Reflection • Grief • Creative Rebirth
Hosted by Activate Labs, Facilitaterd by Monica Curca
About this Event
Collective Care Collage Workshop: When the Empire burns, be the fire
This year has been heavy. For you. For us. For the collective.
When the Empire Burns — Be the Fire is an evening of reflection, release, and creative rebirth. A space to slow down. A space to feel. A space to imagine what can rise from the ashes.
Through grounding ritual, guided reflection, and creative collage process that welcomes all experience levels, we gather to honor grief, reconnect with our collective power and agency, and create something beautiful from what has been broken.
This workshop is part of Activate Labs’ commitment to accompany social movements and frontline communities by nurturing emotional resilience, belonging, and imaginative power—core ingredients for movements that last.
It is also rooted in the Peace Design process, moving us gently through: Curious Empathy → Naming → Imagination → Co-Design → Co-Creation → Reflection.
WHY COLLAGE?
Collage teaches us how to break things apart and rebuild them with intention. It is a ritual of release. A practice of noticing. A way to turn fragments into a whole that brings meaning.
In these times of collapse, collage becomes a form of resistance: You get to choose what you keep, what you tear away, and what you create next.
No art experience is needed. Your hands already know what to do.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
Arrival + Soft Opening: A warm, welcoming space with music, warm drinks, and refreshments, with collage materials ready to explore.
Grounding Ritual: A moment to breathe, arrive in your body, and honor what you are carrying.
Guided Prompts: Ashes & Fire What is burning away? What wants to rise?
Collage Creation Using vintage magazines, books, reclaimed textures, color, shape, and intuition. Follow what sparks. Trust what appears.
Collective Gallery Walk: See what emerged across the room. Notice patterns, beauty, resonance.
Closing Circle: We witness each other. We name what rises. We leave as witnesses of our shared grief, connection, and imagination.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Anyone carrying heaviness from the year. If you see the collapse and know we must reimagine and rebuild... together - this is for you. If you are an organizer, activist, artist, caregiver, student, neighbor... this is for you. It is for those of us who need a soft landing. People seeking stillness, meaning, or creative renewal.
Intergenerational: ages 10+ welcome. Bilingual facilitation: English + Spanish.
Safe Community Space
WHAT’S INCLUDED
A generous spread of collage materials
Vintage books and magazines, reclaimed textures, and paper
Warm beverages + light snacks
Reflective prompts
Gentle facilitation and guidance in creating a collage using metaphors, story, and creativity
A supportive community space designed with care
Everything you need is provided.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 39.19
