Performance and empowerment

In trying to find meaning and direction in my life I have decided the best thing to do would be to put my two passions in life together to come up with a project. Fine idea, I hope.

So I'm into juggling and performance skills in general. I'm also interested in social/community development through empowerment (showing people that they have the power to improve their own lives).

So put them together and hey presto you have a project! Well actually it's not that easy cause I'm not entirely sure how to fit them. Sure learning a performance skill improves confidence and has a load of other benefits, but only a few people will want to do it. So the other aspect is empowerment education through performance, and this is where my brain melts down - how does that work? To be truly beneficial it should be without language! How's that going to work?

Empowerment issues:

Human rights
Struggle
Direct democracy
Intelligent use of technology
Innovation
Responsibility
Accountability
Self determination
Transparancy
Leading by obeying

Any ideas? Any body interested in the same kind of thing? Anybody know anyone else doing something similar? [list]

Matt, I would check into the projects of Cirque le Monde, or sometimes known as Circa de la Mondo ( sp?!)... They are a division/educational offshoot of Cirque de Soleil, that does workshops in circus skills for disadvataged kids, in at least 17 " Third World" countries. The idea being empowerment, of many kinds. They have huge resources, expereince, trained counsellors in both circus and social work-- A very successful program!


A Thai friend of mine learned his skills through them, and now has a great career with poi, both making and selling spinning products and doing performance. He also mentors,and did some work last year with the kids of Khao Lak region after the tsunami.I was so amazed and moved by what he did with them in a very short time! We are trying to arrange funding so he can continue that kind of work.

Cirque apparently is so big in Chile, they actually opened an official circus school in Santiago...

Also, maybe try to get in touch with a man named Stephen Groh. Never met him, but everyone tells me to connect with him regarding projects with Thai street kids and circussy stuff.Just haven't managed to cross paths yet! I think HOP has an article on him somewhere on the site? He is in Bangkok. Not sure what aspects of empowerment he works with,?? you would have to find that out!

Google Dokbua Baan, and fairy factory, to see some of what Glenna has been up to with circus performance and refugee children near Mae Sot, Thailand( north near the Burmese border) Not sure empowerment was the emphasis, maybe more just to bring them joy and play.I think there were over ten thousand kids. ( I am bad with numbers, but it waas certainly a small happy horde) It was amazing!!!! I think some HOP people were involved in last years...

I have forgotten his name, but there is also a guy who just juggled his way through the Boston Marathon recently , to raise funds for his project, relating to Play as part of healing and empowerment for children. You could probably find him with a search.

Empowerment is certainly a great aim, but while doing volutneer work with traumatized kids I also realized that an opportunity of simple safe time to play is so important to being a child:growth learning discovery and healing occurs without any particular stress or agenda. A friend once said if possible, to just bring these elements together :children, outdoor activity, touch ,laughter; all without "formal leadership" -- and see what emerges. Beautiful.

Good luck!
smiles,
Andrea


Ps pm me if you cant find these things, and I will try to get you the web pages for the projects and emails for the people.Sorry, just don't have them handy right now. Shouldn't be hard for you to find though!

wow, Andrea, thanks for all that info! I never knew there was so much going on

On a side note, isn't it funny how good touch is for kids, how much most of them love being hugged or swung around or sitting on someone's shoulders, and yet whenever I do stuff with kids in the UK I'm "strongly advised" not to touch them at all (or even show them to the loo or take them to first aid without at least one other adult present...) in case one of the parents might want to sue for sexual harressment?

It's a strange world...

Okay, here is more detail on the guy I forgot: name is Zach Warren, and the organization is "Afghan Mobile Mini-Circus for Children, a Kabul-based group for which he volunteers as a juggling and unicycle instructor."


Off topic: Birgit- that also makes me sad. Touch is so necessary to health. It doesn't have to do with sexuality at all, and the kids are going to be confused if they are taught to think it does!

At least kids get contact with each other, romping around. Adults, particularily seniors,or sick people, often get physically isolated. There is very interesting information on the function of nerve receptors in skin emphasising this importance. ( I wont try to write it here, it would be too garbled for words!) Fascinating though...

www.dokbua.org
for Glennas projects in Thailand

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/company/socialaction/sevenpgrms/cirquedumonde.htm

www.dreamscanbe.org

Andrea,

Thanks for being a superdarling and finding all that info for me. You really are a fountain of knowledge.

Once I have the time I will be contacting Cirque du Mondo, becuase I think they are certainly heading in the right direction.

Thanks again

Also you must have heard about jonny´s ex-flatmate, she went to calcutta to get involved in something called The Theatre of the Oppressed. Don´t have details of what they do but it sounds like its up the same street.

E
x

Stephen Groh runs an orphanage in Bangkok .. some Brissy people have been over and put some energy in .. including old toy donation. His email is S_groh@hotmail.com (not sure if that 's' is upper or lower case) .. pm me if you'd like his phone numbers.

Alternatively to looking for people who have already set up .. you could set up!! Look for a place with kids at risk (etc) and offer to put your creative healing energy into the people and space .. who knows what will come of it and who you'll attract!!

There's also arts funding to consider ..
Fire and circus are incredible tools of empowerment and healing .. nice to see your thoughts up here .. all the best ..