Hello fellow Cascadians! 

We are excited to announce that we are creating an Independent Media Center in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood of Seattle.

Starting in August, the Cascadia Underground now has a place to live in a space that’s more than just a website. So far, we have secured partnerships with local leaders from the worlds of politics, advocacy, non-profit work, community service, and activism, all of whom are eager to connect with the Cascadia community at large in order to bring the Cascadia Underground to life. We are partnering with Horizon Books, one of Seattle’s oldest independent used bookstores to be able to provide a great centrally located space for a media center.

A truly underground space, for an awesome underground movement. Our vision for the Cascadia Underground looks like this:

• The development of a training and performance space

• Live broadcast and recording equipment for interviews, streaming media, and more.

• Computers for audio and video editing

• Projectors and screens for presentations

• Portable audio and video recording equipment

• Shared distribution pipelines, to include easily accessible podcast networks that pushing media to all digital platforms, robust websites devoted to showcasing articles, recordings, and live stream content.

• A maker space for DIY print publishing for all Cascadians.

• And that’s just for starters…

As part of this, our most exciting news is that we’ve officially merged with Better Left Podcast & team, who are responsible for launching and running a slate of progressive candidates and campaigns around the Cascadia bioregion over the past several years who are bringing in some really wonderful energy. In addition, we are proud to share space with amazing groups like the Black Voices Collective, and are just finally putting the finishing touches on a really cool content creation & recording studio that will be available for everyone (including YOU – yes YOU – to get in here and PODCAST).

This includes a setup that can have four guests on at a time, with mixer and soundboard, headphones, wide angle super HD webcast kinnect, 2hd cameras, lav mics, with space for an editors station. Now that we’ve actually got it all *semi functional, we’re going to put a few final touches on the space, bringing in a table big enough for 6-8 people socially distanced, and then begin stringing up a vertical mounting system so that we can pull all the cables and mike arms off the ground and for easy out of the way storage when their not in use. We’ll also begin building a simple sound dampening setup.

In addition, we finally have a space to set up our CZUR Book Scanner and 11×17′ flat scanner, and are working with our wonderful new volunteer Quinn to scan in and document bioregional and archival material. 

Our efforts in launching in July were very well received with more than 53,000 unique viewers to the https://cascadiaunderground.org in our first month. Since then we have worked hard to expand our space, outreach and grow connections with communities and leaders who have an important message and voice to share.  

Some of the awesome folks we are working with to make this space happen: 

• Better Left – A podcast for progressive people with a sprinkle of politics thrown in. 

• Minds of the New Map – A podcast exploring the movers and shakers who are changing the unchangeable and charting a new course where once thought unthinkable.  

• On Politix –  Non-binary and trans perspectives on political issues from within and outside of Cascadia that impact us the most.  

• Sherae Laschelles – who is currently running for the 43rd legislative district against Frank Chopp, to set up a content creation studio. Their campaign is also helping supply us with hand sterilizer and clean wipes to keep the space sterile & safe during COVID.

• Black Voices Collective – Some of the original voices and organizers of CHOP in Seattle, they are now working to affirm real change here in Seattle.

If you’d like to support this project, become a member or join the CU patreon here:

https://www.patreon.com/cascadiaunderground

As always, our leadership team is proud to represent a wide variety of Cascadian voices. With more than half of our organizing team comprised of people of color, as well as gender non-conforming and LGBTQIA2+ (LGBTQ) individuals, we continue to build upon our foundational commitment to strengthening diversity within the Cascadia movement.

With all the wildfires & smoke we hope you all are staying healthy and well, and we can’t wait to share more soon. 

Brandon & Cascadia Team