How Portland Parks & Rec Department Creates Inclusive Summer Movie Programming
The Portland Parks and Recreation department has been hosting movies and concerts in their parks for decades. But when Jarrell Hosley took over the Summer Free for All program two summers ago, he aimed to enhance the staple summer programming, transforming it into cultural events. Recognizing the power of cinema as a community binder, Hosley and his organization continue to incorporate movie screenings into their summer series to provide high-quality programming to the entire community. The collaboration between movie events and relevant partners not only brought premium cultural experiences to the community but also unprecedented event attendance. Learn more below.
The Opportunity:
The Portland Parks & Rec Department wanted to enhance their annual Summer Free for All program and create high-quality, cultural events catered to every demographic in the community, especially the lower-income members. Their vision was to diversify their program to be inclusive, appealing and pertinent to the entire community. Their challenge: reaching so many different demographics, with so many varying needs, over the course of one summer.
The Approach:
Partnerships with Local Organizations:
To help bridge the demographic gaps, the parks department leans heavily on community partnerships, including neighborhood associations and nonprofits invested in the community. Through these relationships, the department ensures they touch on diverse demographics and interests through a wide-range of programming that includes movie events. These movie events are an easy way for community partners that don’t have a lot of time to devote to event planning to still produce engaging and intentional programming. Plus, they’re also a great medium for fostering inclusivity.
Community-Driven Focus:
The program was designed to be community-centric, with both the department and the partners reaching out for collaborations. The partners also had a say in the movie selection process, ensuring movies reflect their cultural, religious and social interests. For instance, for a Jewish organization, "Woman in Gold" was chosen, aligning with both cultural and religious beliefs.
Always listen to the community. See what they want; what they would like to see happen. Then start to develop a plan that’s in alignment with their desires. And they’ll support it; they’ll show up. Jarrell Hosley
Subtitles and Inclusivity:
Movies are sometimes played with Spanish/English subtitles, ensuring even non-English speakers feel included. On the program’s website, event calendar guides can be found in 20 different languages, including Zomi, Pashto, Burmese, Chuukese, Dari and more. And to make the events as a whole more intentional, they started only having food vendors at the event that were on theme with the night’s event. So, for a Spanish-subtitled showing of “Encanto,” the food vendors were all serving Hispanic food.
Pre-Event Activities:
To make events more engaging, the department allows for pre-movie entertainment, which can range from a marching band to breadmaking sessions to a baby goat petting zoo. This not only increases participation and engagement, but further brings out the culture of the event.
Addressing Gaps & Pivoting:
By continually evaluating the demographics catered to by their events, the department identified gaps, like missing content relevant to millennials without kids, then created programming to address them. If an event did not attract their target audience, they assess and possible pivot. They evaluate their marketing strategy, explore social media options, and possibly go back to the drawing board altogether and reprioritize.
The Results:
Pairing a cultural focus with a historical event like movies resulted in a positive reaction from the community. The program’s “Encanto” screening saw triple the expected attendance.
Since the pandemic there’s been so many iterations of movies. You can stay home and watch it now, you don’t need to go to the theater. Yet to see that there’s still value in coming out of the house and showing up at the park to watch a movie is pretty incredible. Jarrell Hosley
Reinforced Community Ties:
Jarrell notes the invaluable nature of the program and its longstanding position within the community. Whether it’s a longtime Portlander who never left, someone who left and came back or a brand-new transplant, he says the program reaches them all and its value continues to grow year-after-year.
Event Diversity:
According to Jarrell, they have consistently reached their target demographics through their events. And the diverse range of movies shown, from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" to "Woman in Gold" and "Lyle, Lyle Crocodile," shows the department's commitment to cater to various interests, cultures and demographics.
Success Through Collaboration:
Their success, as highlighted by the increased event attendance and the quality of events, can be attributed to their partnerships. By collaborating with a variety of local organizations, the department can tap into the needs and wants of various community segments, ensuring they offer intentional content.
There was someone from a different state at one of our movies who said his city does these events, but he's never seen such a community-driven program before. Jarrell Hosley
The Portland Parks & Rec Department's approach to diversify their summer movie program underscores the importance of community involvement and partnership. By ensuring every demographic feels seen and catered to, the department has created a template for success that other communities might replicate to foster inclusivity and community spirit.
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