What is a signbrella workshop? A signbrella workshop is a group of people getting together to paint umbrellas for use as a protest tool for future rallies and marches. Workshops are not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. The workshop can be a small gathering of friends at your home, or it can be a larger event you plan with your civic organization in a community space. Regardless of the size or type of the event, gathering individuals together to make art is a great way to build community, brainstorm future actions, listen to music and share ideas. The participants will have fun, experience camaraderie, and will leave with a deep sense of satisfaction as well as a very cool signbrella.
If you want to Host Your Own Workshop, we suggest that you create a signbrella yourself first, if you haven't already. This will give you very helpful practical experience. Then you can decide if you want to go big or small for your workshop. Read our Hosting Tips on how to plan, organize and prepare for a fun and successful event.
If you prefer to first Co-Host a Workshop With Us, we will need to coordinate and plan with you of course. Please follow the above Link to get started, learn how co-hosting works, what we provide and what is expected of you.
Tips for Hosting Your Own Workshop:
Event Size:
Ask yourself what kind of gathering you want to organize. This could be something as simple as inviting a few friends over making for a more relaxed workshop, or you could plan a larger, more official type of event. A larger event will, of course, require more planning and time on your part.
When planning a larger event, I find it helpful to co-host with an organization (For The Many, Indivisible, Move Forward, etc.). The organization already has an existing structure that can help with the logistics of the event (space, promotion, contact lists etc). The event brings opportunities to network with people with diverse perspectives and experiences with a shared purpose. Creating art together is a great way to make connections and build community!
Promotion:
If you are working with and organization, ask to use the organization's email and social media platforms to share the information and reach prospective participants.
Scheduling the Event:
Do you want to host your event on a weeknight or weekend? What is the best time to get maximum participants?
Space:
We suggest that you DO NOT host a large event at your home; for safety, reserve your personal space for friends and vetted individuals.
If you're working with and organization and they don't have an available space, check with your town offices. As a member of your community you likely have access to a community space; a room in the library, rec center, community center, church, senior citizens' center or fire department. Outdoor spaces, such as a pavilion, can also work as long as it is a covered area and has water (a hose or outdoor sink).
Besides water, the space needs tables and chairs and be somewhat large; (opened umbrellas take up a lot of room). The size of your space may determine the maximum number of participants.
Additionally, it's easiest if you don't have to worry about damaging floors, but if that's not an option, make sure to bring dropcloths and painter's (or gaffer's) tape and allow yourself an additional half-hour for setup, as you'll need to secure the dropcloths with the tape to prevent anyone from tripping.
In the end, if you cannot find a free space, consider renting one and have a donation jar to help cover the cost.
Time:
You'll need a minimum of 3-hours - We require a half hour to set up and a half hour to clean up, with 2 hours allocated for the workshop, (it may actually take longer).
Supplies:
As the host, try to provide paint, brushes, sponges, water containers, table cloths - everything needed to paint the umbrellas, except the umbrellas. Ask each participant to bring their own umbrella. Sometimes the organization buys a few umbrellas to have extras on hand, but that is up to you.
Food:
It's a nice touch to provide beverages and snacks. When scheduling a workshop on a weeknight, many people come straight from work, so providing pizza and beverages helps make it a little more manageable for them. This is not mandatory, and can be cost-prohibitive, just sharing what has worked in the past.
Print and Provide:
A Signbrella Planning Worksheet for each of the participants plus a few extras. Have them sitting on a table with a cup of pencils so as participants arrive, they can get to work and start planning their signbrella. This works well as you will have some folks arriving early, some late, and it can be tricky to know when to "begin". This way, as you're waiting for folks to arrive, you're using your time wisely.
If someone is hesitant to bother with the form, it might be wise for them to at least write out the words they plan to write so they can check their spelling before they start painting- this step alone is priceless!
We hope this gives you a sense of what hosting your own workshop entails. Please reach out with any questions.
In Unity and Strength,
Elisa & Todd
signbrellas@protonmail.com
Co-Host a Workshop With Us:
Thank you for your interest in co-hosting a signbrella workshop with us! We are currently booking dates in the northeast.
Co-hosting a signbrella workshop needs to be well planned and coordinated, so please read the following information and understand fully what your commitment will be to ensure this is a good fit.
We will bring all the art supplies; paint, brushes, sponges, table cloths - pretty much everything needed except the umbrellas.
What we require from people and organizations when we co-host workshops is assistance with certain tasks and your local knowledge and connections. The tasks include but are not limited to:
- Help with an email list to invite participants
- The securing of a local space to host the event
- Help setting up, breaking down and cleaning up after the event
- Help with hosting by providing snacks and beverages
Since you are a member of the community, we rely on your assistance to scout out the location. A community space can be a room in the local library, fire department, rec center, church, senior citizens’ center, or artist’s studio. Outdoor spaces, such as a pavilion, can also work as long as it is a covered space and has water.
We require a 3-hour time slot - It takes us a half-hour to set up and a half-hour to clean up, with 2 hours allocated for the workshop.*
Since we do not charge a fee for our workshops, we usually look for free spaces. If that is not an option, we can always request participants chip in a small donation to cover the cost of the space.
We usually put out a donation jar to help with our travel and material costs as well.
If we need to protect the floors, PLEASE let us know ahead of time, as we usually do not travel with dropcloths. We prefer a space where we don’t need to worry about the floors, but certainly understand sometimes that is not an option.
* Preparing the floors will also require an additional half-hour of set-up as we need to tape down the dropcloths to be sure nobody trips.
Again we DO NOT provide the umbrellas. Each participant is asked to bring their own umbrella. Sometimes the organization buys a few umbrellas to have extras on hand just in case, but that is up to you.
Providing snacks and beverages is another thing you should consider. It's a nice touch, and makes it feel like a cozy community gathering. Especially when scheduling a workshop on a weeknight, many people will be coming straight from work, so providing pizza or some other snack and drinks can help make it a little more manageable. Obviously, this is not mandatory; just sharing what has worked in the past
Also, if you have a printer, please print and provide a Signbrella Planning Worksheet for each of the participants plus five extra or so. Even better, if you have email addresses for your participants send the linked worksheet to them and they could get a jump start on their planning. Otherwise, we will have them sitting on a table with a cup of pencils so as participants arrive, they start planning their signbrella. Some will arrive earlier than others typically.
We hope this gives you a sense of what co-hosting a workshop with us entails and look forward to working with you to create a fun and successful signbrella event!
To schedule a signbrella workshop with us, please fill out the Workshop Request Form and we will reach out to you to select a date and begin the planning process.
Thanks again for your interest.
In Unity and Strength!
Elisa & Todd