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Clear skies. Scattered frost possible. Low 36F. Winds light and variable.

During the recent Big Ideas Festival, several community partners, organizations, individuals and businesses gathered in downtown Hazard to present their ideas on how to improve Hazard and Perry County.

During the recent Big Ideas Festival, several community partners, organizations, individuals and businesses gathered in downtown Hazard to present their ideas on how to improve Hazard and Perry County.

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky held the Appalachian Big Ideas Festival, where several community partners, organizations, individuals and businesses gathered in downtown Hazard to present their ideas on how to improve the quality of life in Hazard and Perry County.

Appalachian Kentucky, officials with the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky said, is “a hotbed for creativity, artists, inspiration and innovative ideas,” so the festival was a great way to explore relevant issues and topics such as the future of affordable housing, entrepreneurship, resilient design, disaster preparedness, community safety, local food and sustainable agriculture, arts and culture, racial equity, local leadership development and other ideas that could help move the region forward.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, a Rapid Response Funders Tour was held. The Funders Tour of Flood Relief Efforts and Community Solutions was sponsored by the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, Appalachia Funders Network, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and Mountain Association.

The festival event began the following day on Friday, Sept. 30 at the Art Station in downtown Hazard. The festival then took place in multiple locations across downtown Hazard.

During the first day of the festival, several activities and events were held including multiple community conversations, guest speakers and more.

Community Conversations Session One focused on local food options and sustainable agriculture with the Community Farm Alliance and Northfork Local Foods (held at the old Hazard Court House) and “Building Hope: Affordable Housing and Addiction Recovery” with the Housing Development Alliance, H.O.M.E.S., Inc. and Volunteers of America, which was held at Hazard City Hall.

Community Conversations Session Two focused on resilient entrepreneurship in Appalachia’s new economy (presented by Invest 606 and the Appalachian Impact Fund) and adaptable design (presented by InVision Hazard, Environmental Defense Fund and Studio Appalachia).

Community Conversations Session Three focused on the “Healing Through Story and Art Workshop” with Angelyn DeBord, a professional storyteller, visual artist and licensed professional counselor. This special session provided a healing space for people to process recent flood-related and other kinds of traumas, learn strategies for self-reflection and share space with each other. Guests were encouraged to express and process their experiences through sharing stories and engaging in tearing up and rebuilding images through collage. Also during the third community conversations session, the Appalachian Impact Fund and Invest Appalachia discussed Appalachia’s investment ecosystem.

Session Four of the Community Conversations featured artists as first responders with Appalshop, EKY Mutual Aid, Hemphill Community Center and Hindman Settlement School, and also featured a discussion about building locally controlled philanthropy led by the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky.

The Appalachian Writers Round-table was held at the ArtStation, and featured Neema Avashia, Ashley Blooms, Crystal Good, Carter Sickels and Robert Gipe, among others. Kellene Turner presented “Artist-in-Residence Talk,” where a live public mural making took place during the festival downtown on the Appalachian Apparel building across from the Art Station. Festival guests were encouraged to stop by to hear Artist Kellene Turner talk about her process. An evening keynote performance of Reginald Dewayne Betts’s “Felon: An American Washi Tale” was held followed by a book signing at the Hazard Forum.

Throughout the first day of the festival, guests were also able to enjoy some of Hazard’s local restaurants or food trucks during the “Local Food Truck & Restaurant Dine Around” (lunch) portion of the festival. A networking break with live music was also provided by the Appalachian Arts Alliance, and a “happy hour” break was also held later during the evening. A “Pig Picking Supper and Square Dance” was presented by Fund for the Arts, featuring Chef Kristin Smith and the Wrigley Taproom with Chefs Wayne Riley and Travis Milton. Live music and square dancing were presented by the Hindman Settlement School.

A Community Concert  was held to end the first night of the festival, featuring Caleb Bailey and The Bottom Dollars, and Nick Jamerson and the Morning Jays at the Bill and Betty Morton Amphitheater next to City Hall.

The second and final day of the festival also presented several activities and events for guests to enjoy.

The festival's second day opened with a breakfast at the Perry County Farmers Market. A morning reception for the Lige Clarke Liberation Fund was then held at the ArtStation, as were check presentations for the first Lige Clarke Liberation Fund grantees – Holliday Farms and Pikeville Pride. This reception celebrated the Lige Clarke Liberation Fund, the first of its kind, LGBTQ+ directed fund serving Eastern Kentucky.

A keynote reflection and film screening was held where Filmaker Sylvia Ryerson presented an exclusive advanced screening of “Calls From Home,” a documentary film about prisons, family and the ties that bind them. The film was followed by a round-table discussion with a panel of leading thinkers in the Appalachian justice movement, exploring themes from the film and Friday keynote performance, including the human costs of incarceration, how prisons and jails are interwoven with Appalachian economies and visions for safer communities. This activity took place at the The Northfork Inn.

A picnic lunch with CANE Kitchen and The Lee Initiative was presented by Fund for the Arts, featuring local producers and traditions.

The “People Ready Communities: Queer Kentucky Workplace Workshop” was presented by Queer Kentucky, and focused on queer-inclusive workplace topics for companies, institutions and organizations to better learn how to make the workplaces of the region more welcoming, supportive and inclusive for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

A closing strategy circle was held for community leaders, donors and funders at the ArtStation. The festival's closing keynote speakers, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón and Kentucky State Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson, featuring the music of Joan Brannon and Larah Helayne, was held at the Hazard Forum.

Event organizers said they are thankful for all those who participated, and said they can't wait to see where the “big ideas” discussed lead to in the future.

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