Press Play is a book and music fair celebrating the merits of independent publishing and the dissemination of the arts through publication, recorded sound, and their expanded mediums. This year’s fair invited print and digital publishers, recording artists and labels, and the communities that support them to participate in two days of live music, performances, panels, and other activities. Organized by Pioneer Works Press with the belief that publishing is essential to accessing the arts. Press Play is open to all members of the public. Programming for this year's fair was co-presented with Press Press and included:

SANCTUARY: A PUBLICATION-MAKING WORKSHOP

Over the past year, Baltimore-based interdisciplinary publishing initiative Press Press has been cultivating a collaborative manifesto with immigrants and immigrant-adjacent individuals to answer questions regarding sanctuary—what is it, how can it be created, and in turn, also protected? This manifesto is featured in Sentiments: Expressions of Cultural Passage, their newest publication featuring a compilation of writings, conversations, and artist projects exploring immigrant identity and notions of sanctuary.

In conjunction with Press Play Fair, join us in contributing to their ongoing expanded manifesto on sanctuary before the assembled contributions are freely distributed during the reading, Declaring our Sentiments, at 6 pm.

PUBLISHING AS SANCTUARY: A CONVERSATION WITH INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS

Why is independent publishing an urgent and necessary practice for some? How are collaborative processes being implemented within independent publishing projects? How can moments of sanctuary be cultivated through community-mobilized processes?

Join independent publishers Jessica Lynne of Arts.Black, Adriana Monsalve of Homie House Press, and Lizania Cruz of We The News to discuss publishing as sanctuary in a conversation moderated by Kimi Hanauer of Press Press.

Building on Press Press’s definition of publishing as the action of gathering a public, panelists will share insights into their process, motivation, and future visions for their independent publishing initiatives’ impact. While discussing these various collaborative, community-mobilized processes and projects, panelists and audience participants will attempt to surface a set of guiding principles for sanctuary-making within independent publishing.

DECLARING OUR SENTIMENTS: READINGS ON SANCTUARY

Over the past year, Press Press has been collaboratively trying to answer the question: What is Sanctuary? At this program, Sentiments: Expressions of Cultural Passage contributors, Rami Karim, Harris Bauer, and Bilphena Yahwon, will share readings from the publication and declarations in response to this question.

Additionally, the Press Press team and contributors will announce their full manifesto on sanctuary for the first time in public.

PRESS PRESS PUBLISHING STUDIO

Learn the various stages of book-making through collaborative assembly from publishing initiative Press Press. A reading room of archives and select titles will be available for reference. Materials will be provided.