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Inside the newsletter: Lights in the darkness: Executive Director, Susan Teegen-Case reflects on creative solutions to promote peace and justice in Philadelphia. Drums for Peace (pilot program) is launched! Read about the connections between drums and peace! Is your company or organization looking to invest in its staff and in the future of Philadelphia? Read about a drum retreat opportunity that is great for you, your business and your community! Teens United Performing Arts Project share their 10 week process in an open rehearsal illustrating the impact that violence has had on them. Read more about what these teen artists shared. The Interfaith Youth Poetry Project has changed its name and in doing so honors its Philadelphia roots and commitment to lifting diverse voices for justice, tranquility and liberty. Read more about the change and read a poem from one of the students! How big can you dare to imagine? Read about We Invite You to Imagine a recent A&S exhibit at the Philadelphia Cathedral. Where can you find thought-provoking, inspiring and fresh poetry every month without spending money? Read our announcement to get there now! Letter from SusanAmidst these long nights and holidays that celebrate light in the darkness, I want to share some of the lights that we have experienced this season. We know that 2006 has not been all good news in Philadelphia, as we are aware of growing violence, excruciating struggles in our schools and budget cuts that lead to dwindling arts education resources for children. I am more certain than ever that real change requires creative solutions and after seeing the work that has come out of our programs this fall, I know that the arts are a critical component to move us toward peace. This fall we launched our Drums for Peace pilot program at Germantown High School. Every week Doc Gibbs and Pam Hooks experience sadness as they walk with the students through the mandatory security checks, metal detectors and experience the plethora of challenges that face the students and leaders of this school. What they are working to create in the music room at that high school is an oasis from the fear and tension where students can focus on creating harmonies together, developing communication and listening to their own inner rhythms. Read more about the progress that drums are making in the movement toward peace. Also this fall, Teens United Performing Arts Project has been meeting weekly at Tabernacle United Church in University City. An average of twenty-five teens from all over Philadelphia have been finding transformation through singing, dancing, writing and drama. In their semester-end performance on December 13 these teens expressed gratitude for the opportunity to heal their experiences of violence and through their poetry, singing, dance and drama shared their wisdom for addressing the problems of violence in Philadelphia. Read more about what these teen artists shared. I am excited to announce We the Poets, the new name for the Interfaith Youth Poetry Project which we believe provides more breath for the innovative work that this project births. In 2006, the project taught over a thousand students to use creative writing to express their emotions, beliefs and ideas while continuing to promote literacy, understanding amidst diversity, communication and artistic expression and. Read more about We the Poets and read a poem from one of the students! Creative solutions are alive in the greater Philadelphia area. As we move toward the new year, our hope is to continue to expand our services to include more and more youth. There are thousands of children in Philadelphia who, if given the space and instruction will write words they never thought to express before but have that have been bottled up inside them. There are young adults who are learning how to be leaders by communicating their ideas with others. There are people who have the capacity to allow their rage to fuel the creation of harmonies of healing and peace. There are youth whose visions for peace and justice are far greater than any that have come out of any think tank, and we know that, if we don’t give them the resources to express those ideas, these visions will be lost forever. In this city that is trying so hard to heal itself, let us turn to the vibrant, creative and inspiring voices of our youth who are expressing themselves through the arts and breaking open the possibilities for hope, justice and peace. I am pleased to share with you these exciting updates on the continuing work of the Arts & Spirituality Center in this year-end newsletter. We also announce a wonderful drum retreat opportunity in which local companies and businesses will want to invest and pictures from a recent A&S exhibit at the Philadelphia Cathedral. I hope that our stories of hope, healing and peace will touch and inspire you as much as they touch and inspire me. Thank you for your support. I look forward to continuing to work together to bring creative solutions to our challenges here in Philadelphia and beyond. On behalf of the Arts & Spirituality Center, I wish you bright light in these days and nights and peace-filled holidays. With hope and gratitude,
Susan Teegen-Case "Drums for Peace" Pilot Program is Launched
The Drums for Peace pilot program is well underway at Germantown High School. Doc Gibbs and Pam Hooks have been meeting with the group of twenty teens weekly since October teaching them traditional African drumming and percussion along with important life skills. Through drumming students learn how to use volume and tone effectively--when to be loud and when to be quiet. They learn how to listen to and interact with other drummers to create harmony. They learn how to listen their own inner rhythms. Drums for Peace encourages youth to form and sustain relationships with adults, empowers youth to serve as resources in their communities and shows them that they are valued. The program encourages self-esteem, optimism and a sense of purpose, personal power, integrity and responsibility. Drums for Peace also teaches students:
In the first week of classes, the music teacher noted significant transformations already occurring in the students and recognized the importance of the program for the teens not only for their musicianship but also for their healthy development. Only months ago one student was on the verge of dropping out of school. He joined the program but was causing such a disruption that Doc and Pam had to talk with him about it. The student expressed his desire to stay in the class and together they came to an agreement so that could happen. Now Pam is reporting that he is playing in harmony with the group and that she recently experienced him “in the zone, enjoying the rhythm and where it was taking him.” Teens looked forward to the Wednesday program and are excited about performing at the school's annual winter music concert on December 19. In light of the success experienced at Germantown High School, our hope is to expand this project, offering it to more children and teens throughout the area. We also hope to purchase a set of drums for the program. In order to accomplish these hopes for 2007 and in order to make this program accessible to all students regardless of their school’s or family's ability to financially support the program, we are raising funds through individual, corporate and foundation support. One way corporations can support this project is to become a “drum major for peace” a unique opportunity to join the fight for justice while building relationships among co-workers, demonstrating staff appreciation and providing a retreat during the work week. You can also support this program by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Arts & Spirituality Center. Click here to donate today. Be a Drum Major for Peace!If you read about the Drums for Peace pilot program going strong at Germantown High School, you know that there is a need to expand the program to serve more students at more schools. Our teens our responding to the call to peace through drumming and now we invite you to join the call! Nationally-recognized musician Doc Gibbs is offering his drumming retreat to businesses and organizations on the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a fundraiser for Drums for Peace. Martin Luther King, Jr. is often referred to as the "drum major for peace" and this is an opportunity for your business to join the drumline and be a drum major for peace as well! This is your opportunity to build stronger relationships among co-workers, demonstrate staff-appreciation, provide a retreat during the work week and, most importantly, to join the fight for justice. Click here to learn more about this retreat opportunity. On February 4, 1968 exactly two months prior to his assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta that talked about how he would like to be remembered after his death. Here is an excerpt: “I'd like somebody to mention that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day, that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day, that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day, that I did try, in my life, to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say, on that day, that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.” Teens Create Art to Address Violence in Philadelphia
On Wednesday, December 13 Teens United Performing Arts Project celebrated its final workshop of the semester by inviting peers, family, teachers and friends to an "open rehearsal." The evening began with introductions of the two collaborating organizations that direct the project: the Arts & Spirituality Center and Mothers In Charge. Mothers In Charge Executive Director, Dorothy Johnson-Speight talked about her vision for expanding the program so that more teens can be involved and so that performances can be toured to schools, youth groups and organizations throughout the area. Artistic Director, Maurice Henderson, then led the audience of over fifty people in a sample warm-up exercise so that they could get a taste for the kind of work the group has been doing.
Teens who have been involved in the ten-week process then performed poetry, drama, dance and music. The performance included original text, music and
The audience, which was primarily made up of other teens, shared both tears and laughter at different points throughout the performance. Clapping with the music and singing along with choruses, the audience was very engaged throughout the performance and showed us the powerful role that art can play in uniting teens in conversations about conflict resolution, peace and hope.
The performance ended with the entire group of students, artistic leaders, members of Mothers In Charge and staff from the Arts & Spirituality Center joining together to sing "Take a Stand," a song written and recorded by a previous group of Teens United and that continues to be sung by new groups to inspire peace and hope. To hear a sample of the song, check out the Teens United page on our website by clicking here. Teens interested in getting involved next semester should contact the Arts & Spirituality Center for more information. Additional support for this program makes it possible for the program to be offered to more students and will enable public performances of the group's work. You can support this program by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Arts & Spirituality Center. Click here to donate today. "We the Poets"The Interfaith Youth Poetry Project has found itself a new name! After much discussion and reflection regarding the mission of the project and the people served by it, the project is now called We the Poets. Hearkening back to the United States Constitution this new name reminds us that, no matter who we are or where we come from, we are bound together by our agreement to live under a Constitution that promises that together we promote justice, tranquility and the general welfare of all people. With this name change, We the Poets accepts the challenge to further its work in teaching children of diverse ages, faiths, ethnicities and economic backgrounds to use their creative gifts to voice their ideas, feelings and faith, to bridge disagreements, to find common ground and to bring peace and tranquility to themselves and their world. During this semester We the Poets is working with students at the following schools, after-school programs and organizations:
We the Poets Director, Cathy Cohen, continues to provide continuing education opportunities and presentations including her participation in a lecture series at The National Liberty Museum in collaboration with the Walking the Walk program and a presentation at William Penn Charter School. A poem from this semester from a 10th grader at CEP Hunting Park (for more on the work going on at CEP Hunting Park see our November 2006 newsletter!): What Inspires Me!
You can support this program by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Arts & Spirituality Center. Click here to donate today. A Journey of Imagination at the Philadelphia CathedralThroughout the month of November, we were delighted to have the work of photographer, Miriam Kanev on display at the Philadelphia Cathedral. The exhibit “We Invite You to Imagine…” involved a series of photographs that took viewers on a photographic journey through three remarkable projects of the Arts & Spirituality Center. As hundreds of visitors walked through the exhibit they were able to experience, through words and images, Arts & Spirituality Center projects that have used the arts to transform Philadelphia in so many ways. Viewers experienced a garden and sculpture project that reminded adults in recovery that they have creativity and goodness yet to offer the world. They experienced a mural project that brought healing to a community divided by cultural and religious differences. They read the poems and saw images from a poetry project that gives voice to young children who are often ignored or discounted. All three of these projects were birthed by the creativity and imagination of countless spiritual and community leaders, educators, artists and other visionaries who continue to believe that change is possible even in a world threatened by violence and destruction. Just as the exhibit invited its viewers to imagine, so I invite you—what are the widest possibilities for healing, peace, justice and hope that you can imagine?
Miriam Kanev is a photographer and retired psychologist. After experiencing the work of the Arts & Spirituality Center, Miriam felt inspired to be a peacemaker through her photography and since then has captured the joy, restorative healing, collaborative energy and creative spirit of many of the events and projects of the Arts & Spirituality Center. Miriam generously volunteers her time and photography to the Arts & Spirituality Center, demonstrating her deep commitment toward peacemaking, youth and intercultural relationships. The Arts & Spirituality Center expresses profound gratitude to Miriam not only for her donation of time and talent, but also for moving and inspiring each of us as she lifts up the beauty of diversity and expresses our collective vision for peace in our communities. The Arts & Spirituality Center also expresses deep thanks to the Philadelphia Cathedral for hosting the exhibit. This exhibit tells stories of Philadelphians doing their part to creatively promote peace, healing and social justice. Does your business seek to be inspired and energized? Does your organization have space on its walls that needs color and vibrancy? The exhibit is available for travel! Contact Pam (phone: 215-386-7705) at the Arts & Spirituality Center for more information. AnnouncementWebsite Poetry Alert!Each month We the Poets is now featuring new poetry on our website! Our We the Poets leaders receive so many poems that are thought-provoking, richly imaginative and that help us to better understand one another. They are so wonderful that, with poets' and parents' permission, we are sharing them with you! Click on the button "We the Poets" and then click on "Poetry of the Month" and prepare to be inspired! Click here to get there right away! |
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