Beat Poetry & Beatnik Culture Curator Mabuhay Gardens (CrowdDoing)

Organization: Mabuhay Gardens (via CrowdDoing)
Initiative: Heritage & Cultural Programming
Location: Hybrid — remote-friendly with optional on-site visits
Type: Volunteer, service-learning
Commitment: Flexible, part-time, ongoing
Reports into: Mabuhay Programming Curator
About the initiative
Mabuhay Gardens is a storied cultural venue with a legendary history. The building has hosted performances by legends including Louis Armstrong, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, The Specials, Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Herbie Hancock, R.E.M., Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Soundgarden, Bad Religion, Dave Chappelle, and many others. Via CrowdDoing, we are regenerating the Mab as a hybrid cultural ecosystem: live music, dance, comedy, rentals, popup culinary lab, off-peak wellness partnerships, art-walk activations, and solarpunk / regenerative-culture programming.
Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti both performed in this room, placing it inside the same Beat lineage as Howl and the Six Gallery reading. We're looking for a curator who can build recurring Beat poetry and Beatnik-culture programming that treats this lineage as a living tradition.
The puzzle
What happens to a literary movement once its founders are gone? Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti performed here as living writers, not legends being commemorated. The puzzle is building programming that channels that same spontaneous, confrontational, jazz-inflected energy with contemporary poets and musicians.
What you'll do
- Programming concept development — Shape recurring formats for Beat poetry readings, jazz-and-poetry nights, and Beat-adjacent workshops, including ideas for the "Howl to Haight" signature program.
- Poet and musician mapping — Build a working map of contemporary poets, spoken-word artists, and jazz musicians whose work carries the same improvisational, confrontational spirit as the original Beat scene.
- Historical research, with AI as a complement — Dig into Beat history, the Six Gallery reading, City Lights' publishing lineage, and this venue's specific connection to Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti.
- Noticing collaboration moments — Keep an eye on what poetry collectives, small presses, jazz ensembles, and literary organizations are sharing publicly.
- Genuine artist connections — Approach writers and musicians with real curiosity about their work first.
- Concept handoff and documentation — Bring well-researched programming ideas to the Mabuhay producing team with full context.
Who this role is for
Somebody with real, demonstrable skill in at least two of the following:
- Deep familiarity with Beat literature, jazz-and-poetry traditions, or the Six Gallery / City Lights lineage
- Programming or curatorial experience with poetry readings, spoken word, or literary events
- A genuine connection to contemporary poets, spoken-word artists, or jazz musicians
- Research instincts for tracing literary and musical history accurately
- Curious mind: you love learning about Beat literature, jazz history, and how the two traditions fed each other
- Openness to AI as a helpful complement
Why do this
- The problem matters: Literary movements risk becoming frozen historical set pieces once their founders are gone.
- The stakes are real: The readings and jazz-poetry nights you help shape will happen for real audiences and real working poets.
- The craft (self-challenge): You'll learn to find contemporary work with genuine Beat spirit rather than surface-level imitation.
- The room is legendary: You're helping regenerate a venue where Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti once stood.
- Virtual collaboration with CrowdDoing's global network.
Time commitment & structure
- Flexible, part-time, mostly asynchronous
- Ongoing commitment, renewable
- Onboarding via CrowdDoing's standard volunteer orientation
How to apply
Send a short note (5-8 sentences) covering which 2-3 areas you can contribute in immediately, one poet or musician you'd want to bring in, and your available hours.
CrowdDoing is an equal-opportunity volunteer organization. This is an unpaid volunteer role and service-learning opportunity.