A Day In the Dump: By Sean Murray

When you go to Jardim Gramacho, or “The Garden” don’t plan on doing much else that day.

At one of the world’s largest landfills—think the landmass of 244 football fields just miles from the picturesque beaches of Rio de Janeiro—the stench clings to your ...]]> It’s great to see alumni of The Cartwheel Initiative doing great things in communities around the world.  Here’s what Sean Murray has been up to in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.  Keep up the good work Sean!

Joe Vena, CMA’s Media Labs creative director, along with instructor and visual artist Emily Collins, took us through an orientation of what a typical classroom experience looks like. We viewed examples of professional and student films and then, after instruction, went on ...]]> The Cartwheel team members who are traveling to Sri Lanka this summer
for our second field project met with the Children’s Museum of the
Arts (CMA) on February 25 for a workshop on stop-motion film making,
which will be part of our teaching curriculum this year.

Joe Vena, CMA’s Media Labs creative director, along with instructor
and visual artist Emily Collins, took us through an orientation of
what a typical classroom experience looks like. We viewed examples of
professional and student films and then, after instruction, went on to
create mini-films for ourselves. At the end of the workshop CMA
generously presented us with two pre-used Apple computers for our
summer workshop. Joe invited us back later in the month to observe a
week-long workshop on stop-motion.

The possibilities of this year’s project are so exciting and we look forward to our collaboration with the CMA!

To watch a clip of some of the first films we made, click here: http://vimeo.com/61006220

Last weekend, fellow Cartwheeler Geoff Green and I traveled to the community of Rockaway Beach to volunteer our efforts to a community affected immensely by Hurricane Sandy.  We both wanted to contribute our skills as photographers, and provided affected homeowners with photographs of their property damage for insurance claims.  After a whole day of meeting local residents, going into their homes and seeing the destruction firsthand, we were overwhelmed but happy that we could do our part, no matter how small.

As ...]]> By Ashok Sinha, Founder, Cartwheel Initiative

Last weekend, fellow Cartwheeler Geoff Green and I traveled to the community of Rockaway Beach to volunteer our efforts to a community affected immensely by Hurricane Sandy.  We both wanted to contribute our skills as photographers, and provided affected homeowners with photographs of their property damage for insurance claims.  After a whole day of meeting local residents, going into their homes and seeing the destruction firsthand, we were overwhelmed but happy that we could do our part, no matter how small.

As a New York-based organization, the Cartwheel Initiative has been closely following Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. We’ve been encouraged by the government’s response, and inspired by spontaneous efforts by individuals and ad hoc groups to assist those in need. But the road to recovery will be long and difficult.

FEMA has released some handy tips for helping children to physically and emotionally cope with this disaster. We encourage parents and educators to have a look.

http://blog.fema.gov/2012/11/keeping-children-safe-in-sandys-wake.html

Some more images by Geoff and I are below.

“Thanks to a grant from the Asian Cultural Council, I’m currently conducting research in rural Shimane Prefecture, Japan. My primary area of interest is provincial religious practices that survived Meiji-era reforms intended to establish centralized, State Shintoism.

I didn’t expect to find parallels to my experiences in Sri Lanka, but as I learn forms of music and dance that are new to me, and observe children practicing and performing, I’m continually reminded of the transformative power of the arts. ...]]> By Billy Fox, Cartwheel Initiative Music Workshop Instructor

“Thanks to a grant from the Asian Cultural Council, I’m currently conducting research in rural Shimane Prefecture, Japan. My primary area of interest is provincial religious practices that survived Meiji-era reforms intended to establish centralized, State Shintoism.

I didn’t expect to find parallels to my experiences in Sri Lanka, but as I learn forms of music and dance that are new to me, and observe children practicing and performing, I’m continually reminded of the transformative power of the arts.  Intertwined with local religious traditions is a form of music and dance called kagura, which is performed for the entertainment of kami (often translated as “gods,” but perhaps “spirits of a place” is more accurate). Kagura normally takes place in shrines during seasonal matsuri (festivals). These are intense affairs, typically beginning about 10pm and continuing without break until sunrise. Not only are they marathon sessions, but dancers perform physically demanding routines while wearing ornate costumes and masks that are bulky and hot. More than once I’ve witnessed dancers faint the moment they step off stage.

Tanijyugo Kagura Shachu, the kagura group based in the village where I’m residing, graciously invited me to join them for rehearsals and performances. I’ve been learning Shioharai, a purification dance, and have performed it twice during matsuri. I’m also learning to play small handheld cymbals, which are simple looking but diabolically tricky to play correctly. I normally play these for about three or four hours during each matsuri, which is quite a test of endurance.

Although I’ve been mightily impressed with Tanijyugo Kagura Shachu’s talent and discipline, the thing that most impresses me is their dedication to nurturing the talents of children. Several boys under the age of 10 perform as dancers and musicians in a few pieces each night. I’ve been astonished at their skill and artistry, and it’s reassuring to know that the future of kagura is safe in their hands.

These experiences bring back thoughts of Sri Lanka—how poised and mature the children we worked with were despite suffering the horrors of a brutal and protracted war. I’m also reminded how artistic performance and creative expression are crucial tools for shaping character and achieving emotional balance.

As a neophyte, I’m humbled to perform with a top-notch kagura group. But I also see myself growing as an artist and person during these trials by fire. I’m experiencing the transformative power of art in myself, and I am now all the more devoted to the Cartwheel Initiative’s mission. I know that our workshops truly do have the power to change the lives of children who have survived conflict and disaster.”