Free Speech Fest is organized by local Third Act volunteers and staffed by generous volunteers who have a passion for journalism, zine making, our Bill of Rights, art, advocacy, books, history, and of course freedom of speech.
Our goals are to celebrate our heritage of free speech, inspire visitors to explore the various ways we use it in our democracy, and bring Americans of all ages together on our 250th anniversary.
We also ask all participants to model the respectful free speech that is so important to successfully working together in a democracy. We're not here to debate political issues but to explore how we can be more effective with our free speech, our understanding, and our democracy.
Thank You to Local Groups and Volunteers
Key local groups and volunteers that will be hosting interactive activities and speaking to visitors about their areas of expertise include:
Free Speech Fest is organized by local volunteers as a nonpartisan event because we believe the divisions in our country, which have been greatly increased by social media and fake news, are making it difficult to have an effective democracy, and as our founders feared, can lead to violence and despotism.
The CC Journalism Institute specializes in the importance of local news, which will be their focus at the event. We are thrilled to have Steven Hayward, journalist, author, podcaster, and documentary film co-director and Corey Hutchins, fellow journalist who also writes the weekly "Inside the News in Colorado" and maintains the Colorado News Mapping Project to help Coloradans find and learn about sources of local news, hosting a table and talking with us. They will be joined by two editors from CC's The Catalyst student newspaper.
Third Act is a nationwide community of Americans over sixty determined to change the world for the better, ensuring a safe and stable planet for generations to come. Free Speech Fest is part of the group's democracy initiative building a movement that harnesses the wisdom and power of elders while also supporting youth to create a better future.
UCCS Galleries of Contemporary Art (GOCA) at the Ent Center for the Arts, seeks to spark engaged dialogue about contemporary culture through art exhibitions, programs, and lectures. GOCA likes to say that they are a place where exhibitions are free, refreshments are plentiful and humor is welcome.
Concrete Couch works with kids and community groups to create public art, to build community, and to create environments and experiences that humanize our world.
Improv Colorado offers shows as well as workshops that are helpful for anyone who wants to improve their public speaking ability, listening skills, or just have fun learning how to improvise.
Join Us
The library community room is limited in size but we may have one or two table spaces available for last minute groups. We hope the event will be an optimal size so we have time for great conversations with each other as well as with visitors! If you are interested in helping with future activities come talk to us.
Thank you to the additional volunteers not listed here who will be helping with the event. We couldn't do it without you!