What’s the big issue facing the Richmond region? Facing your neighborhood? Ever wish you could deliver to your elected officials and decision makers the voting-district-mapped opinions of you and others of like mind? At our 3/31/2011 press conference CultureWorks announced an initiative that will allow for that: Cultural Shareholders – known as cultsha - persons in the Richmond region who value the vital importance of arts and culture for strong communities.

Anyone who feels this way and who is of voting age can register (for free) as a Cultural Shareholder on the CultureWorks website: www.richmondcultureworks.org. There are no costs or fees or solicitations. But you can guarantee that when major issues arise, Cultural Shareholders will be asked what they think, and then those combined voices will be shared with the decision-makers.

On Saturday, June 25, 2011, several dozen arts and culture organizations will gather under one roof – The Science Museum of Virginia – to showcase what they do and to talk with attendees. The public is invited to this free event – entitled 2011 Cultsha Xpo - that includes free admission to the Museum and its exhibits. Every attendee who is a Cultural Shareholder will receive an envelope containing $10 to $100 worth of “CultshaBucks” – fake money that can be spent as real money among the arts and culture organizations. CultureWorks will distribute a total of $50,000 worth of CultshaBucks to Cultural Shareholders that day.

At the end of the day the arts and culture organizations will redeem their CultshaBucks for real money from CultureWorks. Thus at the Cultsha Xpo CultureWorks will invest $50,000 into our arts and culture organizations through the hands of the Cultural Shareholders.