Newsletter #2: Who We Are, How We Organize, Now We Act
The Audacity: Creative Action Together
Newsletter #2, February 3 2025
James Cook, Producer
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1. Who We Are
2. How We Organize
3. Now We Act
Who We Are
90 of us gathered in and spilled out the door of the Rockland Public Library Common Room on Saturday, February 1, in the first public meeting of The Audacity. We are growing very quickly; in the two days since that meeting, our email list has grown to nearly 250 people. As we build momentum, it’s important for us to orient in a clear direction.
With that in mind, at the opening of the February 1 meeting I asked those assembled for their approval of an identity and a plan for The Audacity for the next four years. The following is a transcript of the speech I gave to the group, describing exactly who The Audacity is and what we’re going to do:
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Thank you for coming today. My name is James Cook, and since November I have been gradually gathering a group of people to help start a nonviolent group for creative action together named The Audacity. Would those of us who’ve been in one of these early meetings please rise? Let’s give a hand to these founding organizers.
Today we go public, and we ask you to join us.
Let me explain why we’re doing this, then how we’re going to do this.
First, what we are not: we have different understandings and areas of focus and philosophical differences, and we could get bogged down, but we won’t, because we are not a debate society or a discussion group, though each has its place. We will not be distracted by our differences or set purity traps, because we know what’s happening, and we know we’ve got to help stop it, and we can’t afford the distractions.
So how do we stop it? I’d say we need protest, and we need it to be smart and strange and irresistible.
Some in your community are asking, “Why protest? It doesn’t accomplish anything!” These people have their reasons. Whatever the reason, they are wrong. I will share with you the research and history documenting this another day, but the evidence shows that protest has the power to rouse, to rally, to provoke, to give hope, to kill fascism, to topple tyrants.
You know why you’re here today. You’ve read your history. You know where this goes. You want to be one of the ones who resisted, who helped make a difference when it mattered most. And you can feel the urgency of now, that it’s only get tougher to stand up to this menace.
Why art? Art helps us to not feel alone, to grow community, to feel new feelings and consider new thoughts. It rallies the soul. It gets attention and swings the conversation. It wins the opposition. And it stupefies the police.
Today I’m asking for your approval in taking on a particular kind of leadership in a particular kind of social movement group.
I propose The Audacity organize under as a four-year show. Imagine I’m a producer and that we’re putting on a four-year long variety show, a variety show that will help sway history. It will have a series of artistic acts. Different acts will have different messages, and that’s okay, because that’s art.
I’m taking on the director’s role for the time being, but we could use one. And a stage manager. And costume designers, and builders and painters, and techies, and comedians, and poets, and storytellers, and dancers, and puppeteers, and actors, and musicians, and publicists, and poster and swag designers, and composers, and ushers, and a refreshment booth, and a venue, and oh yeah, some fundraisers!
We’re all working together, and I trust your own creative vision as you come up with some great acts, and to pull this off I need some folks to step up in the leadership positions I’ve described, within which they will act at their own discretion, in consultation with me and the group. And I’m the producer, and I bring the broad vision for the show and will marshal the whole thing.
That’s my pitch to you about what The Audacity will be. What do you think? Please raise your hand if you trust me to produce this show, and if you want to be part of it. [The Assembly raises hands in unison.]
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How We Organize
In The Audacity, we organize by the principle that if enough people get together around an idea that’s within our mission, we’re going to do it. On that principle, we have blossomed up to 8 working groups, each with a core person who will be responsible for getting an email group going. These groups are:
Website: community wrangler Joe Ryan at joe@tworyans.com
Theater: community wrangler Kendray Rodriguez at kendralula@gmail.com
Art-Making and Posters: community wrangler Sydney Hall at hall.sydney@gmail.com
Protest Singing: community wrangler Heather Ellsworth at heather@midcoastmusictherapy.com
Benefit Concert: community wrangler Erin Chenard at uccello.canoro@gmail.com
Local Government: community wrangler Jim Guerra at jimbobwe666@gmail.com
Fundraising: community wrangler Kay Etheridge at pogometrics@gmail.com . Jessie Davis has agreed to serve as Treasurer.
Buttons and Bumperstickers: community wrangler Cecilia Jonsson-Bisset at jonssonbisset@gmail.com
If you would like to join one of these working groups, just send the community wrangler an email message introducing yourself and asking to be added to the email list for that group.
Now We Act
I am delighted to announce that The Audacity will be holding its own first protest action this week, and even more delighted to notice that actions are popping up all over Maine. Here’s a list of the events we know of. Email contact@audacitycat.com to share news of an event with us for the next newsletter.
February 3: Support the Diversity Resolution & Asylum in Rockland
Monday, February 3 at 5:30PM, Rockland City Council Meeting.
SUPPORT/SPEAK IN FAVOR of REAFFIRMING 2017’s DIVERSITY RESOLUTION AND FOR FURTHER ASYLUM-CITY TYPE POLICIES FOR ROCKLAND (The specific policies have not been proposed YET, but will be soon.)
Rockland City Hall, 270 Pleasant St, Rockland ME (in the back of the building)
February 5: 50-50-1 Protest at the Maine State House
Wednesday, February 5, starting at noon
Maine State House, Augusta
Follow @50501movement.bsky.social on BlueSky or r/50501 on Reddit for national updates on the 50/50/1 protests: 50 States, 50 Capitol Buildings, 1 Protest: to Reject Project 2025.
February 8: The Audacity Singers
We gather together in song to protest the bigotry, corruption, and totalitarian impulses of the Trump years. We teach each other songs of protest as we go. We show that our movement is one of outrage and purpose and and humor and joy. Everyone is welcome to join our merry singing group in consonant, respectful participation. In fact, we hope you do!
Saturday, February 8, noon-1
Chapman Park (Park & Main) in Rockland
Other working groups and allied advocacy groups are invited to share an information table.
February 11: Housing Lobby Day with the Maine People’s Alliance
February 11 @ 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Cross Building, Augusta
RSVP required in advance
February 11: Showing Up for Racial Justice Virtual Open House
Tuesday, February 11 @ 6:30 pm
Registration required in advance at http://bit.ly/MESURJ2025
Regular Vigils for Progressive Causes
In Rockland: Wednesdays at Noon in Chapman Park (Main & Park)
Regular Standouts to Rally for Palestinian Rights
In Belfast: Sundays at Noon in Post Office Square
In Camden: Fridays at 5 PM on the Camden Village Green
In Rockland: 2nd and 4th Thursdays at 3 PM in Chapman Park (Main & Park)
Can you feel the world begin to rouse again after the shock? I see a movement, a wave forming.- James Cook, The Producer, February 3, 2025
