OS at the core of arts/sustainability gathering in May '09?

[Patricia Haines]

ARTS AT THE HEART OF A SUSTAINABLE WORLD, a global initiative grounded by the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and Earth Charter USA, is starting to plan for a three-day gathering in New York City in early May, 2009.

The purpose of this event will be for participants - artists, educators, sustainability activists - to share information, energy and inspiration about how they are calling on the ARTS as a catalyst for addressing the UN Millennium Goals and Earth Charter ethical/action agendas.

Arts at the Heart grew out of an Open Space in Raleigh, NC in March '06, hosted by the US Partnership for the UN Decade - facilitated by Steve Cochran and Chris Weaver, who was amazing and remains a vibrant inspiration for all this project is doing now and growing toward. 

I want the May '09 gathering to have another Open Space at its core - though we'll invite participants to offer performances, poetry readings, exhibitions of their art work, hands-on workshops, collective music and dancing too.

My organization (the Level Green Institute - which has guest rooms if anyone ever wants to visit Ithaca, ny) will be organizing the event, but it will be co-hosted by Earth Charter USA and the Youth Caucus of the UN Environmental Program. We're in conversation about possibilities for space at the UN itself, as part of UNEP's 3-week meetings in May.

We're also working with the Danish Consulate in NYC to call on the Danish Folk School heritage as another frame for our goal to mobilize the arts as a catalyst for building a sustainable world. Little is known about the Folk School in the US, but the movement started in the 1840s as part of the grassroots democracy movement that enthralled all of Europe at that time - and everything began with singing, music and embracing the richness of distinct cultural identities. No matter what the particular focus, and each School had its own unique approach, there were intentional connections with host communities, and music and dancing woven in with the most-often action-oriented curriculum. By 1900 it had spread around the globe, very quietly providing a framework for community-based, non-credit, non-degree-related interdisciplinary, residential explorations of what experiencing full humanity - in the context of responsibility to community - can mean for active
 democratic citizenship. The past 20 years or so have seen a resurgence of folk school activity everywhere in the world - including in the US - but US initiatives haven't been included in the growing world network.

I'll be starting funding searches in early September - anyone interested in working with me to organize this Open Space? we'll need an experienced facilitator (or two), who will be written into the budget.

I didn't do well with the Open Space I myself facilitated in April, at Ithaca's symposium on Greening the Arts - there weren't enough  people, and none of them knew about or were prepared for the challenge that Open Space offers.

I really need your help to make this work - and I'd love to hear your ideas of how we can make this gathering as effective and heart-inspiring as the March '06 Open Space that sparked the vision in the first place.

Thank you - Patricia Haines, Ithaca, NY (607) 339-9472

PS: does anyone have contact information for Chris Weaver? the email I had is no longer working, and the phone on the only web presence is cut off. Thanks -


LEVEL GREEN - fostering sustainable community through collaborative initiatives in hospitality, education and the arts, in the 150 year-old democratic  spirit of the Danish Folk School





      

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