On March 30, musician and artist David Byrne will bring his inspirational speaking series Reasons to be Cheerful to the Waterville Opera House in Waterville, Maine.
The live event series is organized by Byrne’s online magazine Reasons to be Cheerful, a publication he launched to document successful solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. In Waterville, Byrne will share the incredible story of Maine’s Penobscot River, which has undergone a stunning revival through a landmark dam-removal project that became a model for similar efforts around the world. Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation and Laura Rose Day of the 7 Lakes Alliance will join Byrne for an hour-long program designed to uplift and encourage anyone who believes in conservation and collective action.
Reasons to be Cheerful launched in 2019 as a “tonic for tumultuous times.” It has since grown into a leader in the field of solutions journalism, publishing stories about positive change from across the globe. Its popular weekly newsletter has over 130,000 subscribers, and its live event series has brought its stories to life on stages from Knoxville, Tennessee to Portland, Oregon.
David Byrne is a musician, artist, and the founder of Reasons to be Cheerful. He is also the founder of the Arbutus Foundation, a nonprofit that celebrates, re-presents and amplifies ideas found in surprising places, ensuring that our picture of the world contains the joy that it should, and is accessible to everyone. Reasons to be Cheerful is the foundation’s first project.
Additional Details
Name of contact person - Will Doig
Country - United States
Organizer
Reasons to be Cheerful is a nonprofit online magazine that is tonic for tumultuous times. We tell stories that reveal that there are, in fact, a surprising number of reasons to feel cheerful. Many of these reasons come in the form of smart, proven, replicable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Through sharp reporting, our stories balance a sense of healthy optimism with journalistic rigor, and find cause for hope. We are part magazine, part therapy session, part blueprint for a better world.
Venue
Waterville Creates acknowledges that we are gathered on the historic land and waterways of the Wabanaki, the People of the Dawnland. We stand committed to making space for conversations, engagement, and education in honor of and in support of our Wabanaki friends, colleagues, and community members.
