The Charlotte Center Forum featuring Priya Sircar

Participate in the important questions of our time. The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that brings people together to explore challenges and opportunities that affect human flourishing through the lens of the humanities and civic imagination.

You’re invited to the January 22, 2025 gathering of The Forum featuring Priya Sicar.

Calling all creators and supporters of the arts in Charlotte. It's time for a conversation. 

Just how creative is Charlotte? Do we have the right activities and plan in place to support the creative ecosystem of the city? What’s holding us back and how might we move forward?

Priya Sircar has surprising answers.

After the release of a groundbreaking Charlotte Arts + Culture Plan, the city has reverted to familiar methods, philosophies, and funding structures for the arts, even when many artists and supporters maintain those approaches no longer serve the growth and sustainability of the arts—or never did. This conversation will address where we've been and what we might do to support new realities for arts and culture in Charlotte.

The Forum will explore the dynamics of arts and cultural activity, policy, funding and practice, and the choices we have made and will make that will shape the future of the region.

Priya Sircar is Founder of Road Openers, LLC, whose mission is to help people and ideas achieve their full potential by connecting them to collaborators, resources, and creative energy. Priya has supported arts and culture in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County since 2018, first as Director of Arts at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and then as the City of Charlotte's inaugural Arts and Culture Officer.  

Priya has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master's in Arts Administration from Columbia University. She is a dancer-choreographer, poet, and award-winning filmmaker.

Moderated by David ‘Dae-Lee’ Arrington

David ‘Dae-Lee’ Arrington is a Grammy nominated producer,Telly Award-winning writer, leadership coach, and creative entrepreneur. He is the owner of Bridge Building Consulting, co-owner of Hue House creative agency, founding member of Fair Play Music Equity Initiative, and host of the Bridge Builder Conversations podcast.

Connect. Consider. Ignite. Doors open at 6:00 to mix and mingle. The program runs from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A.

The Forum has a three-part structure:

• First third: Participants connect in small break-out groups prompted by a question;

• Middle third: Participants consider a presentation by a guest speaker that ends with a question posed to the audience;

• Final third: Participants discuss the question, igniting new ideas and possibilities.

THE HUMANITIES | Languages | Literature | History | Philosophy | Religion | And More

Event ticket is $25. This is an in-person event with limited seating.

Location: Community Matters Cafe, 821 W 1st St, Charlotte, NC 28202

About The Charlotte Center

The Charlotte Center is a community forum and civic action catalyst that invites curious people into meaningful connection and problem-solving informed by deep consideration of the human experience. Our mission is to help people and communities flourish. 

The Charlotte Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. We are supported by individual donors, grants, sponsorships, and revenue from our programs. We invite you to join us.

thecharlottecenter.org