November 17th - Deborah's Tutorial

With no design and facilitating group this week Deborah had the group participate in an interesting activity. We were split into groups, three each, and told to have a silent conversation using only a piece of paper and a marker. There was also one interpreter set to each group to attempt to disect and translate this silent conversation. The topic up for discussion surrounded the lecture themes and more specifically our relationship to animals and the dynamics and confinments birthed by this relationship. Salmon was the main topic. The ReAction Paper Questions were intended to stimulate and focus the conversation.

Connecting/Callaborating with the earth and Festivals for Eco Art and Environmental Justice

Wednesday's lecture was dedicated to the environmental pioneer Rachel Carson.

The opening ritual was the singing of a song composed from the words of Rachel Carson's historical redefining book, SILENT SPRING.

Deb was accompanied by four classmates in leading the singing with the class joining in.

Before Deb began addressing the topics on the agenda, Genevive reminded the class about the upcoming Eco Art Festival. To find out more about participating, click on the eco art link below.

                                                                                

                                          Here are some pictures of the Eco Art Festival.

                                              www.yorku.ca/ecoart/About_the_Festival.ht

Deb then began the lecture.

She spoke about reduction and regeneration, nature as resource and community verses nature as self organizing and independent living entities and used these pictures to highlight the issues.

As these pictures shows, we are all connected to this earth that we call home. For this planet to keep on sustaining us, we have to reduce our polluting of it, for regeneration to keep on happening.

The way to survival  is to see ourselves in a communal relationships with nature and thus help to affect and effect change. 

The key concepts of the lecture were then pointed out.

Throughtout the course we are told about the power of dominant narratives (hegemony) and the stories in the lecture today is about finding and exploring alternative ways to tell the stories that have not yet been told. 

                               

As Deb continues to point out, we have to find new stories to counteract the old ones that marginalizes, divides and leave us feeling powerless.

As is known, the weekly readings are discussed in tutorials but here is a picture of the Salmon Tales banners with the creators standing beside their work.

It was now time to meet our panalist and hear their stories. Here are the question guidelines from which they were to base their presentations.

The first presention was by Sabrina Malach, a graduate of York U. She spoke about the Pollinator Festival in Toronto, of which she is the founder. Her festival highlights the critical issues facing the bee's population and considering the important role bees play in helping plants to grow, this seems to be an overlooked issue of great importance. 

Sabrina spoke about getting her start from working on a farm with honey bees and then discovering all the different types of bees that existed. For an activist to be efficient there has to be cash flow to offset the demands of the job. Sabinna considers loosing out on grants that would help her impliment stratigies from her ideas, as a low point in trying to create projects. However being awarded the pollinator advocate award for Canada this year is a high point and allowed her to fuel the fire to keep on doing inspiring work.

One of the many creations made by our very own classmate Charmaine

beeattitudes.igmagogon.org/wordpress/?tag=sabrina-malach

                                                                 

The next presenter was Melanie Skene who was speaking about her festival in Hamilton called Solus Community Earth Vison Festival. Melanie who is also a graduate of York U focuses on changing people perception of garbage and challenging the elitist notion of what is art.  It is all about people coming togather to celebrate and create spectacle. Melanie's vision is for people to move and dance, to find ways to keep in touch with the locals and to celebrate the local context of life.

Here are some pictures of the parade.

For Melanie, when planning something like a street performance or parade, it has got to be taken in consideration that you will not be able to control everything that is going to happen. However the joy of engaging people, whether it  is those who volunteer or the ordinary citizen at the the festival, is the real reward. The very notion that people are intersted in knowing about what is happening and also wanting to participate is exactly the motivation she needs to keep her festival going.

www.manyhandsart.org/index.php?...article...solus-community-earth...festival...solus-festival.

The final presenter was Camille Turner who spoke about Socially Engaged Art. Camille who is currently a student of York U, has been engaged in using performance art and technology to challenge hegomonic structures both in canada and  internationally. She is the face behind the socially constructed Miss Canadiana, the girl next door, depending on which side of the fence your house is on :) 

Here are some pictures of Camille in her various incarnations.

For Camille, the great promise of what this country can be, will never be achieved if the horistorical turths are not acknowledged. History as recorded from a Canadian prospect needs to be explored so that every person can truly undserstand, when they make the declaration of being a proud Canadian what that really means. She also took us on an historical journey from the meaning of the word Toronto, to the vibrant black settlement that once existed around the College and Agusta neighbourhood of which all that remains is a placque marking a spot.

In closing she reminded us of hegemony again, of whose history is celebrated and whose is negated. Also if venturing into the field of performance art,  knowing your subject explicitly and throughly  is key.  

http://www.misscanadiana.ca/cc/

citizenshift.org/miss-canadiana-comes-halifax

End Of Lecture

Tutorial

This week since there was no presentations Kim had the class dicuss the readings. The class was broken up into groups of threes and each group had to choose one question, discuss it and then write answers to the questions. The replies were picked up by Kim with any added questions aboout the essay. The class was then adjourned for another week.



November 10th Deborah's tutorial - design and facilitation team

A thoughtful presentation in our tutorial courtesy of Stephanie, John, Sarah and Michael on reclaiming public space.  It was a rich with many elements.  The group opened with a video about the public space intervention called Free Dance Lessons that took place on Toronto streets and in subway stations.  The group then provided us with a ritual in which we could reclaim public space that advertisers have taken from us.  We were provided with the McDonalds golden arches logo and also a wall of course kits covers that we were able to graffiti.

We all had a hand in reclaiming these adverisments and re representing them

Some student comments were recorded while they were engaged in the process...

"I'm into it"

"Overwhelming, I don't know where to start.  We rarely have this opportunity to make things our own and I don't know what to do when I do have the opportunity."

"I love it, I love it.  I feel  like a rebel, I feel free."

"Swell!"

"I'm happy and hungry...this is so fun. It's such a good idea."

"This is soooo fun and engaging.  It's really nice to be expressive and artistic in the middle of a day of lectures."

"Ba da ba ba baaaa...I'm lovin' it (laughing)"

Delicious food was purchased by the group when they went to Evergreen Brick Works farmers market.  This is a "large-scale example of reclaiming space." Click link below for much more detail.

Evergreen Brick Works

(pumpkin pie credit goes to Samay.) :-)

The concluding activity was called The Walls.  One wall in the class was labeled 'agree' and the opposite wall labeled 'disagree'.  The following 3 statements were read and we were to situated ourselves either at one end or the other, or somewhere in between according to how much we agreed or disagreed. 

·         I think that what happens in public spaces should be regulated by the municipal government.

·         I think anyone should be able to plant vegetables or fruit in public space.

·         I think graffiti should only happen in designated areas.

To visually see where other stood on these issues in relationship to our own views was thought provoking. Discussion ensued. 

Public Space Interventions

Maggie provided much food for thought in her presentation.  Some public space interventions, she stated, are a critique of what social conditions exist, sometimes they are a proposal for what could be, and sometimes a little of both. We were asked to think about whether the practice responds to clear rules, either written or unwritten.  We also were asked to reflect on the level of risk in the practice and who was bearing that risk. 

So what is public space anyway?

To take a closer look or do a little more research on a group that interested you, please take a look at the links provided below. 
Surveillance Camera Players
A Queer Kiss-In
Ghost Bikes
For more on Fernando Traverso
Commermorations of the disappeared in Argentina
And also this

Other practices discussed that can be searched on google:
Vari Hall Megaphone Choir
Exposing and breaking rules - Rosa Parks
All gender washroom signs
Quiet - homeless sleeping sign by Mark Daye, OCAD
Critical mass
Squats
Reclaim the streets
Portland city repair

Public Space used as Art Sightings!!

Have you seen an example of a public space as art in your neighbourhood or travels? Share it with us here! 


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Ritual...

A ritual can be defined as any customary observance or practice (wordnetweb). We have experienced song, music, drumming, theatre exercises and thank you Ben for presenting spoken word today. 

We might think about how we define ritual in the context of our CAP class.