nicholaslongstaff.ca

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The Great Harvest of Hope project being created for Young IDEAs dramatic presentation and can confidently say that the collaborative piece will be most moving and intriguing.

The adolescent writings that we are currently processing and editing are by turns , funny, sad, enlightening and heart warming so the end production will be rooted in very inspiring words and ideas.

In true World Congress spirit the Sherbrooke experience is awesome! You would be intrigued by the energy in the room.

There are four languages being spoken all the time in the room, English, French, Spanish and Mandarin!

So far, in only a day and half, we have processed the first reading and edit of nearly 600 works from the Philippines, China, Cuba, Peru, Belgium, Croatia, South Africa, and Iceland.

And are currently immersed in writings from Zimbabwe, Appleby College//Canada, Columbia, London//Canada, Mentor College//Canada, Quebec, and Taiwan, US, India.

We are all working very hard and are excited about where this will all lead for the presentation in Belem//Brazil.

Here’s another great contribution:

FROM NOW ON I WILL (by Christopher//12)
From now on I will bring peace and love,
Please and love as beautiful as a dove,
From now on I will bring love and care,
For everyone, everywhere.
From now on I will respect and treat,
with kindness, everyone that I meet.
From now on I will bring together,
Everyone and peace forever.
Peace with you.

This is no plea for money, but instead, for creativity!
DEADLINE: This SUNDAY January 23rd

“The Great Harvest of Hope” project speaks to my heart and soul, by bringing together the ideas, words and music of young people from more than thirty countries around the world, in the aim to inspire hope, spread peace, and change lives for the better.

I know that the seeds of your imagination - and the creative young people you know - will make an essential contribution.

Here’s how the BIG project works:
* Young people (8 - 19 years) from around the world contribute their creativity
in English, French, Spanish, and Portugese.
* Starting January 24th EVERY submission is translated
into each of the other 3 languages
* Over the next few months, a script is fashioned by a multi-lingual
team in Quebec — I will be assisting in this facillitation, in person, in Sherbrooke
* In SPRING: an international team of young performers, drawn from each of
the 30 participating countries, will create a multi-language show
* The resulting performance becomes the centrepiece in the
International Drama and Dance Educators Association congress
in Brazil - Summer 2010

My responsibility is the brisk coordination of CANADIAN Contribution - and I will also be documenting as much of the process as possible for viewing on the Internet, and other new media channels.

There will be hundreds of participants speaking English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. LET’s Get the CANADIAN VOICE HEARD TOO!

I need your help…
A] …in choosing a one or a few young participants who have something special to contribute

AND/OR

B] …assembling a small group tweens and teens to talk about, and then contribute

AND/OR

C] …If you fit the age range, by CONTRIBUTING YOUR OWN CREATIVITY

HERE’s WHAT STARTS OFF THE WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS.
Respond in words, images and/or song to the following starting points:
[ONE]
taking time …to do, to think, to feel
Starting points:
a) Each day…
b) From now on, I will…

[TWO]
my place …in my community, in the world, in my life
Starting points:
a) There is always… and it…
b) I feel like trying…

[THREE]
my fears …how they stand now, how I might overpower them
Starting points:
a) I feel as if…
b) All it would take…

[FOUR]
the same or different …in terms of culture, gender, age
Starting points:
a) I see that…
b) I decided…

[FIVE]
water …as shared, hoarded, polluted or wasted by us all
Starting points:
a) In my daily life…
b) Perhaps…

DEADLINE: This Sunday January 24th

EMAIL Submissions to: longstaff.n@gmail.com

In all cases, once the basic responses have been recorded, all participants are invited to take a little more time to express
through Words, ideas, poetry, song, impressions, and images…

If you see a possibility to use Video or Audio - GREAT - we’ll need to talk about HOW though — these forms are much more difficult and time consuming to translate.

As the Coordinator for the Canadian Contribution to the project, I hope you’ll let me know:
First: how you think you can help
Second: what questions you have for me, for clarification
Third: what help you need from me, for you to contribute

I think this is the start of the kind of work that can reshape young people’s connection to the world they will soon inherit from us - It’s about collaboration, creativity and hope, and I hope you will be part of it!

yours sincerely,

Nicholas