Announcing the OF/BY/FOR ALL First Wave

OF/BY/FOR ALL is a project about action. We're building a Change Network to help bold leaders to take action to make their institutions of, by, and for all.

The Change Network is starting this October with twenty organizations--the First Wave. The First Wave is a prototype. First Wave organizations will set specific goals for deepening community involvement. They will test out new tools and activities to achieve those goals. And then we'll use what we learn from the First Wave to build a strong Change Network for everyone.

We want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who applied for the First Wave. We had 72 applicants, ranging from grassroots circuses to national museums. There were artist collectives, seminaries, libraries, health clinics, and refugee centers. It was hard to pick twenty.

In the end, we picked a First Wave that reflects diversity of geography, size, and sector. The First Wave includes 6 museums, 5 performing arts orgs, 3 public libraries, 3 parks, and 3 community centers. Half are led by people of color or indigenous people. We represent six countries and ten time zones.

There are some limits on the diversity of the First Wave. We added these constraints so we can learn as much as possible from the prototype. We picked organizations with teams that felt fully able to communicate in English and very comfortable with new technology tools. We chose organizations with focus and clarity on why community involvement matters to their work. We chose organizations who seemed ready to dive in immediately, so we can see whether OF/BY/FOR ALL tools help fuel their efforts.

With no further ado, here is the beautiful, brave, and wide-ranging First Wave:

• Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz, CA, USA (host site)
• National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, USA
• Techniquest in Cardiff, Wales, UK
• HistoryMiami Museum in Miami, FL, USA
• Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center in Niagara Falls, NY, USA
• Immigration Museum in Melbourne, VIC, Australia
• Te Manawa in Palmerston North, Aotearoa, NZ
• Stedelijk Museum Schiedam in Schiedam, Netherlands
• Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI, USA
• Oakland Symphony in Oakland, CA, USA
• Marfa Public Radio in Marfa, TX, USA
• Laundromat Project in New York, NY, USA
• ARTZ Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA, USA
• Oakland Public Library in Oakland, CA, USA
• St. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, IN, USA
• Dakota County Library in Eagan, MN, USA
• Los Angeles River State Park Partners in Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Divis and Black Mountain in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
• Movement BE in San Diego, CA, USA
• Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition in Minneapolis, MN, USA
• Genesis Centre in Calgary, AB, Canada

Over the coming months, we'll share updates from the First Wave and what we're learning. Eventually, you'll hear stories from First Wavers themselves. We can't wait to learn and build the Change Network with these organizations in the months to come.