abstract
| - Based on the Vera club in Groningen, Netherlands, Seattle's VERA Project was founded in 2001 by James Keblas, Shannon Stewart (both studied at the University of Groningen in 1999), and Kate Becker (founder of the Old Redmond Firehouse), along with the help of many other community organizers and the City of Seattle. The VERA Project aims to be a place for youth and people supportive of an all-ages atmosphere to create social change, strong community ties, and education opportunities through popular music, placing importance on a non-hierarchial internal structure and "participatory culture." While Vera is often viewed as primarily an all-ages indie and hip hop club, the organization also offers learning opportunities such as the sound engineering program, internships, workshops, silk-screening classes, event production training and more, as a way to empower young people.
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