Sam Dwyer, a Program Officer for Humanities Montana, announced recently that the second edition of Gather Round is now available. Although the first edition carried a gather-around-the-campfire theme, the second edition features a water theme and encourages a movie night.

Gather Round is a Humanities Montana program developed in partnership with the Big Sky Film Institute. The goal of Gather Round is to have interesting conversations with friends exploring the themes in each do-it-yourself (DIY) humanities toolkit.

“The notions of empowerment and democratic thinking bring to life our do-it-yourself humanities initiative,” Dwyer said. “We’ve designed activities and picked readings that recognize the wisdom and curiosity of Montanans. The toolkit has everything you need to spark a conversation around a campfire, dinner table, or cocktail party or to inspire a conversation in a classroom.”

The second edition of Gather Round kits is based on four short films: Connection, Water Warriors, Scenes from a Dry City, and Taking the Waters. “These are films from regional and global directors talking about water access—from recreation to industry—and the responsibility we have toward waterways, and the value of water resources.

In addition to including the four films selected in partnership with the Big Sky Film Institute, each kit comes with a cards-for-humanities card deck, popcorn, collectible pins, a message in a bottle, an invitation to participate in a collaborative film project, and easy tips for hosting.

“Montanans can gather with friends and family for conversation, fellowship, and camaraderie in the spirit of DIY,” Dwyer said. “You can plan a movie night or use the deck of cards with prompts and quotes to play a game and have conversations. We created a program that’s fun and engaging for people at home—a toolkit for DIY humanities that arrives in your mailbox for you to use in whatever creative ways you imagine.”

According to the Humanities Montana website, Gather Round encourages those who participate to “Explore and reflect on a sense of self and place through conversations with friends and neighbors. Each participant is invited to become a host for a new circle of friends letting the conversations ripple outward in ever-expanding circles of connectivity.”

Despite the benefits to working with media, files, and devices in the digital domain, we still live in an analog world and crave human connection. Dwyer described Gather Round as “an analog option in an overly virtual world.” Although Gather Round is free to order, supply is limited.

Interested individuals can order a Gather Round toolkit by visiting the website: https://www.humanitiesmontana.org/gather-round/ or by calling Dwyer at (406) 243-6022.