Initiatives > Arts and Humanities > Humanities Lecture Series

Humanities Lecture Series

The Takoma Park Arts humanities lecture series provides free lectures at the Takoma Park Community Center by experts in a diverse range of fields. Topics reflect the community’s diverse heritage, traditions, and history. Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube.

Call for Proposals

Lectures are selected based on the expertise of the lecturer and the relevance of the topic to the local community. Applicants don’t have to be city residents, and a $100 honorarium is paid to lecturers. We aren’t currently seeking applications at this time.

“The Politics of the Kitchen” Lecture by Caroline Smith

What to Expect

Lectures are held on the first Thursday of most months at 7:30 pm in the Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium. Lecturers typically have a Powerpoint presentation and participate in a Q&A with the audience after the lecture. An honorarium of $100 will be paid to the lecturer after the event.

The Venue – Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium

The Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium is located at 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park MD. The facility is Metro accessible via the Red line Takoma Station and is served by the following bus lines: WMATA F4, F6 and RideOn 16, 17, 18, 25. There is limited free parking available on site.

The auditorium has raked seating with a capacity of 156 seats with two aisles. It is ADA accessible and LEED-CI Silver Certified.

The floating wood stage is approximately 18 inches off the floor and is 30 feet wide and 19 feet deep at the center. Clearance from stage floor to the lowest set of lights is 12 feet. Two sets of two steps provide access to the stage from the audience. The auditorium is equipped with state of the art lighting and sound system and includes a retractable 6’ x 11’ projection screen and two small screens on either side of the stage.

Technical Support – Lighting and Sound

The City will provide technical support for the lecture including a sound engineer/lighting technician.

Video Recording and Photographic Images

The City reserves the right to record the lecture and following Q&A session and, without limits or additional compensation, to broadcast, cablecast or in any other way display a video or photographic record of the event, including the use of social media outlets such as You Tube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Broadcasting and Online Viewing

The lecture may be broadcast live on CityTV (Comcast Channel 13 / Verizon Channel 28), web streamed (takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-tv), and viewed on YouTube (youtube.com/user/TakomaParkTV).

Promotion and Marketing

The City promotes all events on a variety of online and social media outlets: the City of Takoma Park website, CityTV, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Twitter, the Takoma Park Arts e-newsletter and various cultural arts calendars. Additional promotion efforts may include the distribution of fliers and the publication of announcements in the Takoma Park Newsletter. Participating speakers must assist in the promotion of the lecture through their contacts.

Any promotional materials developed by lecturers must include a statement that the event is sponsored by the City of Takoma Park’s Takoma Park Arts series.

Sale of Merchandise

Merchandise may be sold at the event and a table will be provided upon request. The City assumes no responsibility for the display, storage or safekeeping of any merchandise and City staff will not assist with any sales.

Cancellation or Rescheduling of Event

The City may cancel or reschedule the lecture in the event of inclement weather requiring the closure of the facility, use of the venue by the Takoma Park City Council, or other cause, as determined by the City in its reasonable discretion.

Insurance

No liability, workers’ compensation or other insurance coverage is provided by the City to or for the participant or any of its employees, volunteers or agents.