Creative Empowerment Project

CEP is a screen printing and collateral production studio that makes all manner of printed media: tshirts, posters, book jackets, perfect-bound books, business cards, CD and DVD packaging, and various graphic design.

The space has several functions. There will be a cooperative screenprinting space where coop members will pay a small monthly fee (maybe 50$) to have 24hour access to the community screen printing space. The screenprinting space will be equipped with 8 printing stations so that many people may use it at the same time. I currently bottom-line a space like this in San Francisco where I have been screenprinting for the past three years. This will help cover our portion of the Omni rent.

There will also be an Education/Vocation component to the space where people who were formerly incarcerated, are targeted by racism, or otherwise challenged to survive within the oppressive economic/justice system can build capacity for self-employment and group empowerment. Participants in the E/V program will learn the skills of screenprinting, digital design, layout, cooperative business functions, and self-promotion through classes and practice. The E/V collective will take jobs in printing and production to support its portion of the rent as well as paying its participants for their labor. Eventually I would like the E/V project to expand to include people who are under 18, targeted by racism, and disengaged with the public school system. The E/V project will employ its own students, and hopefully be taken over by those who have successfully completed the program.