In the last few weeks, the Rural Routes Design Lab + Studio has gone from vision to action. We officially welcomed our inaugural cohort of artists whose projects are deeply rooted in rural Mississippi.

On November 20th, we had a mandatory Design Studio Session where we introduced the Sipp Culture Process and put it to the test. Through peer exchange and strategic labs, we collaboratively defined the learning goals that will drive our curriculum. It was a dynamic and candid session that has set the tone for the residency.

One important outcome is the co-creation of our Design Lab Workshops. Our model is designed so that the 40 hours of learning are built by and for the artists. We took note of their challenges and aspirations to inform the skills we focus on in the initial workshops.

The workshops will cover areas like financial literacy, business structure, navigating community partnerships, and deepening community engagement through Power Mapping.

We are looking forward to launching the first Design Lab Workshops in the new year and continuing to support the Design Studio cohort!