Idea Mill will be hosting a screening of the documentary "After The Factory." This film looks at the spirit of innovation, creativity, and re-invention of post-industrial Detroit, Michigan and Lodz, Poland.

6PM - Doors Open
6:30PM - 7:30PM - Screening
7:30PM - 8PM - Discussion / Social

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the efforts to save the Victory Theatre.

After the film, we'll have an open discussion about ways Holyoke and other communities can spark more creative energy, community engagement, and more!

Myrna Breitbart, professor of Urban Studies at Hampshire College will be helping guide the discussion after the film.

Watch the "After the Factory" Trailer 
http://vimeo.com/34660991

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The global economy is in crisis. More and more businesses are outsourcing their manufacturing. And former industrial towns - whether they're in Ohio, Mississippi, or Poland - are left asking the question "What comes after the factory?" For questions like this, the best answers come from the people who have been there.

Detroit, Michigan has been running on fumes since the fall of the auto industry and Poland's textile industry in Lodz has been hanging by a thread since the fall of communism. In both cities, their populations have fled, their unemployment has spiked, and now, they're both on the front of rebuilding their economies. 

After the factory presents an opportunity to learn from these two diametrically different cultures as their entire way of life transitions to something new. Stories from the citizens are inspiring. Indeas from communtiy leaders are thought-provoking. Free-thinking entrepreneurs are putting a new spin on traditional concepts of growth.

Change is inevitable. And as the people in each city propel Detroit and Lodz into the future, this trans-continental dialogue allows communities worldwide to see how these fallen giants, troubled as they are, just might be the innovators writing the new rulebook for for next generation cities.

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For questions or sponsorship opportunities, please e-mail brendan.ciecko@gmail.com