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The Cotabato Sessions, a music legacy from the Philippines by Susie Ibarra — Kickstarter

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The Cotabato Sessions, a music legacy from the Philippines by Susie Ibarra — Kickstarter.

The Cotabato Sessions, a film and music album featuring the Kalanduyan family legacy from Cotabato City,Mindanao, Philippines

Susie Ibarro posted this project on Kickstarter and as of February 20th she announced it has been fully funded. For information about the project from the Kickstarter page, read on or visit the original posting.

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The Cotabato Sessions is a full length music album and 30 minute short music film that features the music legacy of one family, the Kalanduyans, in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines.

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Who are the Kalanduyans and what is the music legacy?

The Kalanduyans are several generations of musicians from the Maguindanaon tribe in the Philippines who perform a beautiful Indigenous art form known as kulintang, gong ensemble music as well as lute string music, the kutyapi. Alongside the music there is always dance.

With master kutyapi /lute string player and flautist, Ismail Akmad, we are reminded that the origins of blues are far reaching and that the virtuosity inside 8 notes is endless.

https://soundcloud.com/susie-ibarra/binalig-by-ismail-akmad-the

With a kulintang gong ensemble , we can enter a series of entrancing music through a welcome song, Duyog, performed by the Kalanduyan family.

https://soundcloud.com/susie-ibarra/duyog-by-kalanduyan-family-the

The Cotabato Sessions was recorded and filmed in Cotabato City, Mindanao in the southern island of the Philippines.  It was a rare moment to be able to get together these generations of musicians in the family.

The Kalanduyans are part of a minority Islamic tribe, the Maguindanaons in the Philippines who have been entirely relocated to Cotabato City and elsewhere after many decades of civil unrest in the south.

Who will be the next generation to follow in their footsteps?

This album and film capture the generations of men, women, and youth performing ritual music and its variations in the home of master artist Danongan Kalanduyan, in a procession,  in the courtyard of a mosque and in the recording session of a concert hall.

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Why pledge to this project?

The Cotabato Sessions is the first album and short film in a series for the company Song of the Bird King LLC (http://songofthebirdking.com/) that will feature digital download album recordings of Indigenous, world music with digital short films that share the stories and culture through the music.  We are working to promote the collaboration of traditional and contemporary music with sustainable practices and offer platforms for the musical communities such as the Maguindanaons to grow.

Alongside Indigenous tribes in the Philippines, Song of the Bird King also works with Indigenous and traditional artists in the New York Seneca Nations, Egypt, U.A.E, Lebanon, Israel, Canada, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Guinea, Cuba, India and will be releasing with its digital music company digital download releases of artists as well as distribute catalogue. Song of the Bird King will continue to partner with independent film companies to create short music films for several of the digital albums.

What are future goals for this project?  

The Cotabato Sessions is the first album and short film in a series for the company Song of the Bird King LLC (http://songofthebirdking.com/) that will feature digital download album recordings of Indigenous, world music with digital short films that share the stories and culture through the music.  We are working to promote the collaboration of traditional and contemporary music with sustainable practices and offer platforms for the musical communities such as the Maguindanaons to grow.

Alongside Indigenous tribes in the Philippines, Song of the Bird King also works with Indigenous and traditional artists in the New York Seneca Nations, Egypt, U.A.E, Lebanon, Israel, Canada, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Guinea, Cuba, India and will be releasing with its digital music company digital download releases of artists as well as distribute catalogue. Song of the Bird King will continue to partner with independent film companies to create short music films for several of the digital albums.

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Solidarity Campaign for IDEA (International Drama/Theatre and Education Association)

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This post comes to you from Cultura21

IDEA (The International Drama/Theatre and Education Association) currently needs some help from all of us who are supportive of arts education, in a difficult situation they are experiencing at the moment with the Ministry of Culture in Brazil.

The campaign focus in short (quote from Robin Pascoe):

We need to convince Ms Marta Suplicy, Minister of Culture in Brazil to intervene to resolve a case which is seriously damaging the professional and personal lives of key drama educators in the Brazilian Network of Arteducators (ABRA). For three years, ABRA has carried a debt which has now grown to US$300,000, caused by the Ministry of Culture, who have refused to meet the organizers to reach a bilateral resolution, since January 2012.

Please find more details in this PDF file: Letter from IDEA to its members, friends and partners (January 2014) To support this campaign,  please use the following Word document: Action letter (January 2014)

You can also watch this campaign video from Manoela Souza of the Brazilian Network of Arteducators:

This post is also available in: French, Spanish.

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Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

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Illuminating art, design and health

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This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Reblogged from CHRIS FREMANTLE:

Click to visit the original post
Two interesting trajectories across the need for light particularly in winter.  The one is a blog from the Wellcome Trust on research being undertaken by their Research Fellow, Dr Tania Woloshyn, on the history of phototherapy, and the other is an exhibition at Marres House for Contemporary Culture in the Netherlands entitled Winter Anti Depression where they have created an Art Resort, a sensory environment in response to the winter.The idea that the lack of sunlight affects those of us living in northern climates is not new, and research into the history of treatments highlights the complexity of the amount of sunlight that is healthy.

The exhibition demonstrates a number of art and design approaches to activating the senses.  Different works explore different senses from textured surfaces that you feel through your feet, to sounds to cocoon you in your bed, to light and colour.  The installation comprising a range of yellows is particularly evocative (see below).

Light and colour are increasingly significant in the design of healthcare contexts.  New technologies such as ‘Sky Ceilings’ and lightboxes can bring a feeling of daylight into rooms that lack windows.  The ‘temperature’ of light, especially with the increasing availability of LED bulbs, is enabling much more sophisticated design of environments.  But what is clear is that light and colour are not ‘universals’.  On the one hand their meaning is culturally informed, and as these examples highlight, also informed by seasonality.  We might want healthcare to be 24/7, but our bodies respond to seasonality just as they do to day and night.

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ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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In Melbourne

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This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Ecoartscotland thought that Australasian subscribers might be interested to hear that Professor Anne Douglas, sometime contributor and longterm colleague and friend, is going to be in Melbourne for eight weeks from 1st Feb 2014 on a Mcgeorge Fellowship.  Also in the area at the same time is Sophie Hope, social practice researcher and author of ‘Participating the Wrong Way’.

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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Changing the Climate Conversation

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This post comes from Chantal Bilodeau’s Artists and Climate Change Blog

Not Listening

Living Green Magazine just published Changing the Climate Conversation, an article by Kassy Holmes that contains several examples of innovative people who are reframing the climate change issue using art and/or non-formal education techniques. Several of the organizations and individuals  mentioned are listed in the blogroll here or have appeared in previous posts, including Daniel Crawford, Climarte and Cape Farewell. Among works Holmes writes about that have not been covered in this blog, Greg Johnson’s illustrated haiku are definitely worth a look.

Filed under: Climate Communication

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Artists and Climate Change is a blog by playwright Chantal Bilodeau that tracks artistic responses from all disciplines to the problem of climate change. It is both a study about what is being done, and a resource for anyone interested in the subject. Art has the power to reframe the conversation about our environmental crisis so it is inclusive, constructive, and conducive to action. Art can, and should, shape our values and behavior so we are better equipped to face the formidable challenge in front of us.

Go to Chantal Bilodeau’s Artists and Climate Change Blog

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Opportunity: Carbon Reduction Project Manager

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This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Creative Carbon Scotland is looking for a Carbon Reduction Project Manager to join its team. Up to £27,000 pa, with up to 3% pension contributions. Fixed term to 31 March 2015 with the potential for extension.

Deadline 5pm 17 February 2014. Interviews in Edinburgh 28 February 2014.

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Creative Carbon Scotland works with arts and cultural organisations across Scotland to help them measure, report and reduce their carbon emissions and engage them in playing a full part in shaping a sustainable Scotland. We are looking for an experienced carbon manager to train and support arts organisations and individuals in carbon reporting and reduction and to maintain and develop our innovative web-based resource the Green Arts Portal. The CRPM will run training workshops and offer email, phone and face-to-face support. They may engage and manage freelancers to support them and will work as part of a small team based in Edinburgh, although remote working may be possible. Regular travel throughout Scotland will be required.

Click here to download the job description and application details.

Click here to download our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.

For more information please contact Ben Twist at ben@creativecarbonscotland.com or on 0131 529 7909

CCS is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered charity no SC042687

Image: This Land, courtesy of Edinburgh Art Festival http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/

The post Opportunity: Carbon Reduction Project Manager appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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New Book–Living Pathways: Meditations on sustainable cultures and cosmologies in Asia

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This post comes from Cultura21.

Living Pathways: Meditations on sustainable cultures and cosmologies in Asia

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About the BookGlobalisation and technological progress have ushered us into a new era of development. Never before has the promise of the ‘Good Life’ in a hedonistic, consumerist utopia, been within reach for so many. Yet a significant portion of humanity is still unable to meet their basic needs. These trends are unsustainable, and beg the question: Where are we heading as a global community… and at what cost?

In 2005, M. Nadarajah embarked on a journey into the heart of Asia to research culturally imbedded notions of sustainable development. He met with theindigenous communities of the Henanga, Ainu, Lanna, Karen, Kankanaey, Balinese and several others. These cultures reside far from the problems of mainstream development, both physically and spiritually. Their lifestyles incorporate philosophies of interconnectedness; of the sacredness of nature; of the continuity of Past, Present and Future. Rather than offer notions of sustainable development, these life-affirming philosophies pave a pathway towards a deep sustainability.

On this path, we find answers to how we must change as a society in order for us to preserve our world for all future generations. But do we have the collective will to overcome our consumptive habits and start living responsibly? Living Pathways offers its readers a chance to meditate upon these questions. It provides meaningful directions towards the spiritual paths of sustainable communities we often take for granted. Above all, it shows the reader a picture of the world we live in as it could be, if only we choose to make it so.

About the Author

M. Nadarajah, or ‘Nat’, earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, in 1993. His doctoral thesis was published in 1999 as Culture, Gender and Ecology: Beyond Workerism. Nat has spent his life working on the interconnected issues of communication, process development and management, culture, spirituality and sustainability. He has written several books on these issues: Another Malaysia is Possible and Other Essays: Writings on Culture and Politics for a Sustainable World (2004) and his co-edited book Urban Crisis: Culture and the Sustainability of Cities (2007) are noteworthy contributions. He is one of the pioneers of the Global Centre for the Study of Sustainable Futures and Spirituality (GCSSFS, www.gcssfs.org). In 2005, Nat became an Asian Public Intellectual (API) Fellow, sponsored by the Nippon Foundation. This allowed him to embark on a research ‘pilgrimage’ that inspired the meditations presented here in Living Pathways.

For information on how to order the book, visit Areca Books.

Sustainable Arts in Higher Education Symposium

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This post comes from Julie’s Bicycle.

Sustainable Arts in Higher Education Symposium

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12th February 2014, 2pm – 5pm (followed by drinks)
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London

The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in conjunction with Julie’s Bicycle, will  host the first ‘Sustainable Arts in Higher Education Symposium,’ on the afternoon, of the  12th February. It is intended that this will be an informative and interactive session for those within higher education, specifically in the creative arts arena, who wish to explore and share issues pertinent to sustainability, embracing all aspects of the creative arts environment both within an educational infrastructure as well as from a wider industry perspective.  We envisage this event being a catalyst for engendering further interest in the topic and igniting a future formal network of like-minded people. The afternoon will encompass a panel of speakers from a variety of institutions, together with a Q&A, networking, drinks and nibbles!

The afternoon will encompass a panel of speakers from a variety of institutions, together with a Q&A, networking, drinks and nibbles!

If you would like to attend this free event – n.b. a small voluntary, charitable, donation will be requested on the day – please save this date to your diary. Further details with confirmed speakers and an agenda with be sent out to registered delegates nearer the time.

Click here for more information and booking.

Culture Change Conference

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This post from Julie’s Bicycle.

Culture Change Conference

5th Feburary 2014, 10.15am – 4pm (Registration from 9am)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Providing business support to build sustainability in creative and cultural industries across the East of England.

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The Culture Change Conference 2014 will bring together expert speakers and workshop facilitators to address how the creative and cultural industries can take action on environmental sustainability.

Speakers include:
Professor Chris Rapley, Department of Earth Sciences at UCL
Sustainable fashion designer Orsola de Castro
Journalist and broadcaster Lucy Siegel
Jonathan Reekie, CEO of Aldeburgh Music
Donna Lynas, Director of Wysing Arts Centre
Martin Charter, Director of The Centre for Sustainable Design
… and more!

Find out more about the speakers.

The conference will launch the Culture Change programme, through which Julie’s Bicycle is providing free low carbon business support to East of England SMEs in the creative and cultural industries from now until March 2015.

On 5 February 2014, the Royal Opera House is hosting a free conference to launchCulture Change, a new business support programme for creative and cultural industries based in the East of England.

The conference will open at 9am with a networking opportunity, followed by an introduction by Alex Beard at 10.15am and the first presentation. It will close at 4pm.View the full agenda.

The programme, run by the Royal Opera House and supported by the European Regional Development Fund, is designed to encourage sustainable development in small to medium enterprises by offering bespoke advice, a support network and a series of free workshops and seminars.

The conference will include panel discussions about practical action on sustainability, led by speakers including Chris Rapley (Professor of Climate Science at University College, London), Orsola De Castro (leading eco fashion designer and founder of Esthetica) and Lucy Siegle (environmental journalist); taster workshops; introductions to the latest marketing strategies, carbon calculator tools and funding opportunities; and an interactive session to highlight sustainability objectives.

To book a free ticket, register now. For any further information, please e-mail Michelle Flinn at michelle.flinn@roh.org.uk, or phone 01708 892849.

The Culture Change programme has been created by a partnership between the Royal Opera House, Julie’s Bicycle, Creative & Cultural Skills, High House Production Park and Thurrock Borough Council. 

Click here to register your place and find out more.

The Future of Small Scale Touring

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This post comes from Julie’s Bicycle.

The Future of Small Scale Touring
An Independent Touring Symposium by Paines Plough

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30th January 2014, 11am – 6pm
The Royal Exchange, Manchester

Julie’s Bicycle will give a TED style presentation on how touring companies are developing more sustainable ways of working, as part of this day long symposium.

For ticket prices or to find out more click here.

Julie’s Bicycle is inviting anyone who cares about the future of small scale theatre touring to attend an independent touring symposium on Thursday 30 January 2014 at The Royal Exchange, Manchester. We are very excited to announce the line-up of speakers:

The keynote speech will be given by Vikki Heywood CBE. Previously Executive Director of both the RSC and the Royal Court Theatre, Vikki is now Chair of the RSA, having also been a board member of the Society of London Theatre, The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The day is broken into 3 parts, the themes being based on the responses to our survey in 2013 as the most common areas we all find challenging:

NEW TOURING MODELS AND APPROACHES TO TOUR BOOKING

Louise Blackwell & Kate McGrath, Co-Directors, Fuel Theatre:  ‘New Theatre in Your Neighbourhood ‘

Sam Eccles, Development Director, The Touring Network: ‘Tourbook: Joining the dots of touring performance’

Sophie Eustace, Executive Director, Fevered Sleep: ‘Future play – how can we tour ambitious work for he very young?’

James Grieve & George Perrin, Co-Artistic Directors, Paines Plough: ‘Roundabout and New Small Scale Touring Network’

Katie Roberts, Take Out Producer, Battersea Arts Centre:  ‘The Collaborative Touring Network’

Neil Murray, Executive  Producer, National Theatre Scotland

DATA AND AUDIENCES

Nick Bareham, Co-Founder/Managing Director, AU Insights: ‘Little Data. The new Big Data. The old Data’

Chris O’Connell, Artistic Director, Theatre Absolute: ‘Shop Front Theatre’

Jo Taylor, Senior Consultant, Morris Hargreaves Mcintyre: ‘Beyond the Box Office (or what you *really* need to know about audiences) ‘

Jonathan Waddingham, Social &Labs Product Manager, Just Giving: ‘Yimby and growing audiences from 0 to, well, lots’

Penny Mills, Director London and Touring, The Audience Agency

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

Matt Burman, Head of Programme & Audiences, Warwick Arts Centre: ‘WLTM: working, learning, talking, making. New approaches to making new work.’

Charlotte Jones, Chief Executive, Independent Touring Council: ‘Negotiating for a sustainable relationship’

Mark Makin, Co-Director Makin Projects  & Programme Manager HOUSE: ‘Touring – What’s a partnership?’

Sholeh Johnson, Arts Manager, Julie’s Bicycle

Matt Fenton, Artistic Director, Contact Theatre

Julie’s Bicycle hopes the day will provide a platform for the industry to share their stories in a practically applicable way and to meet colleagues from across the country. Each speaker will speak for only 6 minutes and there will be an informal breakout session after each section where delegates will be able to discuss the provocations raised directly with the speakers.

At the end of the day, anyone who doesn’t have to shoot home is invited to the pub to keep plotting.

The conference will commence at 11.30am,  with registration from 11am, and will finish at 5.30pm.

Do you have questions about THE FUTURE OF SMALL SCALE TOURING: An Independent Touring Symposium? Contact Paines Plough