NEIGHBORS BEING NEIGHBORS IN THE NORTH LOOP

Community partners include North Loop Neighborhood Association and Avivo. 

The North Loop is a unique neighborhood, home to both upscale condos and rentals and high-income residents, and several organizations sheltering low-income residents in need of housing. In light of recent conflict over a homeless encampment in North Loop, this project seeks to establish a shared vision for what needs to happen for all community members to feel safe, have shelter, and ensure support for the most vulnerable. 

The project kicked off last month with a jointly hosted performance of zAmya’s play, Second Chance, at the Target Field Station Amphitheater. With the performance as a springboard for conversation, community members are invited to three “listening sessions” this fall. The interactive workshops will promote deep dialogue and listening between North Loop residents, housed and homeless. The conversations will inform the development of a new play about the North Loop, and shared back to the community in a play reading next February. 

Emily Bastian, Vice President of Avivo, says, "We hope to find a way for people with lived experience of homelessness and housed neighbors to see each other as peers with equal strength, investment, and knowledge, and recognize each other's humanity. I want them to have dialogue and take creative action.”

When and Where

Date / Date: Mon. 10/3

• Time: 7:00-9:00pm
• Location: Avivo Village
• Who’s invited: Avivo Village residents
• Masks: required

Date / Date: Mon. 10/24

• Time: 7:00-9:00pm
• Location: Element Minneapolis Downtown (501 N 6th Ave)
• Who’s invited: anyone housed, who lives and/or works, in North Loop
• Masks: encouraged

Date / Date: Mon. 11/14

• Time: 7:00-9:00pm
• Location: Avivo Village (1251 Washington Ave. N.)
• Who’s invited: everyone who lives, works, or stays in North Loop
• Masks: required

Registration: Registration is encouraged (though not required) 

More about the project and partners:

The North Loop Neighborhood Association is an organization consisting of and conducted by the residents, property owners, and business owners of the North Loop Neighborhood. They strive to foster a strong community rich in diversity of ideas, talents, people and property, promoting a climate of safety, livability, and improvement through public neighborhood meetings, communication and advocacy.

Avivo's mission is to increase well-being through recovery and career advancement while working to end homelessness. Avivo believes every human deserves housing. Avivo uniquely pairs its housing and shelter services whenever possible with medical care, treatment, mental health services, employment services and training to create personal paths to better health and housing. More than 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness find and maintain their housing through Avivo's ending homelessness services including Avivo Village, an indoor tiny homes shelter with wrap-around services that helps individuals move on to permanent housing.

Since 2004, zAmya Theater Project has been changing hearts and minds through performances and workshops across Minnesota, with partners including: Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District, Hennepin Theater Trust, Southwest Minnesota Housing Project, and The Guthrie Theater. zAmya believes theater can change the narrative of homelessness. Our performances grow from stories lived by participants because if we want to unravel the housing crisis, we have to unravel their experiences. Informed by advocates and direct service providers, zAmya is led by professional artists, and employs a core group of actors who’ve experienced homelessness and both develop creative content and guide the direction of the company.

Learn more at: https://zamyatheater.org/northloop