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

Wed Aug 6 18:06:49 PDT 2008

It is amazing!
Just joined the group and first post to receive was about something that boils in my mind and can not find solution yet, but is so close to my heart!
I am part of Russian Folk Group here in northern California. We started as a group of parents that wanted to help kids to keep the language. The initiative grew bigger and deeper to not only celebrate holidays with songs and dances, but include other art forms: painting, costume making, clay work, beading, etc. Then some of members explored different meanings of songs and games, as well as the effect of vibration when you sing with your "chest" voice. Me in particular is very interested in effects of folk singing when pregnant and raising a child (ren), as well as in joyful or grieving periods of life. A lot of cultures use songs and circle games-dances as a "clearing" of the place, ice-breaking, opening of chakras, spiritual work... 
The burning thought was, I see it in collaboration with OS, but have no idea where to start from! The feeling is that it is so close, so big and wonderful (I mean our future project oo using OS in Folk and folk in OS)
And here is the post of Patricia Haines and others about the same thing!
Thank you guys, we will create something!
Warmly,
Nataly

Nataly Marchuk

Independent Associate

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

Home office: (408) 749-0936

Mobile phone: (408) 420-0095

www.femida-network.com

--- On Wed, 8/6/08, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:
From: Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com>
Subject: Re: OS at the core of arts/sustainability gathering in May '09?
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 4:56 PM

Lots of Open Spaces with arts organizations showing up on my radar these days too.  Ran two in the past year with the Arts organizations here in British Columbia and I know Phelim was around here in Vancouver in January running an OST that a dancer friend of mine was at (and she loved it and him).  It certainly seems like it's Open Space in a full blown sector now, to add to government, health, education and business...

Chris

On Wed, Aug 6, 2008 at 1:23 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

Wonderful! The secret I think -- is don't make it too complicated, don't try

and explain it -- just open a lot of space/time for wonderful art. There is

a lot of tradition about this, starting more than 10 years ago when a good

friend conducted an Open Space for the Arts Councils of America (a project

of the Pew Foundation) -- 2 days in Open Space with a theme something like

Bringing Art to America. When people announced their sessions at the opening

they often did it in their own art form. Dancers danced it -- singers sang

it, and musicians made the music. There were no "special performances" --

everything was performance. And it truly rocked! And it was also very

substantive with careful attention the sorts of things that Art's Councils

need to pay attention to -- but there was no distinction between art and

life. It was all one glorious unity -- which is what true art is all about,

I think. Lots of details and connections if you want. Phelim and Matilda --

where are you???

Harrison

Harrison Owen

189 Beaucaire Ave

Camden, ME 04843

207-763-3261 (Summer)

301-365-2093 (Winter)

Website www.openspaceworld.com

Personal Website www.ho-image.com

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-----Original Message-----

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Patricia

Haines

Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 2:05 PM

To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU

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

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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-- 
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training - Process Design
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot

Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com

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