Join Shunpike on Monday, August 24, 1:00 - 3:00 PM for interactive training on de-escalation and cultural space safety. Doors open at 12:30.



Pre-registration required. Free to attend.



The goal of the training is to strengthen your ability, as a producer and creative business operator, to maintain safe and welcoming cultural spaces by providing you with tools and guidance most relevant to our current political reality.



Partners in Print will offer a hands-on social justice letterpress printing experience before/after the training session. Arrive early, at 12:30, or stay after until 3:30 to create your custom letterpress poster.



Learn more below.

FAQ

Who should attend? Artists and arts groups/organizations whose activities interface with the public. This can take many forms and may include individuals or groups producing events, shows, or performances; offering workshops or classes that the public can register for; or maintaining regular gallery or shop hours.



How will this training session compare to the De-escalation & Cultural Space Safety Training offered in March 2026? Training will include a new section focused on content creators who often portray themselves as objective “journalists” or “fact finders”; in reality, they are attempting to create content that only serves a misleading/harmful agenda.



Additional time will be dedicated to practicing real-world scenarios.



Will this training include guidance on what to do if ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) requests entry to my venue/event? Yes.



Is the training appropriate for children? No, this is an adult training, and some of the content will not be suitable for young children.



Who is providing the training? Western States Center will provide the interactive training.



Western States Center works to strengthen inclusive democracy and advance social, racial, and economic justice across the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States. It supports marginalized communities by building grassroots movements, developing leaders, and resisting white nationalism and anti-democratic threats.



• Chris Orrick is the Culture Lab Program Manager at Western States Center, where he develops practical resources and programs that help independent music venues, artists, and cultural organizations strengthen community safety, respond to political violence and harassment, and build resilient local networks. A Detroit-based recording artist who toured nationally and internationally for more than a decade, Chris brings firsthand experience navigating the intersection of culture, community, and public life. His work focuses on equipping cultural spaces with practical tools to remain safe, inclusive, and connected in an increasingly polarized environment.



• Jacob Worek, SMP, is an event safety professional with more than two decades of experience across live event production, operations, occupational safety, and crowd management. He currently serves as Senior Operations Manager for the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association and supports the Global Crowd Management Alliance’s international work to strengthen crowd safety through education, advocacy, and professional networking.



Jacob previously spent 12 years as Director of Operations for the Event Safety Alliance, where he helped develop and deliver safety education, training, guidance, and outreach programs for the live events industry. He is also a course developer and instructor for the University of California San Diego’s Event Safety Certificate Program and has served as a safety advisor for a myriad of concerts, festivals, experiential marketing activations, motorsports, and other complex public gatherings.



If I cannot attend the training, what other resources are available? Western States Center offers free online guides for cultural spaces and venues, as well as occasional virtual training.



If I cannot attend, can someone else from my group attend and bring back notes to share with me? Yes, when an individual is attending on your group’s behalf, please have them indicate their association with your group/organization during the registration process.

This training is part of Shunpike's year-round Arts Business Clinics (ABCs) and Artists Development programs. Learn more at shunpike.org/arts-business-clinics

About Washington 1000



Join us at Washington 1000, Hudson Pacific Properties' state-of-the art office building in the heart of Seattle's Denny Triangle located just steps away from Seattle Convention Center Summit. Washington 1000 is where Work Meets Wow!