will include “getting your landlord to make repairs,” “privacy and landlord harassment,” “rent increases,” and “tenant associations: the right to organize with your neighbors.”
-T-shirt Screen Printing – Tuesday June 21st / 2 p.m. with KID (Verdantmiasma@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: Do you love art AND wear clothes?! Well, with screenprinting you can turn your art INTO clothes! You can even just print words in a cool font or random meaningless shapes or something! Who’s going to stop you? Anybody can do it! Come get messy and learn about how fun and frustrating it is to make your new favorite shirt! An info zine will be provided and a live communal print demo will be going down so bring stuff to print on and stuff to print in!
Materials: Stuff to print on!
-UCSC Radical History Walking Tour – Tuesday, September 20th / 1 – 3 p.m. with Will Parrish (willparrish2017@protonmail.com)
Location: Meet in front of Bay Tree Bookstore, UCSC
Description: Stories of Indigenous people, freedom fighters, feminists, labor struggles, and communes at UCSC, as well as the forests and streams and non-human critters of the land UCSC occupies, come to life in this two-hour walking tour. We’ll start at Bay Tree Plaza and conclude at the Great Meadow in lower campus.
Materials: Sunscreen, hat, plenty of water.
Accessibility: This walking tour will span a distance of approx. 1.5 miles. Contact me at willparrish2016-at-gmail-dot-com to request a shuttle. Also contact me if you’d like to join a carpool up to campus.
-Why Knot? A Knot-Tying Workshop – Saturday July 16th / 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with will (willparrish2017@protonmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: We’ll practice tying several basic knots for outdoor use, and, just as importantly, we’ll overview when to use them! We will cover the clove hitch, bowline, trucker’s hitch, taut line, double figure 8, and alpine butterfly – and more if there’s time.
Materials: I will bring a variety of ropes, but I invite you to bring your own as well.
-Woven Roots – discussion group for mixed-race people – Sunday, September 25th / 3pm with Jacín (full.moon.rising.tides@gmail.com)
Location: SubRosa Courtyard, 703 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA
Description: This is a space for mixed-race folk to come together and share about our experiences – celebrations, curiosities, confusions and more! We’ll read Dr. Maria P. Root’s “Bill of Rights for People of Mixed Heritage” from 1993. How does the writing still resonate now? What is missing? How do we relate to the writing? This can provide an opportunity for us to reflect on our past and present experiences and larger social context and share what we will. It’s my intention that we collectively create a welcoming and mutually-supportive space for us mixed-race folk, and I’ve so much appreciated and valued these connections at other times.
Materials: Bring items for an ancestor altar if you wish.
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