Center on Main expands offerings

FALLS VILLAGE — A quick look at the Center on Main’s website shows upcoming events that have nothing to do with the Falls Village Children’s Theater (FVCT).

This is by design.

Rebecca Bloomfield, a 10-year resident of Falls Village, is the new Creative Administrator at the Center, taking over from Brook Martinez, who was the first to hold the position. (Martinez is still involved with the center, with a music program).

Bloomfield took over in April.

In a June 2 interview, she said a key part of the plan for the Center is “to get more people into the space.”

The FVCT has its productions, and the Twelve Moons Coffee House people offer folk music, but that leaves plenty of time for other activities.

Bloomfield is looking for programming that has a regional appeal, and that “deepens community connections through programs that explore creative expression.”

On Friday, May 31, Bloomfield facilitated the first of what will be monthly events, called “Big Talk” (as opposed to small talk).

She said the idea is to get people who may be quite familiar with each other to go past the usual questions about work or family.

Questions such as “What’s giving you energy these days?” are open-ended and encourage the development of deeper connections between participants.

Eight people showed up for the first Big Talk event, allowing for four groups of two people each, with Bloomfield facilitating.

Also, there was chocolate.

Bloomfield said she was encouraged by the initial session. “It took a little bit of trust” on the part of the participants.

Bloomfield and the Center in Main board are actively looking for ways to use the space for creative endeavors.

Bloomfield is excited about the efforts at building community connections. Two people that attended the first Big Talk session (and who have known each other for years) reported that “they talked about things they normally don’t.”

Bloomfield and the Center in Main board are actively looking for ways to use the space for creative endeavors.

Coming up is Make Music Day on June 21, the summer solstice. (See www.thecenteronmain.org/events for details).

Ongoing programs include Co-Working on Main, when the building is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a good Wi-Fi connection and coffee for anyone who wants to settle down with a laptop and get some work done, and NO SERVICE: A Phone-free Art-Making Space for Non-Artists, described as “two hours of phone-free connection, where you will be guided through a creative process that uses art as a tool for meaning making.”