Kaleidoscope is a joint initiative coming in 2024 from the Richland County Foundation, Mansfield-Richland County Public Library, Renaissance Theatre, and Richland Source.
With the help of nationally-known authors, this 4-part speaker series is designed to create a space where people from every corner of our community — from high school classrooms to the factory to the neighborhood potluck to the boardroom — come together to discover new perspectives, ideas, and connections that lead to a stronger, thriving community.
The Kaleidoscope Series is a speaker series based on the understanding that the problems facing our community are complex with no easy solutions.
But, we also know lasting progress cannot occur without the ability to look at these problems with fresh eyes from different angles … like a kaleidoscope.
The 2024 Kaleidoscope Series is an open invitation to anyone and everyone to do just that, together.
Attendees will have the opportunity to consider new ideas, be challenged through different perspectives, and engage with every corner of our community.
“Richland County is a great place to live, work, and gather. We also recognize there are challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed,” said Brady Groves, President of the Richland County Foundation. “The Richland County Foundation partnered with the Library, Richland Source, and the Renaissance in a collaborative effort to create community conversations around these challenges with the help of nationally-recognized authors.
“We must come together as a community, not to lean farther to the left or right but to lean forward together … We are excited to be part of this unique initiative.”
Opening the series on Jan. 30 is Majora Carter, acclaimed author of Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One.
Participants will be challenged to reconsider and reexamine concepts of urban revitalization from new perspectives while sitting amongst neighbors and new friends.
Following Carter, the series will feature Matthew Desmond to examine the topic of poverty, Amanda Ripley to dive into the topic of conflict, and Andrew Ramsammy to explore the news as seen through the eyes of the Black Press.
“It’s our hope that, as a community, we will come to the end of 2024 with a collective renewed sense of momentum and pride in our community because over the course of four evenings we’ve all gained new connections, perspectives and tools that are helping us live fulfilled, more inspired lives,” said Chris May, Director of the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library.
“We recognize that the topics our community has to tackle are not easy. They are difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes overwhelming,” said Chelsie Thompson, President & CEO of the Renaissance Theatre.
“We chose the name Kaleidoscope because we want these events to be a place where we purposefully look at complex problems from different angles — to consider things with fresh eyes. Sometimes when we turn the dial just a little, really beautiful things happen.
“It makes you wonder what life in Richland County would look like if we all chose to show up with our unique perspectives and collaborate on solutions together?”
Tickets for the 2024 Kaleidoscope event series are available now. There is no set ticket price; rather, attendees are encouraged to pay what they can at checkout.
“Gathering people from every corner of our community is pivotal to the success of these events. We weren’t going to let ticket cost be the reason someone couldn’t attend,” Groves said.
“Whether you feel inclined to pay $50, $10, or nothing, you are invited and welcomed because we need you to make our community stronger.”
All money raised through ticket sales will be used to fund future Kaleidoscope events.
Click here to view the full line-up of speakers and purchase your tickets.
About the sponsors
Richland County Foundation was founded in 1945 and is a 501c3 public charity that primarily serves the residents of Richland County by disbursing grants to local charitable organizations for their programs and projects with the earnings from component funds established for that purpose.
The mission of the Richland County Foundation is to improve and enhance the quality of life in Richland County through strategic philanthropy and community leadership.”
To accomplish its mission, RCF will: Provide Leadership and act as a catalyst in identifying and addressing emerging community needs; Distribute Grants for charitable purposes in the areas of Health, Economic Development, Basic Human Needs, Education, Cultural Activities, Environment, and Community Services; Prudently Manage the Foundation’s resources to achieve the maximum benefit for Richland County in perpetuity; Identify and Cultivate Donors of all economic means and charitable interests; Assist Donors in establishing funds to meet community needs and distribute proceeds in accordance with the donor’s intent.
Housed in the historic 1928 Ohio Theatre, the mission of the Renaissance Performing Arts Association is to foster greater human connection and understanding through performing arts experiences that inspire, engage, and educate all people.
The work of the Renaissance supports a vision for a healthy, thriving North Central Ohio community – both culturally vibrant and economically strong, attractive to businesses, residents, and visitors alike – with a culture that values experiences with the performing arts as vital to increased quality of life and lifelong learning.
Among others, programs offered include musical theatre, the Mansfield Symphony, Emerging Artists mentorships, touring acts, and education programs serving over 16,000 annually.
Since opening in 1889, the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library has maintained a commitment to being rooted in the community while also offering innovative resources, programming, and events.
The MRCPL is a center for people of all ages to come together to have fun, learn, grow, craft, seek knowledge and understanding, connect, and engage.
The Library seeks to: Amplify its role as a community gathering space; Maximize its reach beyond its physical buildings; and Positively impact lives through responsive programming.
Source Media Properties, a.k.a. Richland Source, is a nationally-recognized online community news organization founded in 2013 and serving the citizens of North Central Ohio.
The Source team is driven by a deeply-held belief that news organizations – especially now – serve their community best when they are involved in it. As a news source, that requires the organization to break from either tradition or current trends in some very fundamental ways.
The Source mission has always been to tell the entire story of Richland County, prioritizing authentic, active and impactful contributions to its family of communities.
Its news mix is decidedly more holistic than traditional news sources, reflecting current local news, and the majority of the time that’s progress, entertaining events, and the accomplishments of people, organizations and businesses in our area.
This also includes a strong focus on solutions journalism, which at its core is covering the response to a problem by investigating what was done, what worked, what didn’t and why.