tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355475762024-03-13T14:13:28.684-07:00Photosynthetic PoeticsBecause Sylvia Wynter says poetry is us, making an active relationship with the world and each other. Look here for writing exercises that recreate you as a maker of brilliance, healing and instant ongoing community.lexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08265539602839655150noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-37527349016084279012013-09-02T19:57:00.001-07:002013-09-02T19:57:34.379-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lkjfljrss4g/UiVOktwOWZI/AAAAAAAAApU/gt9FvB4tA9g/s1600/1002186_676235585739045_1787070370_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lkjfljrss4g/UiVOktwOWZI/AAAAAAAAApU/gt9FvB4tA9g/s320/1002186_676235585739045_1787070370_n.jpg" /></a></div>
FREE ‘EM ALL: A Black August/Labor Day Podcast
By Body Ecology Performance Ensemble, NYC
www.bettysdaughterarts.com
"Because all prisoners are political prisoners."
for Syria
for Assata Shakur
for us all...
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/ebonygolden/free-em-all-a-black-august
Black August ended just a few days ago and Labor Day is almost over. But in case you haven’t noticed, we the people of these so-called United States must continue to labor for justice, equality and the liberation of political prisoners world-wide. Our positive thoughts are with Syria, the Middle East and right here in our communities that impacted by political and economic unrest.
The associate artists of Body Ecology Performance Ensemble, based in NYC, have put together a podcast of some popular music along with our poems and ideas as a sonic exploration of the barriers to liberation as well as our ideas for liberation. It is our duty to stand up. It is our duty to speak out. It is our duty to make the change the world needs with whatever tools we have in our communities.
We call this podcast FREE EM ALL because it is time to redefine criminality. It is time to redefine punishment. It is time to free those who have been pawned by the United States project and are essentially causalities of political, economic and social warfare. If the United States government isn’t locked up, the millions of people it has chosen to criminalize and block from ever having full access to citizenship should probably not be locked up either.
Honoring Black August should be a life-long process and a year-around celebration of resistance, love and wellness. This year, Body Ecology felt it best to share our honoring just as people begin to get busy with the fall season, school, and work. Come back to this podcast as a reminder that each day should move you and your community closer to freedom. If our world is to be free, that freedom begins with each of us.
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Along with the voices of Body Ecology’s associate artists, expect to hear the familiar words and sounds of Assata Shakur, Blitz the Ambassador, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Fela Kuti, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, Oya Candomble, and Wale. Body Ecology is please to also share a performance of Rhinoceros Woman from Assata Shakur’s acclaimed autobiography, “Assata.” Please enjoy our offering.
Conceived in 2009, Body Ecology Performance Ensemble works for the collective liberation, wellness and creative empowerment of black women and girls globally through performance art, educational experiences and cultural arts direct action campaigns. Body Ecology’s current campaign, RingShout for Reproductive Justice (#rs4rj) utilizes the cultural and spiritual practice of the ring shout, a method of praise in worship in the African tradition, to raise awareness, create solutions and broaden the conversation about reproductive health to include creative freedom and expression. The motto of the campaign is “our bodies and our creations are our own”.
Current Body Ecologists include: Jasmine Coles, Katrina De Wees, Audrey Hailes, Sydette Harry, Ebony Noelle Golden (Artistic Director), Heather Lee, Taja Lindley, Kelly Thomas (Assistant Artistic Director) and Jessica Valoris. For more information visit <a href="http://www.bettysdaughterarts.com">www.bettysdaughterarts.com</a>.
Our next public art performance will happen on the streets of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, NY. The performance of RED TIDE RISING is the second theatre piece in our current campaign. The performance will be on September 27 at 6 pm. It is free! Look for information on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BodyEcologyPerformanceEnsemble">facebook page</a> or at www.bettysdaughterarts.com.furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-58124503001802442222012-11-12T22:48:00.001-08:002012-11-12T22:48:52.044-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yIeq_mkR0GM/UKHsmPZKQNI/AAAAAAAAAfI/cxa-3Pzv1cw/s1600/BEfallflyerfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="267" width="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yIeq_mkR0GM/UKHsmPZKQNI/AAAAAAAAAfI/cxa-3Pzv1cw/s400/BEfallflyerfront.jpg" /></a></div>
Tickets Now on sale: <a href="https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/28965">https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/28965</a>
Learn more about Body Ecology Performance Ensemble-- www.bettysdaughterarts.comfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-49986454812634757232012-01-29T05:25:00.001-08:002012-01-29T05:25:21.888-08:00<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8RFLR7JNe0/TyVHBU_ECOI/AAAAAAAAAco/WJH3heHpLxI/s1600/nina-simone-385.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 385px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8RFLR7JNe0/TyVHBU_ECOI/AAAAAAAAAco/WJH3heHpLxI/s400/nina-simone-385.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703042591273257186" /></a><br /> <br /> <br />Venerating Dr. Nina Simone: Conjure Woman, Soul Woman<br />by: Ebony Noelle Golden,<br />Co-Founder/ Co-Curator of Women on Wednesday Art and Culture Project<br /> <br />Women on Wednesday Arts and Culture Project honors the incomparable Dr. Nina Simone as the ancestral mother for WoW2012: The Naked Edition. WoWs organizers honor Nina Simone because of her unabashed boldness and fearless dedication to truth-telling, liberation and creative excellence. Join us in celebrating the brilliance of Nina Simone this month and every month.<br /> <br />Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina February 21, 1933 and transitioned April 21, 2003. Her life, legacy, music, fashion and pursuit of liberation serve as guide for how black girls, women and the rest of the world can live their NAKED TRUTHS.<br /> <br /> <br />I was first introduced to Nina Simone in college. Every summer I taught dance and worked as a choreographer for the Young Performers Program at the Ensemble Theatre in Houston, TX. My first summer, I choreographed Lorraine Hansberry’s play “To Be Young Gifted and Black.” While researching the piece, I found Simone and remember listening to the song a few hundred times. I remember thinking that she didn’t necessarily have a melodic voice, but instead a committed voice. A voice that made to sit up and pay attention. A voice that demanded every listener recognize the wealth that is the black youth, black talent and just blackness overall. From then, I was hooked. Using her work in my scholarly, artistic and amorous adventures. <br /> <br />Years later, I remember playing a game of chest with a lover, who didn’t dig her sound. Her voiced opened me to a greater capacity of strategic maneuvering. I remember my lover asking about her, where she came from, why did I like her. I remember being bothered by his lack of love and admiration for Simone. In the months following that game of chest, I continued to play Simone’s music. Eventually, he learned to love her, and couldn’t remember the time when he didn’t appreciate her voice.<br /> <br /><br /> <br />In a time where the cult of black respectability forced women and men to bend to white culture and standards, she was a member of a crew politically active, cultural warriors who visioned and worked for a world where creative innovation and liberation conspired to blaze a trail of possibility, beauty and freedom for communities, artists organizers and educators the world-over.<br /> <br />Simone’s iconic sound, political action and musical innovation resisted tradition, form and boundaries. Songs like “Mississippi Goddam” and “Four Women” season the soundtrack of liberation movements for global human rights. Always the conjure woman; Simone was able to move the crowd with the greatest of ease, radicalize a soul with a moan or a hollar, change the temperature of a room with a stoke of the piano and delve into the heart of all that is beautiful and troubling about the world with her soothing or harsh tones. She was one bad mama-jama.<br /> <br />This contemporary moment finds Nina Simone just as relevant. Simone serves as the muse for many Hip-hop artists, theatre-makers, dancers, choreographers and visual artists around the globe. Several of the Women on Wednesday Art and Culture Project participants are currently or have in the past created work that honors her life and legacy.<br /> <br />I wrote the poem below a few years ago. It is included in a poetry collection I am building and obsessed with called “again, the watercarriers.” The collection, includes a section dedicated to the diverse manifestations of the conjure woman archetype. That section includes a suite of poems dedicated to the one and only Nina Simone. <br /> <br /><br /> <br />conjure woman, soul woman <br />for nina<br /> <br />nina<br />they say you stole shadows<br />you cast babyspirits out in nocturnal limboyou make them wander<br /> <br />in search of womb<br />in search of milk<br />in search of the space between heaven and hell <br />where each step is a breathsqueeze<br /> <br />they say you keep a sachet of boneshavings crescent city spit <br />and motherlanddust under your slip <br />that you blew <br />the brows clean off a man's forehead<br />for cutting his eyes at you<br /> <br />they say you could have been a street preacher <br />but you couldn't keep your legs closed <br />or pray just to our lord jesus<br /> <br />i know a woman who carries your face <br />and she aint nothing but sanctified <br />and she speak sweet like i hear you speak <br />and her fingers too are wands that stir heaven<br /> <br />and she holds night in her skinsings it to her children when dawn breaks<br /> <br />nina<br />they really don't know how you got the blood and the lightening in your tone<br />don't know how you swung back this lifetime without wings<br />know how you birthed us with out light so<br /> <br />they call you witch when obeah be your name<br />call you mystery when you are everywhere like dew<br />magician when magician you are <br />they call you alien when you are mamathey call you alien cause you tune our hearts<br />your name be obeah<br /> <br />you bend time<br />siphon your way through space <br />i hear you do it<br /> <br />stretch through speakers at me<br />stretch through speakers at me <br />just when i get tired of shouting freedom <br />writing freedom birthing freedom<br /> <br />stretch through speakers at me--your groove <br />a feathered redemption <br /> <br />About the Author<br />Hailing from Houston, TX, Ebony Noelle Golden is a cultural worker, artist and creative director of Betty’s Daughter Arts Collaborative, LLC and artistic director of Body Ecology Performance Ensemble. Ebony's current bodies of work include: "RingShout for Reproductive Justice" and "again, the watercarriers." She also writes about jazz, culture and liberation for Okayplayer’s The Revivalist Magazine. www.bettysdaughterarts.com.<br /> <br />About WoW<br />Motto: Engage, Create, Empower<br />Mission: WoW is dedicated to celebrating the creativity, empowerment, holistic health, and civic engagement of black girls and women. <br /> <br />In honoring the voices of women and girls of the African Diaspora, “Women on Wednesdays: Art and Culture Series” privileges our ancestors and their labor, affirming our collective truth – we do not walk alone, and we could not create transformative and innovative art without the journeys of those who came before us. Thus, WoW creates a space for our ancestors’ at every “Women on Wednesdays” event, encouraging participating artists and audience members to share this sacred space.<br /> <br />This series’ success is notable, because it provided women of color professional and emerging artists with an opportunity to share their work, engaging audience members in talk-backs after each performance. Such opportunities are crucial for women of color and our community. Though many social and political advances have been made, cultural art-making by women and girls of the African Diaspora still lacks the support often granted to others. “Women on Wednesdays: Art and Culture Series” celebrates our labor and creativity, putting women of color at the center of cultural exchange while simultaneously creating a welcome space for audiences which may not have known of this work without such a platform for expression.<br /> <br />To find out more about Women on Wednesday Art and Culture Project visit our Facebook Group or wowproject.yolasite.com.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tx-9Iq7Gh04/TyVH5ZD2zeI/AAAAAAAAAc0/mNB7Z7ve1dg/s1600/wowflyer1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tx-9Iq7Gh04/TyVH5ZD2zeI/AAAAAAAAAc0/mNB7Z7ve1dg/s400/wowflyer1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703043554439777762" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-47253691530162243002011-11-18T09:05:00.001-08:002011-11-18T09:05:31.751-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e46Q3Yv5lAA/TsaM0ImePOI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ktpnvr_tu1k/s1600/388996_1551621507343_1139280598_31383880_587938102_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e46Q3Yv5lAA/TsaM0ImePOI/AAAAAAAAAcA/ktpnvr_tu1k/s400/388996_1551621507343_1139280598_31383880_587938102_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676379207637023970" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/264913493551887/">https://www.facebook.com/events/264913493551887/</a><br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />Tomorrow is the day for Body Ecology's 2nd RingShout for Reproductive Justice! Dress warmly, fill your thermos and prepare yourselves for what will be a gripping and enlightening public art performance. <br /><br />What is a RingShout? A ringshout is a method for praise and worship. In the ring shout people sing, dance, testify. Body Ecology recognizes the technology of the circle has made black women and black communities un-breakable. It is our circle that keeps us focused on the whole, the light in our community, the hopefulness that we can collectively vision. <br /><br />Body Ecology affirms that this campaign, this ring shout this circle of energy and creativity is our best asset for addressing justice and reproductive health.Our RingShout is a performance of healing, truth-telling, humor and recovery. We do this through the performance of original poetry, narrative, choreography. Expect to be moved! Each ringshout ends with a community cipher/ story circle so bring a dance, a poem a testimony about health, legacy, reproductive justice or creativity! Join us!<br /><br />In solidarity,<br />Ebony Golden<br />Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative<br />www.bettysdaughterarts.comfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-43718997010200729372011-11-10T07:47:00.001-08:002011-11-10T07:47:24.151-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwUnBB9pdH8/Trvw4pcEGBI/AAAAAAAAAbk/BOyYdRB-y1k/s1600/297439_10150344637342256_640892255_8748094_1064260809_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 142px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KwUnBB9pdH8/Trvw4pcEGBI/AAAAAAAAAbk/BOyYdRB-y1k/s400/297439_10150344637342256_640892255_8748094_1064260809_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673393011590174738" /></a><br /><br /><br />RingShout for Reproductive Justice Continues Nov. 19th!<br /><br /><br />Body Ecology continues its RingShout for Reproductive Justice Campaign with a second public performance and street story circle. Check back soon for more information about the performance and how you can get involved!<br /><br />Lauded as the "father of gynecology", Dr. James Marion Sims brutally experimented on enslaved African women in Birmingham, Alabama. There just so happens to be a monument built in his honor on 5th Avenue. Body Ecology wants this memorial removed! <br /><br />We are calling on the power of the women who suffered at the hands of this "doctor" as we offer our second installment of RingShout for Reproductive Justice. We are calling on the power of the women are experiencing joy, trauma, revelation, doubt, and a myriad of emotions and feelings that relate to our reproductive health and choices. <br /><br />What is a RingShout?<br /><br />A ringshout is a method for praise and worship. In the ring shout people sing, dance, testify. Usually the songs are lead but there is time for each person to speak or sing. You may be more familiar with recent configurations of the ringshout including the cipher or even the "sista circle" or sacred circles for women. The idea is that the circle is sacred and when those join in the circle they harness an energy and power to manifest what they choose. Also, there are theatre makers who are using the ring shout in traditional theatre settings for similar purposes. <br /><br />Body Ecology recognizes the technology of the circle has made black women and black communities un-breakable. It is our circle that keeps us focused on the whole, the light in our community, the hopefulness that we can collectively vision. Body Ecology affirms that this campaign, this ring shout this circle of energy and creativity is our best asset for addressing justice and reproductive health.<br /><br />Our RingShout is a performance of healing, truth-telling, humor and recovery. We do this through the performance of original poetry, narrative, choreography. Expect to be moved!<br /><br />Each ringshout ends with a community cipher/ story circle so bring a dance, a poem a testimony about health, legacy, reproductive justice or creativity! Join us!<br /><br /><br />More about the RingShout for Reproductive Justice Campaign<br /><br />Read More Here:<br />http://www.bettysdaughterarts.com/#!ringshout-for-reproductive-justice<br /><br />www.bettysdaughterarts.comfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-87893588580496374402011-10-21T22:01:00.001-07:002011-10-21T22:01:39.345-07:00BDACs current campaign is called the RingShout for Reproductive Justice! <br /><br />Join us for our 2nd RingShout November 19!<br /><br />https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=264913493551887<br /> <br />What is a RingShout?<br /> <br />A ringshout is a method for praise and worship. In the ring shout people sing, dance, testify. Usually the songs are lead but there is time for each person to speak or sing. You may be more familiar with recent configurations of the ringshout including the cipher or even the "sista circle" or sacred circles for women. The idea is that the circle is sacred and when those join in the circle they harness an energy and power to manifest what they choose. Also, there are theatre makers who are using the ring shout in traditional theatre settings for similar purposes. <br /> <br />Body Ecology recognizes the technology of the circle has made black women and black communities un-breakable. It is our circle that keeps us focused on the whole, the light in our community, the hopefulness that we can collectively vision. Body Ecology affirms that this campaign, this ring shout this circle of energy and creativity is our best asset for addressing justice and reproductive health.<br /> <br />Our RingShout is a performance of healing, truth-telling, humor and recovery. We do this through the performance of original poetry, narrative, choreography. Expect to be moved!<br /> <br />Each ringshout ends with a community cipher/ story circle so bring a dance, a poem a testimony about health, legacy, reproductive justice or creativity! Join us!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GL44h3EnADY/TqJNpazsqTI/AAAAAAAAAag/5vkC7ws1-N4/s1600/331263_10150317928077256_640892255_8602281_383347471_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GL44h3EnADY/TqJNpazsqTI/AAAAAAAAAag/5vkC7ws1-N4/s320/331263_10150317928077256_640892255_8602281_383347471_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666176655151638834" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-20164824505860560812011-10-09T07:40:00.001-07:002011-10-09T07:40:55.331-07:00This Body Ecology: Creativity & Transformation Residency will be looking at the connection between spiritual practice and creative performance. Expect to deepen conversations around ritual, Shange, Alice Walker, Sonia Sanchez and others. Expect to be asked to "perform something that pushes you to a new awareness of yourself and your creative potential". Join us!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1pznaQttRDc/TpGyR1sDOLI/AAAAAAAAAaY/Lb6qDoxCSHc/s1600/bodyecologypostcard.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1pznaQttRDc/TpGyR1sDOLI/AAAAAAAAAaY/Lb6qDoxCSHc/s320/bodyecologypostcard.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661502226120784050" /></a><br />https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197374113662828furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-8263744116853705852011-09-27T08:47:00.000-07:002011-09-27T08:48:34.910-07:00Join Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative in our inaugral cultural arts direct action campaign!!! We begin tomorrow!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i9YphcJUR9U/ToHiMb7RV4I/AAAAAAAAAYk/YVYsbc-9zpE/s1600/bodyecologypostcard.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i9YphcJUR9U/ToHiMb7RV4I/AAAAAAAAAYk/YVYsbc-9zpE/s320/bodyecologypostcard.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657051310236718978" /></a><br /><br /><br />Body Ecology: Creativity and Transformation Residency<br /><br /><br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br />Public Performing Arts and Activism Workshops for South Bronx Community<br />Contact: Ebony Noelle Golden<br />Email: ebonygolden@bettysdaughterarts.com<br /><br /><br />www.bettysdaughterarts.com<br /><br />South Bronx, New York --6 pm on September 28, Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative in collaboration with Casa Atabex Ache will launch the Body Ecology: Creativity and Transformation<br /><br />residency for women and trans folks of color . The residency will address reproductive rights, environmental justice and spiritual activism over a period of a month. The residency will<br /><br />feature public performance opportunities, creative dialogue, dance, writing and theatre workshops at Casa Atabex Ache. Participants will also have the opportunity to participate in two<br /><br />public performances: one at Casa Atabex Ache and the other at the Harriet Tubman Memorial statue in Harlem. The performances will feature the original work of participants who will be<br /><br />exploring the role of creative arts in working for individual transformation and community action.<br /><br /><br />The workshops will take place 6-8 p.m. at Casa Atabex Ache located at 471 East 140th Street Bronx, NY 10454. Participants have the option of paying between 20 and 40 dollars each<br /><br />session, although no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.<br /><br />Dates & Topics Include:<br /><br />September<br /><br />Reproductive Justice Cultural Arts Direct Action Campaign Debuts<br /><br />28: Body Ecology Residency Begins @ Casa Atabex Ache. Register Here. Reproductive Justice!<br /><br />October<br /><br />1: Ringshout for Reproductive Justice 3 pm @ the Harriet Tubman Memorial Plaza 122nd and St. Nick.<br /><br />3: Performance/Workshop: Ritual Theatre & Choreopoem Aesthetics @ Medgar Evers College<br /><br />5: Environmental Justice Workshop<br /><br />12: Spiritual Activism Workshop<br /><br />19: Solo and Collaborative Performance Workshop<br /><br />22: Body Ecology at The Black Girl Project Symposium<br /><br />26: Final Benefit Performance in Support of Casa Atabex Ache and Project Zanzibar<br /><br /><br />The residency is a part of Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative's inaugural cultural arts direct action campaign season dedicated to using arts to address issues of reproductive justice within<br /><br />the African Diaspora community. Ebony Golden, Creative Director of Betty's Daughter said, “This cultural arts direct action campaign has been a dream for several years. I am excited to<br /><br />use the arts to vision a world I want to live in with the rest of the ensemble and community. We are not fighting against anything, we are honoring our autonomy over all that we choose to<br /><br />create-artistically, politically, spiritually, economically, educationally...” The goals of the campaign are to raise awareness, increase creative action, facilitate dialogue and support local<br /><br />organizing efforts.<br /><br />The campaign will take the ensemble to Boston, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. Local allies include Casa Atabex Ache, Ocean Ana Rising, Brecht Forum, and WOW Cafe Theatre.<br /><br /><br />Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, LLC is a cultural arts direct action group that inspires, enlivens, and incites justice and transformation of individuals and communities through<br /><br />creativity, cultural arts and radical expressiveness.<br /><br />Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative envisions and works for a world where cultural and artistic practice envelops and sustains wellness and justice movements for individuals and<br /><br />communities.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-c-ByD1ILw/ToHoDOFNKLI/AAAAAAAAAYs/ViR9zTAhasw/s1600/bodyecologypostcard1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-c-ByD1ILw/ToHoDOFNKLI/AAAAAAAAAYs/ViR9zTAhasw/s320/bodyecologypostcard1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657057748971235506" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-15437591523533671612011-07-12T21:34:00.000-07:002011-07-12T21:35:06.322-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbD5g61FiTg/Th0fd2Yd9JI/AAAAAAAAAWg/NDMRMmdmu4o/s1600/156705_473531112255_640892255_6375753_885052_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbD5g61FiTg/Th0fd2Yd9JI/AAAAAAAAAWg/NDMRMmdmu4o/s320/156705_473531112255_640892255_6375753_885052_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628689706957796498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Project Zanzibar:: Cultural Arts Residency</span><br /><br />BDAC needs your help to get to Zanzibar!!! Each dollar is an investment!<br /> <br />Donate here: <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projectzanzibar">http://www.indiegogo.com/projectzanzibar</a><br /><br /><br /> <br />Our Story <br />In August of 2010, Ebony Golden was introduced to Bi Aida and Mbaruk (Directors of Creative Solutions) by Tufara Muhammad at the Highlander Research and Education Center. During Cultural Workers' Weekend, Bi Aida and Ebony talked about the possibility of community cultural arts residency at their Creative Solutions school in Zanzibar. By the end of the weekend, Ebony was sure that this collaboration would be an awesome opportunity to learn and share art in community, while beginning an intentional and sustainable relationship with an international collaborator. This weekend, Project Zanzibar:: Cultural Arts Residency was born.<br /> <br />Utilizing art and creativity, Project Zanzibar:: Cultural Arts Residency seeks to amplify the voices and creativity of young adults and women at Creative Solutions Resource Systems school located in Mangapwani, Zanzibar.<br /> <br />The residency is a collaborative effort between Creative Solutions and Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, based in New York, NY.<br /> <br /> <br />Goals and Outcomes<br />1. 3 Yoga Workshops<br />2. 2 Dance/Movement Workshops<br />3. 2 Writing Workshops<br />4. 1 Story Circle<br />5. 2 Theatre/Performance Workshops<br />6. 1 Visual Arts Workshops<br />7. 1 Community Performances<br /> <br />More About The Collaborators <br />Creative Solutions Resource Systems is a non profit community learning center, located in the village of Mangapwani, approximately 27 kilometers from Zanzibar town and one kilometer from the beach. We are a grass roots organization providing access to education through both traditional and modern systems. CSRS strives to unleash the creative energy within each individual through participatory workshops, classes and demonstrations. CSRS is committed to the philosophy of creating solutions through self-help.<br /> <br /> <br />Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, LLC is a cultural arts direct action group that inspires, enlivens, and incites justice and transformation of individuals and communities through creativity, healing arts practices and radical expressiveness. Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative envisions a world where cultural and artistic practice envelops and sustains wellness and justice movements for individuals and communities. Betty's Daughter Arts collaborative provides workshops, residencies, performances and consulting services to communities working for justice and transformation. <br /><br />Check out BDAC at work--h<a href="http://youtu.be/j5evUICB7as">ttp://youtu.be/j5evUICB7as</a> and <a href="http://vimeo.com/17252820">http://vimeo.com/17252820</a><br /> <br /><br />The Impact<br /><br />Participant Impact<br />Transformation: Creativity heals, transforms, liberates and enlivens individuals and communities. This experience will provide participants with tools they can use in their everyday lives to reflect, rejoice and renew through writing, performance, movement and meditation. <br /> <br />Community Sustainability: Creativity is integral to building and sustaining community. The residency will provide participants with tools to investigate art and creativity as a practice for solving issues impacting local communities. Through creative visioning, action and reflection participants will experience movement from issue to resolution while at the same time building a tool kit to continue the forward movement for community sustainability and growth.<br /> <br />Literacy: Creativity is directly linked to achievement in literacy and basic skills. Because arts practice supports the overall critical thinking skills of students, it is extremely important to find new and innovative approaches to getting students writing and thinking outside of books. Creativity helps students conceptualize and envision experiences that extend comprehension of texts and problem solving skills. The activities used in this residency will be useful to students as they work to achieve their educational goals.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Organizational Impact<br />Creative Solutions is looking for ways to offer its students quality cultural arts programming. These costs, of course, are steep for a community school. Through our collaboration, Creative Solutions will have a month-long residency that it can use as a template for building and sustaining cultural arts programs throughout the year. Because BDAC is looking to its supporters to help fund this residency, Creative Solutions will not have to worry about payment for the services and use those funds to sustain other educational projects. <br /> <br />The Bottom Line<br />1. If this project does not happen, Creative Solutions quite possibly will not have intensive cultural arts programming for the month.<br />2. Participants will not have access to a transformative arts experience.<br />3. BDAC will not be able to begin its international arts initiative.<br /> <br /> <br />What We Need<br />BDAC Needs 2500.00 for the residency. Here is how it will be spent.<br /> <br />1500-flight<br />200-medication<br />700-Food and Lodging<br />100-Flip Cam<br /> <br />What You Get<br />Mention in Newsletter<br />Mention on website<br />DVD of Residency<br />Residency Chapbook<br />A gift from Zanzibar<br />A post card from Zanzibar<br /> <br /> <br />Other Ways You Can Help<br />Tweet about the residency using the #ProjectZanzibar hashtag<br />Mention the residency and our campaign on your Facebook wall or status update<br />Come to the going away party in Brooklyn July 16th.<br />Donate books, media or school supplies to Creative Solutions<br />Donate yoga mats<br />Donate DVDs<br />Donate art supplies<br />Donate frequent flyer miles<br />Get your social club to donate <br />Purchase mailing of materials<br />Come up with another way to help and let BDAC know! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WWfZ1lxSzg/Th0dWvrfReI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/A_rSB9zgqL0/s1600/DSCF1268.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WWfZ1lxSzg/Th0dWvrfReI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/A_rSB9zgqL0/s320/DSCF1268.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628687385876186594" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-58811713016539722772011-05-18T11:46:00.001-07:002011-05-18T11:46:36.578-07:00Register for the 5th In The People's Hands Arts and Activism Project workshop, in Durham NC.! Free.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqvGO0gmnKs/TdQTXTGurvI/AAAAAAAAAWE/Nb9Ifj_yWTk/s1600/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqvGO0gmnKs/TdQTXTGurvI/AAAAAAAAAWE/Nb9Ifj_yWTk/s400/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608128726969528050" /></a><br /><br /><br />4th Annual In the People's Hands Arts and Activism Project Presents...<br />The LIBERATION INTENSIVE<br /><br />Location: TBA<br />Cost: FREE<br />Contact: Ebony Noelle Golden-ebonygolden@bettysdaughterarts.com,<br />Nia Wilson-spirithousenc@gmail.com<br />tel: 919.283.9032<br /><br />www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com<br /><br />Registration: email or text- ebonygolden@bettysdaughterarts.com or 919.283.9032.<br /><br /><br />Join SpiritHouse, Alternate Roots and Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative for the 4th In The People's Hands Arts and Activism Intensive. This year we are focus is LIBERATION. The weekend we will offer creative performance, spoken word, writing and community action workshops for the community.<br /><br />Agenda<br /><br />Thursday June 30th 430 pm<br />Meet and Greet and Opening Session<br />530 Introductions and Ice Breaker<br />600 Opening Session<br />Why Liberation? Why Now: A Creative Imperative<br />In this session, Ebony Noelle Golden will lead an interactive session with participants exploring creative approaches to liberation, RSC's principles of community engagement while framing the scope and range of the weekend intensive.<br /><br />Friday July 1st 430 pm<br />430- Light Dinner/Snacks<br />5 pm- Session 1<br />630-645 Break<br />645 pm - Session 2<br />815- Wrap Up<br /><br />Saturday July 2<br />10 am- Performance/Manuscript One-on-Ones with Visiting Artists (20 minute sessions)<br />11 am - Light Brunch<br />1130- Session 3<br />1pm- Break<br />115- Session 4<br />245- Break<br />330<br />Cultural Arts Direct Action: The Creative and the Strategic Road Map<br />In this session, Ebony Noelle Golden will lead participants in a process of mapping out the next steps for using art and culture for change. Participants should come prepared to talk about a tangible shift they want to see in their communities and how they want to use art and culture to do that work.<br /><br />530 Break<br /><br />7 pm Community Performancesfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-35782485534819472432011-02-08T19:00:00.001-08:002011-02-08T19:00:19.952-08:00Join Us as WE Celebrate Girls and Women of the African Diaspora!!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TVICeMPihCI/AAAAAAAAAV4/VQ9GwUlB1kw/s1600/wow2011logomix.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 160px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TVICeMPihCI/AAAAAAAAAV4/VQ9GwUlB1kw/s400/wow2011logomix.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571518406716458018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TVICd8Hm3wI/AAAAAAAAAVw/IwJ1ioN9DK8/s1600/wowflyerupdated%2B%252811%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TVICd8Hm3wI/AAAAAAAAAVw/IwJ1ioN9DK8/s400/wowflyerupdated%2B%252811%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571518402388221698" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-85160899814537356132010-12-09T07:52:00.001-08:002010-12-09T07:52:54.283-08:00Women on Wednesdays Art and Culture Project Now Accepting Performance and Workshop Proposals<br /><br />Greetings,<br /><br />I hope you all are finding warmth as it gets really cold outside. I co-curate Women on Wednesdays Arts and Culture Project based here in NYC. We are currently accepting performance and workshop proposals from girls and women of the African diaspora to present creative works and teach during the month of February. Here is the link: <a href="http://www.bettysdaughterarts.com/women-on-wednesday-teach-in.php">http://www.bettysdaughterarts.com/women-on-wednesday-teach-in.php</a> If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at ebonygolden@bettysdaughterarts.com.<br /><br />Ebony Noelle Golden<br />Peace.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TQD5dzD9QbI/AAAAAAAAAUs/gshMef6C6fE/s1600/wow2011logomix.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 160px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/TQD5dzD9QbI/AAAAAAAAAUs/gshMef6C6fE/s400/wow2011logomix.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548709031238779314" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-43587908163233091732009-12-09T12:15:00.001-08:002009-12-09T12:15:49.792-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SyAE6lgCZ4I/AAAAAAAAARo/KOxj9ys8iy8/s1600-h/race1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SyAE6lgCZ4I/AAAAAAAAARo/KOxj9ys8iy8/s400/race1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413332156644747138" /></a><br />WHAT RACE ARE YOU RUNNING? SUBMIT YOUR LO-PHY PERFORMANCES/LO-TECH PHOTOS ebonygolden@bettysdaughterarts.com to contribute to our web installation project debunking POST-RACIAL HYPNOSIS!!!!!! GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.bettysdaughterarts.com/a-poetics-of-progressive-pedagogy.phpfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-61915783033704340442009-11-05T08:12:00.001-08:002009-11-05T08:12:23.871-08:00Call for art, spoken word, music- Sex worker rights are Human rights! <br /><br />In conjunction with International Human Rights Day on December 10th, a coalition of New York-based sex worker rights, anti-violence and decriminalization advocates are hosting a Human Rights Speak-Out and Arts Evening. You are encouraged to submit your work! <br /><br />We are looking for: <br />- pieces that connect to or highlight themes in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (see http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ and the examples below); and to the idea that criminalization of sex work leads ultimately to human rights violations. <br />- visual art; and short (2 to 7 minutes) spoken word or poetry pieces, musical pieces, theater shorts, films, etc.<br />- current/ former sex workers, and folks who are otherwise in communities that are heavily impacted by criminalization and policing of sex work are especially encouraged to submit <br /><br />Submit to : kmdadamo@gmail.com and belltoweroverflo@hotmail.com <br />For spoken word and performance, please email written copies if possible. For film, either mail a copy or send an online link to view. For visual art, please either send JPG images (no more than 2) or otherwise call to make arrangements to submit.<br /><br />Submit by: November 25th<br /><br />Be sure to keep Dec. 10th on your schedule! Travel stipends for local NYC area travel to the event on the evening of December 10th may be available for submitting artists. Please keep in mind that the event will be promoted to media outlets in order to try to bring a sex worker rights and human rights message to a wider audience.<br /><br />Here are some examples of conditions faced by sex workers and articles of the UDHR that correlate:<br /><br />Sex workers and people profiled as sex workers are often ignored when they report violence, rape, or other crimes against them, and even presumed to have brought the violence on themselves. Frequently, they face violence, including sexual violence and extortion, at the hands of the police.<br /><br />Article 3.<br /><br />* Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.<br /><br />Article 5.<br /><br />* No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.<br /><br />Article 7.<br /><br />* All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.<br /><br />People, particularly transgender folks and people of color are often profiled as sex workers and arrested. For example in Washington, DC, officers can arrest people they “presume to be prostitutes” in so-called Prostitution Free Zones. <br /><br />Article 9 of the Declaration says:<br /><br />* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.<br /><br />Article 20.<br /><br />* (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.<br /><br />Criminalization and stigmatization create enormous obstacles to sex workers organizing for labor rights, and sex workers sometimes face discrimination when they seek different work.<br /><br />Article 23.<br /><br />* (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.<br />* (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.<br />* (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.<br />* (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.<br /><br />Article 25.<br /><br />* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-23771339889208391532009-10-19T08:37:00.001-07:002009-10-19T08:37:31.945-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/StyHVAmvCQI/AAAAAAAAARc/_E5ghCA3NVU/s1600-h/gumbo7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/StyHVAmvCQI/AAAAAAAAARc/_E5ghCA3NVU/s400/gumbo7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394335248692480258" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> <br />Stand in Solidarity with Gumbo YaYa!<br />www.iamnotaproject.wordpress.com</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Greetings community,<br /><br />Gumbo YaYa wants you to stand in support of healing and creative expression for African American girls and women. Most of you know I help sustain a community-based sister circle called Gumbo YaYa: Creative Expression and Healing for African American Girls and Women. Well soon the project will expand to communities in South Africa and Kenya and continue in Durham, NC. <br /><br />We want you to stand in solidarity with us! If you believe in our mission and our work email your name and the organization you represent to be listed on our community support page!<br /><br />Gumbo YaYa is a holistic, arts-based program that directly addresses reproductive justice, awareness, and empowerment of African American girls and women. Established in 2007, Gumbo YaYa draws on the cultural practices of knowledge-sharing, political action, art-making, and community- building created and sustained by African American girls and women.<br /><br />Gumbo YaYa’s mission is to affirm the health, wellness, and vitality of African American girls and women through creative and expressive healing.<br /><br />To date, Gumbo YaYa has worked with over 100 women and girls in New York, North Carolina, and New Orleans. We have staged three community performances, and held one community forum. <br /><br />We have collaborated with a host of like minded individuals who firmly believe in our mission and our work. We have been funded by New York University- ism project grant, New York University- Department of Multi-cultural Programs, Health Medical Research Foundation, The Imperial Court of the Daughters of Isis, Billings & Martin and several private sponsors. We have successfully entered our fall giving season, and raised over 2,000 for our international initiatives.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here is what coming up...<br /><br />Winter 09-10: Gumbo YaYa Cycle 3 Planning phase<br />Spring 2010: Gumbo YaYa Reproductive Justice, Now! begins<br /> Community performance and forum<br />Summer 2010: Gumbo YaYa South Africa/ Kenya<br />Fall 2010: Gumbo YaYa documentary short film screening <br /><br />We want you to stand in solidarity with us! If you believe in our mission and our work email your name and the organization you represent to be listed on our community support page!<br /><br />Please feel free to share resources with us about grants, funding streams, donations, bartering/freecycling, people doing this work internationally, activities, and more. <br /><br />We look forward to hearing from you.<br /><br />In service and solidarity,<br /><br />Ebony N. Goldenfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-62856140074738383152009-09-24T21:10:00.001-07:002009-09-24T21:10:42.480-07:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrxCVdZiPAI/AAAAAAAAARU/Rz_XxbC5ERA/s1600-h/hiphopwellness.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrxCVdZiPAI/AAAAAAAAARU/Rz_XxbC5ERA/s400/hiphopwellness.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385252190864686082" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-82946397286140323202009-09-23T10:56:00.001-07:002009-09-23T10:56:51.843-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrphTDecxzI/AAAAAAAAARM/oHAT8-4TtLw/s1600-h/writinglogo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 100px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrphTDecxzI/AAAAAAAAARM/oHAT8-4TtLw/s400/writinglogo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384723284453279538" /></a><br />3rd Annual In the People's Hands Arts and Activism Project <br /><br />Community Writing Intensive <br /><br />Poetry. Hip Hop. Performance. Instead of Prisons.<br /><br /> <br /> <br />Contact Ebony Noelle Golden<br />inthepeopleshands@gmail.com<br />www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com<br />919.423.3780<br /> <br /> <br />Durham, NC—Oct. 1-4 artists from North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, New York, and beyond will gather for the third annual Community Writing Intensive in Durham, NC at the New Horizons School and The People's Channel. This year's theme, "to p.i.m.c. w/ love", is a satirical take on the lack of justice the prison system practices towards people of color and poor people. Visit http://www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com to register and see full schedule of events. <br /><br />Participants will engage poetry, media, hip hop theater, and music as tools for critically and creatively engaging community wellness, prison reform, the school to prison pipeline, and decreasing violence in local communities.<br /> <br />Nia Wilson, Executive Director of SpiritHouse-NC said, "This program is absolutely necessary. Our path to freedom is informed by being able to articulate our stories, our visions, in our own words. SpiritHouse is dedicated to creating these intentional spaces for the entire community to dialogue, write, perform, and heal." <br /> <br />This year’s intensive features:<br /><br />· Tuition-free workshops<br />· Workshops led by community poets and community organizers<br />· Travel Scholarships for commuters<br />· Youth-led workshops<br />· Writers-in-Residence<br />· Performance workshops<br />· Action-based community dialogue<br />. Manuscript workshops<br />. Open-Mic<br />. Virtual release of e-zine www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com<br />. Establishing a community board of artists and writers in the rooted in the south east<br /><br />The In the People's Hands Arts and Activism Project is based on June Jordan's 15-year old "Poetry for the People" program. The program "continues to pursue Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of a beloved community for all". <br /><br />June Jordan crafted Poetry for the People with three guiding principles in mind:<br />1. That students will not take themselves seriously unless we who teach them, honor and respect them in every practical way that we can.<br />2. That words can change the world and save our lives.<br />3. That poetry is the highest art and the most exacting service devoted to our most serious, and our most imaginative, deployment of verbs and nouns on behalf of whatever and whoever we cherish.<br /> <br />For more information about June Jordan and Poetry for the People, visit www.poetryforthepeople.org. <br />This project is made possible by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the We Shall Overcome Fund, The People's Channel, Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, and SpiritHouse-NC. <br /><br />For more information about the intensive, to apply or to donate time, money, or services contact inthepeopleshands@gmail.com, or call Ebony Noelle Golden at 9194233780. To register for the intensive, visit http://inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com/registration.php. <br /><br /> <br />-END-furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-5161341590043757052009-09-18T21:41:00.001-07:002009-09-18T21:41:40.390-07:00<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrRgh_kB6wI/AAAAAAAAARE/lc2I0XBBgVU/s1600-h/blackartistflyer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SrRgh_kB6wI/AAAAAAAAARE/lc2I0XBBgVU/s400/blackartistflyer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383033591729089282" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-24734828304733846982009-09-11T06:29:00.001-07:002009-09-11T06:29:22.080-07:003rd Annual In the People's Hands Arts and Activism Project <br /><br />Community Writing Intensive<br /><br />Poetry. Hip Hop. Performance. Instead of Prisons. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SqpQF668fKI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ywIUuj1YNfE/s1600-h/2009+writing+intensive+logo.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 125px; height: 100px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SqpQF668fKI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/ywIUuj1YNfE/s400/2009+writing+intensive+logo.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380200767493536930" /></a><br /><br /><br />Contact<br /><br />Ebony Noelle Golden For Immediate Release 919.423.3780 www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com <br />inthepeopleshands@gmail.com<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Durham, NC—Oct. 1-4 artists from North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, New York, and beyond will gather for the third annual Community Writing Intensive in Durham, NC at the New Horizons School and The People's Channel. <br /><br /><br />This year's theme, "to p.i.m.c. w/ love", is a satirical take on the lack of justice the prison system practices towards people of color and poor people. The intensive will engage poetry, media, hip hop theater, and music as tools for critically and creatively engaging community wellness, prison reform, the school to prison pipeline, and decreasing violence in local communities.<br /><br />Nia Wilson, Executive Director of SpiritHouse-NC said, "This program is so absolutely necessary. Our path to freedom is informed by being able to articulate our stories, our visions, in our own words. SpiritHouse is dedicated to creating these intentional spaces for the entire community to dialogue, write, perform, and heal." <br /><br /><br />This year’s intensive features:<br />· Tuition-free workshops<br />· Workshops led by community poets and community organizers<br />· Travel Scholarships for commuters<br />· Youth-led programs<br />· Writers-in-Residence<br />· Performance workshops<br />· Action-based community dialogue<br />. Manuscript workshops<br />. Open-Mic<br />. Virtual release of e-zine www.inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com<br />. Establishing a community board of artists and writers in the rooted in the south east<br /><br /><br />The In the People's Hands Arts and Activism Project is based on June Jordan's 15-year old "Poetry for the People" program. The program "continues to pursue Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of a beloved community for all". June Jordan crafted Poetry for the People with three guiding principles in mind:<br /><br />1. That students will not take themselves seriously unless we who teach them, honor and respect them in every practical way that we can. <br />2. That words can change the world and save our lives. <br />3. That poetry is the highest art and the most exacting service devoted to our most serious, and our most imaginative, deployment of verbs and nouns on behalf of whatever and whoever we cherish. <br /><br />For more information about June Jordan and Poetry for the People, visit www.poetryforthepeople.org. <br /><br />The Community Writing Intensive is sponsored by the We Shall Overcome Fund, The People's Channel, Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative, SpiritHouse-NC, and the North Carolina Humanities Council. <br /><br />For more information about the intensive, to apply or to donate time, money, or services contact inthepeopleshands@gmail.com, or call Ebony Golden at 9194233780. To register for the intensive, visit http://inthepeopleshands.synthasite.com/registration.php. <br /><br /><br />-END-furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-53237266219939411102009-05-19T07:52:00.001-07:002009-05-19T07:52:54.363-07:00Zora! Festival<br /><br />have you all seen this? http://www.zorafestival.com/index.html<br /><br />FYI: FW: CFP<br />You have probably seen the call for papers below, posted at our website<br />over the last year, for the 2010 Zora Neale Hurston (ZNH) Festival of<br />the Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, Florida (USA) January 23-31,<br />2010.<br /><br />The JUNE 1st deadline is around the corner, and your submissions is<br />enthusiastically anticipated from across disciplines and areas of study.<br /><br />PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES , and LISTSERVES.<br /><br />Taking a minute to forward the email below can make a world of<br />difference for this academic forum and for the sustainable development<br />of Eatonville, America's oldest incorporated African American town in<br />the US.<br /><br />[Cultural preservation activism has helped this community survive urban<br />gentrification]<br /><br />Questions?<br />See the call below and feel free to contact me directly.<br /><br />Dr. Deidre Helen Crumbley: ZNH National Planner<br />Associate Professor/ Africana Studies Program<br />Interdisciplinary Studies Division Box 7107<br />North Carolina State University<br />Raleigh, NC 27695-7107, USA<br /><br />CALL FOR ACADEMIC PAPERS<br />Invitation:<br />Scholars are invited to submit papers for the 2010 Zora Neale Hurston<br />Festival of the Arts and<br /><br />Humanities (January 23 - 31). The festival theme is "Reflection on the<br />Life and Legacy of Zora Neale<br /><br />Hurston 50 Years After Her Death."<br /><br />The legacy of Zora Neale Hurston is a phenomenon that has undergone a<br />remarkable<br /><br />development and expansion in recent decades, embracing, among others,<br />topics in ethnic identity, social<br /><br />interactions, feminist theory, and cultural continuity. Hurston's unique<br />insights into folklore,<br /><br />performance, and creative expression have invited new interpretation and<br />inspired emulation, while the<br /><br />corpus of her own work has grown as a result of research and discovery.<br />The committee will welcome<br /><br />papers exploring the dynamic dimensions of the Hurston legacy from<br />theoretical and/or historical<br /><br />perspectives and will be especially attentive to appropriate<br />consideration of past, present, and emerging<br /><br />scholarly content.<br /><br />In a tradition of excellence, scholars are encouraged to engage the<br />literature and discourse of<br /><br />their respective fields at the same that they present their findings<br />during the public forum in a form that<br /><br />is accessible to academics in other disciplines and is also<br />intellectually stimulating for an intelligent<br /><br />general audience.<br /><br />Submission Instructions:<br /><br />Submit a 150-word abstract along with an 500-word summary of your paper<br />that of your paper that indicates the<br /><br />thesis or central question, which you plan to explore, as well as an<br />idea of the theoretical framework<br /><br />within which your findings will be considered.<br /><br />Deadline:<br /><br />Abstract and summary are due June 1, 2009.<br /><br />If your work is accepted for the festival, a copy of<br /><br />the full paper must be submitted by November1, 2009.<br /><br />Email your submission to:<br /><br />Deidre Crumbley @: deidre_crumbley&ncsu.edu<br /><br />AND<br /><br />N. Y. Nathiri @: apec@cfl.rr.com<br /><br /><br /><br />Then Mail a Hard Copy to:<br /><br />Hurston Papers 2010<br /><br />Preserve the Eatonville Community, Inc. (P.E.C.)<br /><br />227 East Kennedy Boulevard<br /><br />Eatonville, Florida 32751furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-56475204524897781122009-04-08T08:55:00.001-07:002009-04-08T09:29:58.475-07:00<a href="http://www.bettysdaughterarts.synthasite.com">Betty's Daughter Arts Collaborative</a> continues the "Working Our Rainbows: Critical Approaches to Africana Women's Performance Methodology" Series<br /><br />Peace family. As I continue to think about "women's work", political division, art, community and sustainability, I am critically looking at these terms-feminist and womanist and how they create/define/conflate/re-iterate power, everyday "happenings" and creative performance dynamics among Black women. <br /><br />The Working Our Rainbows Series is an at-home, mobile device, on line lecture series devoted to Black Women in Performance Studies. Please email bettysdaughterarts@gmail.com if you would like to host a lecture!<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PQOmyebFVV8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PQOmyebFVV8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />This weeks lesson:<br /><br />1. Watch Staceyann Chin's performance of "Feminist or Womanist".<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQOmyebFVV8<br /><br />2. Read Revisiting "What's in a Name?": Exploring the Contours of Africana Womanist Thought <br />Nikol G Alexander-Floyd, Evelyn M Simien. Frontiers. Boulder:2006. Vol. 27, Iss. 1, p. 67-89,131-132 (25 pp.)<br /><br />I will email the essay if you would like.<br /><br />3. Write a letter to yourself answering some or all of these questions: 1. Am I a feminist? 2. Am I a womanist? 3. How do I identify politically, culturally, socially? <br /><br />4. If you were talking to Alice Walker right now, what would you say to her about womanism? 5. If you were talking to Clenora Hudson Weems right now, what would you say to her about womanism? 6. If you were speaking to Audre Lorde right now, what would you ask her about hybridity? 7. If you were talking to your mama right now what would you ask her about herself? <br /><br />Hit me up on facebook or respond on my blog here!<br /><br /><br />Peace and performance!<br /><br />Ebony Noelle Golden<br />bettysdaughterarts@gmail.com<br />bettysdaughterarts.synthasite.comfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-55418903790475959542009-03-25T07:51:00.001-07:002009-03-25T07:51:25.268-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/ScpEBjgNPHI/AAAAAAAAAP8/pz5z5qHJe0o/s1600-h/fertility+dance.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/ScpEBjgNPHI/AAAAAAAAAP8/pz5z5qHJe0o/s400/fertility+dance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317137103565175922" /></a><br /><br /><br />Peace Gumbo YaYa Supporters,<br /><br />Thank you for your generous thoughts, participation and support since the first cycle of Gumbo YaYa in 2007. Gumbo YaYa has travelled from NYC to NC drawing on the power of sisterhood and creative healing in every session or workshop. The second cycle of gumbo yaya is wrapping up in Durham, NC. <br /><br />Here are a few updates:<br /><br />New Community Support!<br />Gumbo YaYa is pleased to announce new sponsor, The Body Shop. The Body Shop (http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/bodyshop/) is providing wellness and beauty items for the Gumbo Yaya Sister Circle and supporters. Many thanks to our awesome intern, Kenya C. Harris, for solidifying this sponsorship. You rock Kenya!<br /><br />Love is Radical Performance!<br />Gumbo YaYa is wrapping up its second cycle on 3/29/2009 with a community performance, panel, and potluck. <br /><br />What: Love is Radical: Performing Mothering, Daughtering, and Sistering<br />When: 3/29/09, 2:30 pm<br />Where: 214 Broadway St.<br />Durham, NC<br />Who: The Entire Community<br />Cost: Free<br />Why: Because we want to share our magic with you!<br /><br />Please bring a dish, dessert, or beverage for the community potluck.<br />More Information: bettysdaughterarts@gmail.com or 919.423.3780<br /><br />Please tell everyone you know to come out and support Gumbo YaYa!<br /><br />Gumbo on the Go!<br />A Gumbo YaYa session was presented at the 5th Annual State of the Nation Arts and Performance Festival. Accepted with open arms by a diverse community of artists and activists, women and men engaged in "Brilliant Tomorrows: Sister(ing) as Creative Communal Performance" session in New Orleans, LA. www.sonfestival.org.<br /><br />Brilliant Tomorrows will also be presented at the first We Are 1 Women's Conference in Durham, NC. The conference seeks to bring women together regardless of sexuality, faith, ethnicity. Check them out at http://www.infinitydiamondclub.com/infinity_diamond_club_015.htm.<br /><br />On the Horizon...<br />Gumbo YaYa, the movie!<br />Gumbo YaYa, the curriculum!<br /><br /><br />We want to hear from you!<br />-Join our list serv at http://bettysdaughterarts.synthasite.com/contact.php.<br /><br />-Check out our website and leave a comment at www.iamnotaproject.wordpress.com.<br /><br />In sisterhood and community building,<br />Gumbo YaYa/ or this is why we speak in tonguesfurious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-54819211052022474462009-03-18T10:50:00.001-07:002009-03-18T10:50:50.107-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/ScEz1zb1_KI/AAAAAAAAAOc/4ZRzr1Fc93g/s1600-h/love+is+radical%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/ScEz1zb1_KI/AAAAAAAAAOc/4ZRzr1Fc93g/s400/love+is+radical%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314586034706971810" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-53091207142840853522009-03-11T07:38:00.001-07:002009-03-11T07:38:55.851-07:00ORIGINAL FOR COLORED GIRLS CAST MEMEBER OFFERS PEFORMANCE WORKSHOP!!!<br /><br /><br />The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB)<br />--a member of The Institute for Popular Education at the Brecht Forum--<br />--founded in 1990--<br />451 West Street<br />New York, New York 10014<br />(212) 924-1858<br />toplab@toplab.org<br />http://www.toplab.org<br /><br /><br />The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory presents<br /><br />Confronting Diabetes with Theater<br /><br />Two Workshops with Robbie McCauley<br /><br />Saturday, March 21,2009 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm<br />Register online at http://brechtforum.org/events/diabetic-dramas-1?bc=<br /><br />Saturday, April 25,2009 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm<br />Register online at http://brechtforum.org/events/diabetic-dramas-2?bc=<br /><br />Award-winning actress Robbie McCauley returns to the Brecht Forum to lead<br />a series of workshops called "Diabetic Dramas" based on subject matter<br />from her performance piece *Sugar*, which looks at everything there is to<br />see about sugar, from slavery to colonialism to American mythologies to<br />diabetes. An ongoing work-in-progress, *Sugar*, which will be presented<br />again at the Brecht Forum in June, will incorporate some of the story<br />exchanges by participants in the "Diabetic Drama" workshops facilitated by<br />Ms. McCauley. Through the interweaving of stories, images, facts and lore<br />we will see that diabetes is not only a medical issue but also one of race<br />and class, and we will also see how sugar is sometimes something that is<br />very bittersweet.<br /><br />The first Diabetic Drama workshop took place in January and will continue<br />with two more workshops on March 21 and April 25. It is not necessary to<br />have attended the January session to enroll in the March or April<br />sessions.<br /> <br />Robbie McCauley has been an active presence in the American avant-garde<br />theater for three decades. One of the early cast members of Ntozake<br />Shange's *for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is<br />enuf*, Ms. McCauley went on to write and perform regularly in cities across<br />the country, striving to facilitate dialogs on race between local whites<br />and blacks.<br /> <br />In the 1990s, she received both an OBIE Award (Best Play) and a New York<br />Dance and Performance (BESSIE) Award for *Sally's Rape*, which she wrote,<br />directed and performed.<br /> <br />A core member of the American Festival Project, she has practiced and<br />taught theater in several communities throughout the US and abroad. She is<br />anthologized in several books, including Extreme Exposure; Moon Marked and<br />Touched by Sun; and Performance and Cultural Politics, edited respectively<br />by Jo Bonney, Sydne Mahone, and Elin Diamond.<br /> <br />In 1998, her *Buffalo Project* was highlighted as one of the "the 51 (or so)<br />Greatest Avant-Garde Moments" by the Village Voice, a roster that included<br />work by artists such as Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso, and John Cage. Her<br />recent piece, *Sugar*, a work in progress, was presented at Ohio State<br />University in collaboration with several institutional departments and<br />organizations, and with members of Columbus' Near East community.<br /> <br />Robbie McCauley is on the Performing Arts Department faculty at Emerson<br />College in Boston.<br /><br />Co-sponsored by the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) and the<br />Brecht Forum.<br /><br />Tuition--sliding scale: $15-$35<br /><br />Pre-registration required.<br /><br />Register online by using the links above or contact TOPLAB at<br />toplab@toplab.org or (212) 924-1858.<br /><br />All sessions take place at:<br /><br />The Brecht Forum<br />451 West Street*<br />New York City<br /><br />* travel directions below<br /><br />*****<br /><br />Other Upcoming TOPLAB Workshops<br /><br />March 28-29: The Rainbow of Desire<br />(info at http://brechtforum.org/events/rainbow-desire?bc=)<br /><br />March 29: Closing party for Refuge and Resistance: Reflections on Gendered<br />Violence (an installation and performance piece conceived and executed by<br />Ocean Ana Rising)<br />(info at<br />http://brechtforum.org/events/ocean-anna-rising-presents-refuge-and-resistance?bc=)<br /><br />April 18-19: Cop-in-the-Head<br />(info at http://brechtforum.org/events/cop-head-0?bc=)<br /><br />May 23-28: Workshops with Augusto Boal<br />(info from toplab@toplab.org or [212]924-1858)<br /><br />May 25: An Evening with Augusto Boal<br />(info at http://brechtforum.org/boalperformance-2009?bc=)<br /><br />*****<br /><br />Travel Directions<br /><br />The Brecht Forum and TOPLAB are at:<br /><br />451 West Street *<br />(between Bank and Bethune Streets in the far West Village,<br />1-1/2 blocks north of West 11 Street)<br />New York City<br /><br />* Note: West Street is the same as the West Side Highway<br /><br />Subway<br /><br />IND Eighth Avenue A, C, or E to 14 Street or BMT Canarsie L to Eighth<br />Avenue (take a few minutes to look at "Life Underground", Tom Otterness'<br />series of whimsical bronze sculptures scattered throughout both sections<br />of the station). Walk down Eighth Avenue (against the traffic) to Bank<br />Street (at Abingdon Square). Turn right on Bank and walk west to West<br />Street. Turn right, walk a quarter-block to 451.<br /><br />IRT Seventh Avenue 1, 2, or 3 trains to 14 Street. Exit at the south (12<br />Street) end of the station. Walk a short block west, across 12 Street, to<br />Greenwich Avenue. Turn left and walk one block to Bank Street. Turn right,<br />walk west on Bank Street to Abingdon Square. Bank Street continues on the<br />other side of the park; keep walking on Bank Street to West Street. Turn<br />right, walk a quarter-block to 451.<br /><br />New Jersey PATH train to Christopher Street. Walk north (with the traffic)<br />on Greenwich Street to Bank Street. Turn left, walk west on Bank Street to<br />West Street. Turn right, walk a quarter-block to 451.<br /><br />(From Penn Station or Port Authority Bus Terminal take the IND Eighth<br />Avenue A, C or E trains downtown to 14 Street and follow the directions<br />above. From Grand Central Station take the IRT Lexington Avenue 4, 5 or 6<br />trains downtown to 14 Street/Union Square and then change to the BMT<br />Canarsie L train heading toward Eighth Avenue. Follow the directions<br />above.)<br /><br />Bus<br /><br />#8 (Ninth/Christopher Streets crosstown) to Christopher and West Streets,<br />walk up West Street to 451.<br /><br />#11 (Ninth and Tenth Avenues): From uptown--to Abingdon Square (at Bethune<br />Street). Walk south one very short block to Bank Street, turn right, walk<br />west to West Street. Turn right, walk a quarter-block to 451. No service<br />from downtown--Abingdon Square is the terminal stop.<br /><br />#14A (Grand/Essex Streets/Avenue A/Fourteenth Street crosstown) to<br />Abingdon Square (at Bethune Street). Walk south one very short block to<br />Bank Street, turn right, walk west to West Street. Turn right, walk a<br />quarter-block to 451.<br /><br />#20 (Seventh Avenue and Hudson Street/Eighth Avenue): From downtown--to<br />Abingdon Square (at Bethune Street). Walk south one very short block to<br />Bank Street, turn right, walk west to West Street. Turn right, walk a<br />quarter-block to 451. From uptown--to 12 Street (near St. Vincent<br />Hospital). Walk a short block west, across 12 Street, to Greenwich Avenue.<br />Turn left and walk one block to Bank Street. Turn right, walk west on Bank<br />Street to Abingdon Square. Bank Street continues on the other side of the<br />park; keep walking on Bank Street to West Street. Turn right, walk a<br />quarter-block to 451.<br /><br />Car<br /><br />Drive west on 11 Street all the way to West Street (West Side Highway).<br />Turn right for one block, to 451, between Bank and Bethune Streets.<br /><br />Along the West Side Highway: From downtown--stay to the right and follow<br />the Highway to 451, between Bank and Bethune Streets. From uptown: Take<br />the Highway to Clarkson Street (exit left), make a U-turn at Clarkson and<br />proceed back up the Highway to 451, between Bank and Bethune Streets.<br /><br />Note that there is no legal parking on many parts of West Street before<br />6:00 pm, and parking on the surrounding streets is scarce. Fines for<br />illegal parking are a minimum of $115, and your car could be towed.<br />Retrieval can cost you as much as $300. Fees at parking lots and garages<br />can run as high as $35 a day. WE URGE YOU TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.<br /><br /><br />===<br />The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB)<br />toplab@toplab.org<br />http://www.toplab.org<br /><br />"My fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the<br />battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."<br /> --George W. Bush, May 1, 2003<br /><br />"...I told the American people that the road ahead would be difficult, and<br />that we would prevail. Well, it has been difficult--and we are<br />prevailing."<br /> --George W. Bush, June 28, 2005<br /><br />"Our cause in Iraq is noble and necessary....America is engaged in a new<br />struggle that will set the course for a new century. We can and we will<br />prevail."<br /> --George W. Bush, January 10, 2007<br /><br />"Prevailing in Iraq is not going to be easy."<br /> --George W. Bush, March 19, 2007<br /><br />+U.S. military fatalities through May 1, 2003: 140<br />+U.S. military fatalities through June 28, 2005: 1743<br />+U.S. military fatalities through January 11, 2007: 3017<br />+U.S. military fatalities through March 19, 2007: 3217<br />+U.S. military fatalities as of March 10, 2009: 4256 (this figure exceeds<br />the number of people killed in all of the incidents that occurred on<br />September 11, 2001)<br /><br />+Iraqi deaths due to the US invasion, as of September 2004 (estimated by<br />The Lancet): 100,000+<br />+Iraqi deaths due to the US invasion, as of July 2006 (estimated by The<br />Lancet): 654,965<br />+Iraqi deaths due to the US invasion, as of March 10, 2009 (estimated<br />by Just Foreign Policy): 1,311,696*<br /><br />*These figures are based on the number of deaths estimated in The Lancet<br />(the British medical journal) study through July 2006, and then updated<br />based "on how quickly deaths are mounting in Iraq". To do that, Just<br />Foreign Policy multiplies The Lancet figure as of July 2006 by the ratio<br />of current deaths reported by Iraq Body Count (IBC), divided by IBC deaths<br />as of July 1, 2006. The IBC numbers, considerably lower than those cited<br />by The Lancet, Opinion Research Business (a British polling firm which<br />estimated 1.2 million Iraqi deaths as of September 2007), and even the<br />Iraq Ministry of Health, are based on the number of fatalities cited in<br />various news reports and have been criticized, with much justification,<br />for not giving an accurate assessment of the real Iraqi death count. The<br />much more rigorous and statistically-reliable study, conducted by teams<br />from Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University and Al-Mustansiriya<br />University, and published in The Lancet in September 2004, put the figure<br />at around 100,000 civilians dead. However, that data had been based on<br />"conservative assumptions", according to research team leader Les Roberts,<br />and the actual count at that time was credibly assumed to be significantly<br />higher. For example, The Lancet study's data greatly underestimated<br />fatalities in Fallujah due to the surveying problems encountered there at<br />that time. The second Lancet study, released on October 10, 2006,<br />indicated that 654,965 "excess" deaths of Iraqis have occurred since the<br />outbreak of the aggression and genocide committed by the United States<br />against the people of Iraq. The current figures provided by Just Foreign<br />Policy seem to be logically consistent with the increasing rates of death<br />from 2003 to 2004, and 2004 to 2006.<br /><br />Sources: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html<br />http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/<br />http://icasualties.org/oif/<br />http://www.iraqbodycount.org/<br />http://www.zmag.org/lancet.pdf<br />http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1338749,00.html<br />http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/Iraq_war.html<br />http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php4?article_id=6271<br />http://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/Week-of-Mon-20041025/008279.html<br />http://www.thelancet.com/webfiles/images/journal/lancet/s0140673606694919.furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35547576.post-77453893097515205032009-03-10T09:21:00.000-07:002009-03-10T09:22:04.129-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SbaTRPIvn_I/AAAAAAAAAOU/GthmC09I2PI/s1600-h/joi+sears.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_NxCEQF8VF4U/SbaTRPIvn_I/AAAAAAAAAOU/GthmC09I2PI/s400/joi+sears.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311594734860345330" /></a>furious flowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07853074472909928075noreply@blogger.com0