Oregon Film and the Portland Film Office are looking into the viability of developing a new soundstage facility and filmmaker/music/creators campus at the Portland Expo Center. A feasibility study into the opportunities and challenges that this initiative offers is being conducted by Teresa Koberstein of Assembly Arts.  We are at the beginning stages of assessing the feasibility that can be included in a proposal to Metro Council at a later date. Metro is exploring options to activate its facilities through partnerships, leases, joint ventures, or other arrangements, and we would like to understand if proposing this kind of space would be a viable option, and if so, to what end.  While we seek input from all artists, we understand that injustices on this site have historical and cultural implications for Black/African American, Indigenous/Native American, and Japanese American communities, which include the forced removal of Indigenous nations and tribes, the Japanese Internment Camps in WWII on the site, and the flooding of the Black community in Vanport. Our goal is to ensure that any proposal and subsequent process directly involves and is led by those of you who identify as creators from these communities and how you might utilize and benefit from access to new space. We are also interested in understanding how this space could or should serve these communities and your artistic practice while respectfully acknowledging the injustices that occurred.

One of the first tasks for us is to undertake a comprehensive community engagement process to begin to unearth the community and cultural sector’s space needs. Note that a strategy will be developed from the responses we get from all of you, not what we as the consultant team think should be done.

This survey is in addition to individual interviews, stakeholder group meetings, and other community input. Your input into the community’s needs as it pertains to a new facility is a critical piece of the research process. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you have any questions, please contact Teresa Koberstein at Teresa@assemblyarts.co.

Please Respond by Sunday October 24th. Thank you!