EN/GAGE 3/C: A Community Practice Book is a living resource grounded in the Chicago arts ecosystem, created for artists, educators, cultural organizers, and institutions committed to deepening and sustaining community engagement. Rooted in the values of care, curiosity, and collaboration, the Practice Book draws from frameworks such as disability justice, Black queer feminism, healing justice, and the Black radical tradition. It treats engagement as an embodied, relational practice—one that invites vulnerability, accountability, and continuous learning. Through ritual, repetition, and reflection, this work bridges theory and practice, encouraging alignment between values and actions.
Structured around six thematic sections—including values-driven engagement, harm and accountability, institutional responsibility, and lessons learned—the Practice Book offers practice labs, contributor reflections, theoretical insights, and illustrations generated through community dialogue. Rather than prescribing one method, it creates space for teams, collaborators, and communities to shape their own approaches to ethical and responsive engagement. This publication is both a tool and an invitation: to reflect, experiment, and build more caring, curious, and collaborative ecosystems of cultural work.
By Pascale Ife Williams, PhD, Co-authored by Fariha M. Koshul and Lee Nah
Illustrations by Julie M Creates
Cover and Interior Graphic Design by Amira Hegazy
Publication printed and bound at Spudnik Press
EN/GAGE 3/C: A Community Practice Book by Terra Foundation Senior Engagement Fellow Pascale Ife Williams, PhD, with co-authors Fariha M. Koshul and Lee Nah, is a flexible, interactive resource for artists, educators, and cultural workers committed to community engagement. Rooted in the Chicago arts ecosystem, it centers the values of care, curiosity, and collaboration—drawing from frameworks like disability justice and healing justice. Through reflections, quotes, illustrations, and practice-based exercises, it invites users to embody their values in everyday work. Organized into six themes, the book encourages ethical, creative, and intentional engagement, using the metaphor of the kitchen table as a space for shared learning and growth.
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An initiative of the Terra Foundation for American Art in partnership with artists and organizations across the city, Art Design Chicago is a series of events and exhibitions that highlight the city’s artistic heritage and creative communities.
