Community Spark Exchange Series Launches with "Artivism" Event

Southbury, CT – February 17, 2026: The Southbury Arts & Culture Alliance (SACA) announces the launch of the Community Spark Exchange, a new signature series of educational lectures and interactive panel discussions designed to engage, inspire, and connect the Southbury community around creative and cultural topics. This dynamic series explores the intersections of arts, history, heritage, and civic dialogue by bringing together local, regional, and national voices in an inclusive and accessible format.

Six events are planned for 2026, each highlighting a different aspect of art, culture, and community. The series is inclusive, accessible, and interactive, blending lectures, fireside chats, and moderated panels to provide educational enrichment, community dialogue, and a space for diverse perspectives.

The first event in the series is:

Artivism: Turning Art into Action Through Performance & Dialogue

Using Art as a Pathway to Activism Around Systemic Brutality and Social Injustice

Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Southbury Public Library (Brown Room).

Artist Steve Parlato presents works from his They Are Not Disposable series. The powerful collection inspired Not Disposable: The Play. Audiences will experience live spoken word performance excerpts by one of the producers, MayaRose of Spoken Word, along with original poetry by local artists within the cast, bringing the artwork and its themes to life.

This immersive Theatre Artivism event explores social injustice and moral responsibility through performance, spoken word, and visual art. The event concludes with a moderated panel and community dialogue examining art as activism and how creative expression can inspire understanding, conversation, and collective action for social change.

Featured speakers include MayaRose, a local poet and playwright whose work addresses themes of equity, justice, and community reflection; Steve Parlato, mosaic collage artist whose visual work inspired the play; and local poets and cast members Niah Marie Pearson, Dee True Poetry, and Kat Fovcaccia.

The Community Spark Exchange reflects SACA’s ongoing commitment to fostering creativity, dialogue, and cultural enrichment in Southbury. By creating space for diverse voices and thoughtful conversation, the series aims to strengthen community bonds while highlighting the transformative role of the arts in shaping understanding and shared experience.

“The Community Spark Exchange was created to spark meaningful conversation through the arts,” said Kristen Angell Iseppi, SACA Secretary and Spark Chair. “We believe creative expression can open doors to deeper understanding and connection within our community.”

Registration for Artivism: Turning Art into Action Through Performance & Dialogue is preferred and available at www.southburyartsandculturealliance.org/spark.

For more information about SACA and upcoming programs, visit www.southburyartsandculturealliance.org or contact info@southburyartsandculturealliance.org.