Nowruz Event and Program Committee
Purpose: To Design a New Day celebration to reflect the many countries and cultural traditions that celebrate the holiday, share contemporary customs, and introduce these experiences to others in the community.
Committee members will:
- Attend two planning meetings before March 2023 and one debriefing meeting after pilot program.
- Provide insights for engaging museum visitors in the traditions, art and culture surrounding the ancient Persian festival of Nowruz.
- Develop a pilot program of activities, performances and resources for a family-focused Nowruz celebration in Spring 2023 at Children’s Discovery Museum.
- Identify potential visual and performing artists.
Time commitment: Two to three committee meetings per year
Committee liaison: Jessica Torres
Resource Development Committee
Purpose: The committee will provide support and advice on the planning and implementation of strategies to secure human and financial resources from individuals, corporations and foundations for the development and completion of Nowruz Around the World.
Committee members will:
- Identify and help facilitate “friendraising” opportunities within the Persian community, such as employee affinity group presentations, inclusion in community events, and introductions to prospective supporters.
- Provide input on the budget and fundraising sections of a major federal grant application to the National Endowment for the Humanities and secure letters of support from key community leaders advocating for the project.
- Provide feedback and direction on the structure and individual components of a fundraising campaign that includes major gifts, corporate sponsorships, community-wide participation, and donor and volunteer recognition.
- Help plan resource development events, including securing in-kind contributions.
Time commitment: Two to three committee meetings per year
Committee liaison: Marilee Jennings
Nowruz Communications Committee
Purpose: The committee will serve in an active and advisory role to increase the visibility of the Nowruz project to support fundraising, programming, and exhibition development.
Committee members will:
- Contribute expertise in increasing awareness and understanding of the Nowruz project initially to the Persian community and then to the broader community. Examples include sharing approved descriptions of the project to target groups, talking to interested persons about the project, and making introductions that expand the museum’s network.
- Open doors and make introductions to Persian contacts in the media and communications/marketing related fields.
- Identify outlets, sources, and platforms for publicizing information about the project and for marketing opportunities.
- Advise staff in ensuring communications are culturally appropriate.
- Provide input on communications/marketing strategies, plans and materials for the project.
Time commitment: Two to three committee meetings per year
Committee liaison: Cecilia Clark
Exhibition Development Committee
Purpose: To support MIIM Designs and Museum staff in designing an exhibition to be circulated to museums around the country that immerses children in the unique sights, sounds, stories, taste/smell and textures of the Nowruz celebration around the world in a way that is interactive, fun and accessible to give families a new positive forum in which they can discuss the arrival of spring, cultivating a generation of global citizens.
Committee members will:
- Participate in design workshops to identify activities that are used to celebrate by the many peoples around the world celebrating Nowruz, both traditional and contemporary, which are appropriate for children and support parents in sharing their heritage with their children.
- Identify and develop institutional partnerships to support the project – universities, museums, schools and non-profits – who can provide historical, cultural, linguistic, and artistic knowledge and serve as expert advisors.
- Provide feedback and input to MIIM Designs during the Conceptual Design process.
- Participate in Prototyping Labs and decision-making of final exhibit concepts.
Time commitment: Two to three committee meetings per year
Committee liaison: Maryam Eskandari