Summary
Organization name
JLF Colorado
2015
Tax id (EIN)
47-2730066
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
JLF Colorado 1500 Kalmia AveBoulder, CO 80304
Boulder County, CO, US
Bring the best thinkers and writers from around the world to Colorado to engage in conversations about the critical issues humanity faces. Support diverse and marginalized voices, the cultivation of civil liberties across the globe, and the freedom of speech.
College of Arts and Sciences t 303 492 7294
James W.C. White, Interim Dean f 303 492 4944
Old Main 1-43 james.white @colorado.edu
275 UCB
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0275
June 1, 2018
Colorado Creative Industries
1625 Broadway Ste. 2700
Denver, CO 80202
Dear Colorado Creative Industries Grant Committee,
As the Dean of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder, I am writing to strongly support JLF Colorado's
application for the CCI Colorado Creates Grant. It is with profound appreciation for the unique and
special contributions the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is making to our community's cultural
environment that I urge CCI to approve the JLF Colorado grant request.
For the past three years, the non-profit organization, JLF Colorado, has produced the US extension of the
world-renowned Jaipur Literature Festival, the largest literature festival in the world, which saw an
audience of a half million people this past January in Jaipur, India. The Jaipur Literature Festival at
Boulder, CO has provided our community with access to some of the world's most renowned authors and
scholars. The degree of intellectual exchange and rich diversity of thought that JLF makes available, for
free, to Boulder residents and visitors from across Colorado and the United States is unparalleled in our
community. Part of the value of JLF resides in the way in which writers and audiences of diverse
backgrounds come together, engaging in conversations which intersect with arts and society in
illuminating ways. The Jaipur Literature Festival is indeed a unique and rare opportunity for our
community.
The wide array of diverse, world-class writers and scholars who offer their work at the Festival is
something that any US community, city, and state would like to have. The selection of Colorado was a
generous decision by the conference organizers, as major US cities, such as NYC, Seattle, San Francisco,
and Chicago all made bids to land JLF for their city.
JLF at Boulder, CO brings significant economic benefits to our state and creates a welcome environment
for diverse communities and residents new to the region and to the US. The Festival has created strong
ties with the State of Rajasthan's Governor and Chief Minister and created rich opportunities for
international trade and business associations. JLF at Boulder has placed Colorado on the international
cultural map and positioned the Metro Area as an Arts Destination for people both within and outside of
the US.
Sincerely,
James W.C. White
Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Geological Sciences and Environmental Studies
Page 2
The mission of JLF Colorado is to cultivate diverse literary, visual and performing arts programming, to provide platforms for intercultural conversations, to disseminate knowledge and to expand the renowned Jaipur Literature Festival in Colorado and the US. The Organization is dedicated to multiculturalism and diversity in its programming, to equity and to extending free access to all; and to providing free outreach workshops, exploring arts and culture, with underserved and marginalized communities.
In a world of inequity, access to knowledge is key in bringing social change. From a literary perspective, we are each other's stories, and the human race has evolved and progressed through shared knowledge and intertwined narratives. Truth often lies between competing and conflicting narratives, and JLFC provides opportunities for listening into diverse narratives of knowledge and for using our voices and self-expression as forms of agency.
JLF Colorado (JLFC) was established as a non-profit organization in 2014 in order to create the annual US extension of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) in Boulder, CO. Originating in India in 2007, JLF is now the largest and among the most renowned literature festivals in the world. JLFC attracts a broad diversity of people from many countries. An uplifting celebration of mind and heart, authors from the US and across the globe engage in provocative conversations about life and society, economics and the arts, equity, freedom and the care of our planet.
After reviewing many major US cities the JLF founders selected Boulder, CO as the US seat of the Festival. JLFC is an autonomous 501c3 entity, which collaborates with the JLF founders.
Regarded as a global cultural catalyst, JLF is a celebration of the finest US and international authors, diversity and knowledge both in India and in CO. JLFC exposes audiences to a constant flow of ideas, stories, words and music, and builds bridges among disparate cultures. Festival sessions encourage interaction among people of all ages and walks of life. Through artistic excellence JLFC disseminates knowledge, cultivates literacy and meaningful intercultural conversations, and presents diverse viewpoints, while it uplifts and gives back to the community. These are the integral components of the Festival both in India and in CO.
In 2015, the inaugural JLFC Festival drew an audience of 6,000 and presented 70 US and international authors and poets. Festival attendance grows annually with an audience of 10,000 in 2019.
JLFC provides truly unique opportunities for cross cultural and socioeconomic dialogues. The 2½ day Festival provides free event access at the Boulder Public Library, and sessions are archived online, available for viewing by anyone worldwide. After 5 successful Festivals JLFC is now established as an annual regional, national and international literary event and has created an international literary presence in CO.
Organization name
JLF Colorado
2015
Tax id (EIN)
47-2730066
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
JLF Colorado 1500 Kalmia AveBoulder County, CO, US