Awesome Foundation - Projects

Orlando, FL – Kaleidoscope Venue For The Arts Live Channel

2018-09-20T00:00:00Z

The project is to create a Live Streaming Channel through Twitch.TV's Creative Platform. Twitch.TV is owned by Amazon.com and is branching out to include channels for Creatives, growing a network similar to YouTube but providing more opportunities to generate income. The goal is to create segments featuring Artist Interviews, Live Painting and Live Streaming of Art Shows to bring a broader audience to the artists in Central Florida, especially those who are participating in shows at Kaleidoscope Venue For The Arts. The Channel would also help support the gallery through 4 features: -Subscriptions -Art Sales through the Chat Room -Sponsors and -'Tipping'- watchers in the chat room can purchase 'bits' and use them to 'tip' during a segment to show support for the segment or the artist. This allows watchers to show support, even if they don't want to commit to purchasing a painting or commit to a monthly subscription. All these features are handled through the Twitch.TV platform. The Channel would provide a pathway for the artists to reach a local, national and international audience, live. Artists can interact with the audience in the chat room, allowing people to comment on their work, offer to buy the work or ask questions that the artist can answer in real time. As the audience grows, this will allow the art show and the artists involved to reach many more people than a traditional art show, because people don't have to actually attend, just simply tune in. Kaleidoscope Venue For The Arts hosts art shows every week, with different themes and one a month with an all inclusive theme. This format allows for a minimum of a weekly broadcast to present the artists of the Central Florida area to anyone who has internet access.

Antigonish, NS (Inactive) – Bullying is Despicable

2018-09-20T00:00:00Z

Makaila lost a friend to suicide as a result of bullying last summer. Makaila(who will turn 15 in October) herself has been bullied for years and decided as a means of coping with this devastating loss she needed to spread the word against bullying. Last summer we borrowed a trailer to begin her endeavour of creating a float which she puts in parades locally so far with hope of spreading throughout the quad counties and further in near future .. just very costly. . Then when I traded my rig on an suv I had them wire me for a trailer and include a trailer for Makaila’s float So far have only taken in summer parades but planning on the Xmas ones this year. Makaila chose a theme and went from there including a personal tribute to her friend Madison.. we have had banners made and Tshirts too and continue to add as we can to this great project. Makaila suffers from depression and anxiety and since beginning this endeavour has come so far. She even entered a sandcastle competition this summer with the same theme. One disadvantage to this is it’s all out of our pockets. We are not a business or a group just individuals trying to get our message out there!! And we have lots of ideas to expand our float to include music and lights and themes specific to parade but these things all cost and will continue to do as we are able to as this is so important

Orlando, FL – Giant parade puppets for FusionFest

2018-09-20T00:00:00Z

Newmarket – School Community Garden

2018-09-19T00:00:00Z

I am teacher at a small (kindergarten to Grade 4) school in Newmarket. The parent community and fellow teachers at our school would like to purchase a tower garden for our school. Our hope is to use the Tower Garden in each classroom for specific months during the year. For example, one class would start with the Tower Garden and watch vegetables grow from seeds. They would then be able to harvest however they choose. Students would then be able to create recipes using the vegetables. The teachers at our school believe that this will be an amazing teaching tool for across the entire curriculum and create a real sense of teamwork. Our school is also a "Healthy School" and runs the "You're the Chef" program for Grade 4 students. We thought it would be great if we could pick recipes ahead of time and use the vegetables in some of the recipes.

Chicago, IL – Safety Planning Clinic for Undocumented Families

2018-09-19T00:00:00Z

Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS ) is a non-profit legal aid organization that provides completely free legal services to low income individuals and families in the Chicago area. We are a volunteer-based organization, and thanks to our enormous and dedicated pool of more than 2,300 volunteer attorneys, CVLS is the first and preeminent pro bono civil legal aid provider in Chicago. In early 2017, news spread that ICE was no longer prioritizing certain cases, and that all undocumented immigrants were suddenly at a much higher risk of deportation. Panic set in among immigrant communities, and non-profits mobilized to help. Since that time, CVLS has been heavily involved in helping undocumented parents hope for the best but prepare for the worst. CVLS has held dozens of legal clinics in the community, from the far southwest side to the suburbs to the northwest side, to bring this much needed service and information to areas of the city with large immigrant populations. Since early 2017 CVLS has trained more than 200 volunteer attorneys on how to help undocumented parents execute short-term guardianship forms. These are private party documents that allow parents to assign someone they know and trust as the emergency guardian of their children in the event of the parents' detention or deportation by immigration. Over the past year and a half, CVLS has helped more than 500 families put in place these crucial plans, which grant authority over day-to-day decisions regarding childcare, schooling, medical care and more, and in some situations may prevent children from ending up in state custody or foster care. We continue to receive requests for these community clinics. Because this project is not part of our regular work, the program is unfunded, and CVLS staff are doing this work after hours and in addition to their regular workload.

Ottawa – Generation Queer

2018-09-19T00:00:00Z

September’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Scott Sharma to support Generation Queer’s advocacy for non-binary bathrooms in Ottawa schools. “The reason why non-binary bathrooms are needed,” explains Scott, “is that often people who are transgender or non-binary may be harassed or physically or sexually assaulted. What non-binary bathrooms do is create a safe place for people to go and use the bathroom. It should not matter your gender or gender expression when you need to go to the bathroom.” Generation Queer, a new for-youth, by-youth group, will engage community partners and local decision-makers to make non-binary bathrooms a reality. “As someone who is gay,” Scott continues, “I was compelled to help make a change in my broader and LGBTQ2+ communities. I felt that I could provide support for people who want to come out and be proud of who they are.” Scott is a student at Colonel By Secondary School, where he is President of the Model United Nations club. He has worked on Parliament Hill and played on the Ontario provincial rugby team.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Layali Salon

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

Around 60,000 refugees, most of them from Syria and Afghanistan, are currently stranded in Greece. Originally Greece was a place to pass through, but since other nations closed their borders, many refugees must remain here for the foreseeable future. Work is hard to find, especially for refugee women. Greece is already bankrupt, and refugees experience language barriers, lack of appropriate skills, and discrimination when seeking employment. Layali Salon will answer some of that need by hiring refugee women who already have beautician skills, and running a paid apprenticeship program for those who do not. The program will build in Greek language and job seeking skills as well as training in hairdressing, manicure, and other beautician staples. We already have a building, a formerly abandoned hairdressing salon, donated rent free by the owners. A donor has paid for basic renovations, and we have a trained manager who is an Iranian political refugee who recently gained her advanced beautician certification in Greece. We have a license. We are now in the phase of furnishing the building and kitting it out in order to be able to launch.

Cass Clay – MICA - Major Incident Command Assist

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

At the 2018 Startup Weekend in Fargo, our team won first place with the idea of building a communications platform for law enforcement to leverage during major incidents such as child abductions or active shooter situations. Officers from the West Fargo PD approached the STEM program at the high school seeking solutions to their challenges in managing these incidents. Our team created the Rising Tide software company to build out the MICA (Major Incident Command Assist) Platform for law enforcement. Currently today it takes over an hour from the time a major incident is declared until law enforcement officers have boots on the ground working the case. With the MICA Platform in place, that time can be cut down to under a minute. Every second in a child abduction is critical. MICA leverages the fact that officers are geographically dispersed at the start of a major incident and utilizes geospatial aware task assignment to minimize travel time of officers responding to incidents. MICA puts many innovative solutions into the hands of first responders enabling them to focus on their task at hand and spend less time and effort on managing information and writing reports. Responding officers can simply dictate their notes directly into the system instead of having to take time out from the investigation to fill out paper reports. The Incident Command is equipped to manage the rapid flow of information and translate that into leads upon which investigators can follow up. Commanders can see maps in real-time of all of the investigative teams and track patterns and trends in the movement of suspects. The system ensures that every lead is checked out and closed down. Bringing a common communication platform for all of the various agencies involved is critical to the success of law enforcement. In every practice exercise since 2011, the number one weakness identified was communications breakdowns across agencies. MICA brings law enforcement a 21st century solution.

New York City, NY – Harriet Tubman Stamp

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

We're very excited by Dano Wall's vision of the future of American currency. Let's learn more about this project in his own words: _I was inspired by the news that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, and subsequently saddened by the news that the Trump administration was walking back that plan. So I created a stamp to convert Jacksons into Tubmans myself. I have been stamping $20 bills and entering them into circulation for the last year, and gifting stamps to friends to do the same._ _This country, and its government, have a serious problem with representation. Who we choose to honor as a society affects the moral attitudes that are baked into us as we grow up. The impact that seeing the face of Harriet Tubman staring back at you from a $20 bill should not be underestimated. This sort of representation can subtly but deeply affect someone's conception of themselves and their place in society. The slightly subversive nature of it being currency that's been hand-stamped by another human makes a discovery of one of these bills all the more joyous._ _I would like to make 100-200 (or more) of these stamps and give them out as gifts, donate them to museums, offer them as prizes, raise money for the Southern Poverty Law Center by auctioning or raffling them off, mail them anonymously to public officials, anything to get them into people's hands. I would like to see Tubman $20s entering circulation is sufficient numbers to generate conversation about the proposed, now abandoned, plan to replace Andrew Jackson with her._

Pittsburgh, PA – SoftSpot

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

SoftSpot is a sculptural installation which couples air purification with interactive public space in Garfield, PGH. Its suspended bioreactors are filled with sun-loving algae (Spirulina platensis) that consume carbon dioxide from the nearby environment and emit pure oxygen. The installation is motivated by a belief in unfolding urban spaces into more complex, welcoming, and ecologically rich niches. Our streets are busy with cars, buses, and people who form a metabolic ebb and flow through the urban landscape. SoftSpot pulls off of the sidewalk, creating a sheltered moment and tying in to the urban carbon cycle in welcoming repose. We want to project a future urban landscape where the hard boundaries of urban form are made soft, and can serve as spaces for community roots to grow. The installation will contribute to the neighborhood’s artistic and community-focused character, and invigorate the street for neighbors and passersby. SoftSpot is a series of modular algal bladders connected to a low-energy pump that pulls carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the bottom of the suspended modules, which is consumed by the microalgae. As the algae grow, they emit pure oxygen which creeps slowly toward the top of the structure. The algae densify as they grow to create a shaded, green canopy for passersby. Algae can clean ten times as much carbon dioxide from the surrounding air than large trees, and our installation (approx 100 liters) will produce the oxygen equivalent of two hectares of woodland (~1000 trees). As Pittsburgh is one of the top ten most polluted cities in the US with regard to particle pollution, carbon reduction is critical. By leveraging Marantha’s expertise in architectural design and Alex’s experience in algae cultivation techniques, we are able to create a piece which is focused on the issues of degraded communal urban space and low air quality, using algae as a creative medium for community engagement with environmental issues facing the city.

San Jose, CA – Sacred Heart Toy Box Bike Build

2018-09-17T00:00:00Z

Good Karma Bikes has a strong partnership with Sacred Heart Community Service in San Jose. Every Saturday for the last two years our organization's volunteers have packed up bike stands, tools, and bicycle essentials to take to Sacred Heart and fix bikes for free for the low income and homeless individuals of the Silicon Valley. That is over 600 free bicycle clinics that Good Karma Bikes has hosted at Sacred Heart. As well, during the holiday season Good Karma Bikes teams up with Sacred Heart for the Sacred Heart Toy Box. Our organization fixes up and builds over 600 bikes to give to children in need over the holidays. In order to ensure that these events can positively impact the maximum amount of people we need all of the proper tools and cycling essentials to fix bikes. That is where the Awesome Foundation grant comes into play. With this grant we will be able to serve

Buffalo, NY (Inactive) – Trash Can Be Beautiful Project

2018-09-15T00:00:00Z

The "Trash Can Be Beautiful Project" presented by Metro Community Development Corporation upcycles metal barrels and transforms them into works of art. This project provides an opportunity for inner city youth and local artist that are willing to volunteer their time to cultivate and inspire youth to express themselves through painting. By creating beautiful refuse containers and placing them in high litter areas throughout the neighborhood we are making our community cleaner and greener. This project will foster pride in our youth not only for their art work but also in keeping the community clean.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – Black Music Ensemble

2018-09-14T00:00:00Z

For the past four years, the East High School Black Music Ensemble has provided free, high-quality extracurricular education in African-American music and the oral tradition to students at Madison East High School. This Black Music Ensemble program, honed under mentorship from NEA Jazz Master Richard Davis, engages both seasoned and emerging student musicians in high level music workshops, practices and performances. The program is unique in the district for its emphasis on student leadership, "by ear" playing and the African-American musical tradition, Furthermore, the program is aimed at increasing music participation among underrepresented groups, and has already had success in bringing students into music programming who might otherwise be left out. This coming year, I will be expanding the program to at least two other Madison schools. This expansion will be supported in part by a grant from the Madison Arts Commission, which will cover my time and some materials. However, I'd like to have some money available to pay one of the recent graduates of the East High program to help me administer the group. This would fit in with the mission of the Black Music Ensemble by 1) increasing the diversity of instructors in the group and in the district, 2) reinforcing the emphasis on peer-to-peer learning that characterizes the group and 3) providing an avenue for further musical and social education for the East High graduate, who would learn through teaching others. Moreover, it makes sense from a logistical standpoint. I'm currently the sole instructor and will need help as the program expands; also, the program is highly unique and it would be difficult to bring in a teacher who had not been through the program themselves. For these reasons, I would absolutely love to have the means the bring on one of my former students as colleagues in spreading this highly successful program.

Madison, WI (Inactive) – Learning Naturally at Aldo Leopold Nature Center

2018-09-13T00:00:00Z

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center's Learning Naturally Initiative seeks to develop in children a lifelong sense of personal responsibility and commitment to being good stewards of the land. We will achieve this outcome by maintaining and expanding our collaborations with numerous community partners, including Madison Metropolitan School District, Madison Schools & Community Recreation’s Community Learning Centers, as well as neighborhood community centers to deliver Learning Naturally initiative’s core components: School Field Trips and Bus Transportation Subsidies: ALNC provides field trip and bus transportation subsidies to ensure ALL children can visit ALNC. Field trips incorporate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning and a wide range of Wisconsin academic standards. After-School Programs for Economically Challenged Youth: ALNC offers after-school programs for at-risk school children year-round. These programs provide quality opportunities to discover and explore the natural world for students who cannot afford traditional after-school activities. Wonder Bugs On the Road Preschool Program: An educational initiative with the goal to connect very young children (and their parents/caregivers) with nature. To reach an underserved population, we are collaborating with community partners, including Bridge Lake Point Waunona, The Playing Field, and Centro Hispano, to bring our quality programming to their facilities at no cost. Summer Camp Scholarships: ALNC’s summer camps are tailored to address Wisconsin Academic Standards in a variety of subject areas and to address a variety of learning styles. Children are exposed to educational adventures—while also learning the importance of maintaining a healthy environment—and a healthy body. Scholarship recipients also have opportunities to participate in offsite adventures, including week-long backpacking trips to the Porcupine Mountains, Devil’s Lake and/or a canoe trip on the Kickapoo River.

Newcastle – Secret Book Stuff

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Secret Book Stuff is a kindness project to spread the love of literature and create a little more magic in the world. Who doesn't love a random compliment, a smile from a stranger, a pay-it-forward coffee, or a good read left on their doorstep/desk/mailbox? For the past twelve months, I've been wrapping good condition pre-loved books in 100% recycled brown paper and biodegradable hemp twine and leaving them as random acts of kindness around Newcastle's cafes, bus stops, doorsteps, etc. Pretty soon, the idea (and Instagram) caught on, so I created a basic website where people could cover the cost of postage to have a book sent to a friend anywhere in Australia. As a writer and hectic bibliophile, my favourite part of the 'job' has been acting as a 'book doctor' and choosing the perfect book to be sent, with a handwritten personalised message inside. Last year, I collaborated with The Grateful, donating flowers AND secret books to the John Hunter Hospital and Ronald McDonald House. I also donated 200 books to the Newcastle Basket Brigade to put in hampers for disadvantaged families at Christmas time, and donated 250 secret books for gift bag goodies to a charity fundraiser event for women called She the Change. For the past few months, I've also been holding a Secret Book Stuff stall at local markets like Hunt and Gather and Olive Tree, selling secret books and donating proceeds to local charities like Newcastle Basket Brigade, Soul Cafe and the Centre for Ecological Learning. So for each book sold, that funds two book donations to a charity!

Vegan (Inactive) – Compassion Ride for Animals

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Apithan Ministries is partnering with Mototech and the Deming Animal Shelter for a motorcycle dayride for the Animals. We will take a picture of each of the Animals living at the Deming Animal Shelter and laminate the picture, along with each animal's raffle ticket number. Each rider will have a $20 sponsor fee, choose their Animal to 'ride with' for that day. The laminated picture will be taped to their motorcycle or gear. Part way through the ride, we will stop and enjoy a Vegan Meal and have a short, positive presentation on the importance of peace through compassion and with all Animals, including those exploited in Animal Agriculture, as well as peace with the natural environment. We will continue our ride back to Deming Animal Shelter where we will have a tour of the Shelter, enjoy music, and the riders will each have a chance to meet the Animal whom they rode for. The Animal Shelter will offer 50% off their adoption fee! We will then have a drawing for four prizes, as each sponsor comes with a single raffle ticket. We are having the ride in honor of International Day of Peace. Peace with All Living Beings.

Newburgh, NY – Teaching Kids about Native American Culture

2018-09-10T00:00:00Z

Jumpstart at the Newburgh Ministry is an academic enrichment after school program modeled after The Children's Defense Fund Freedom School. Students in grades k-12 will learn about the Indigenous peoples of America, their culture, food, and language. The students will utilize a community garden already in existence at the Newburgh Ministry to observe the growing of traditional Native American crops such as corn, beans, and pumpkins. The students will also research Native American culture via books, videos, audio, and the Internet. The project will culminate with an informal presentation of what the students learned about Native American culture. The students will work in groups to construct a traditional Native American medicine wheel to display at the Newburgh Ministry. The medicine wheel will be permanently displayed so the larger community can see their achievements.

Singapore – You Can Reach The Sky

2018-09-07T00:00:00Z

“You Can Reach The Sky” is an immersive theatrical experience for babies aged 2-24 months, or for children with psychomotor and cognitive abilities of up to two years. It follows the journey of a dandelion and its desire to reach the sky. It premiered in 2017 at The Artground’s White Box. Most of the props and set were created using household items. We hope to set an example to parents/carers that it’s possible to engage the baby without the use of technology or store-bought toys. We created “You Can Reach The Sky” because: we want families to go to the theatre together, and to interact with other families regardless of race, religion and social class; and we believe that baby theatre is very useful for a growing baby’s brain, because the theatre environment (which is very unlike their home environment) translates into new data for them. Research has shown that the early years, especially during the first three years of life, are a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. An immersive theatrical experience encourages appreciation, exploration, self-expression, self-esteem, imagination and creativity. While there have been many baby theatre productions staged overseas to great success, it is a relatively underdeveloped sector in Singapore. In 2018, “You Can Reach The Sky” was presented in infant care centres and centres for children with special needs. Through these experiences, we saw many centres with parents struggling to pay the subsidized centre fees and some babies facing emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse due to their estranged family situations. This sparked our decision for “You Can Reach The Sky: October 2018 Season of Sharing”. We will be reaching out to various organizations that house low-income families, babies born under the care of underage mothers and estranged families under their care. Examples of these organizations are Help Family Service Centre, AWARE, Single Parent Support Group, PPIS, etc.

Oakland, CA (Inactive) – The 10th Annual Oscar Grant Vigil

2018-09-06T00:00:00Z

The Oscar Grant Vigil is a safe space to share healing of the community violence occurring in or at Oakland Bart Stations. The event is at Fruitvale Bart Station, and an annual event. This year, we will be offering free food at our event to comfort the thousands of people who will attend. This year, community will be signing a petition to have more accountability regarding the safety of bart stations. This vigil has been rolling ongoing for 10 years every year since 2009.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – The Black Lunch Table in South Africa

2018-09-03T00:00:00Z

The Black Lunch Table(BLT)’s primary aim is the production of discursive sites, wherein cultural producers can engage in dialogue on a variety of critical issues. BLT animates discourse and initiates a democratic rewriting of contemporary history around and among the people living it. The past few years have seen an increase in public dialogue around issues of race and BLT has provided a critical platform for exchange, staging and recording community roundtable discussions at institutions internationally. Our roundtable sessions provide both physical space and allotted time for interdisciplinary and intergenerational discussions, bringing together a diversity of community members and fostering candid conversations. The Artists’ Roundtable series curates artists of the Black African and African Diaspora into roundtable discussions, while The People’s Table series invites participation from all community members. We also stage Wikipedia edit-a-thons to mobilize the collective authoring of articles pertaining to the lives and works of Black artists and curators. At the roundtables, participants are provided with conversation prompts on a variety of topics. We record, master, and transcribe the conversations from each table. The dialogues are then published on BLT’s forthcoming dynamic online archive (launch end of Summer). The archive structure will enable web visitors to search our dynamic database using a variety of metadata tags. The BLT archive is significant in that it will provide a unique collection of primary source materials. It is critical for this project, about Blackness and the Diaspora, to include voices from the content of Africa. We have the opportunity to present this project internationally this summer in Cape Town and Johannesburg, our first events overseas. My collaborators and I have worked hard to make this connection happen and BLT can’t fully realize this opportunity without further funding.

Liverpool (Inactive) – Dingle Community Print Workshop

2018-09-03T00:00:00Z

The idea behind our print workshop came about though chance and opportunity. In july 2017 I was lucky enough to be offered a room rent free in a community building in the dingle to use for the good of the local residents and provide an activity/service or workshop from. At the same time the opportunity came up to buy an exposure unit used in the screen printing industry to expose design onto screens . myself, and two other artists- Jake Florek and michelle Wren combined forces and decided we needed to take this opportunity to set up a community print studio. We bought the machine with our own money and acquired the rest of the equipment for free over a few months. Once we felt set up we then applied for funding through Beautiful Ideas Company for the rest of the materials. Our aim is to set about using the print room to run regular art projects and workshops from for small numbers of young adults in Dingle and Toxteth areas of liverpool. We hope to link up with other community youth projects such as Toxteth T.V, Toxteth FireFit, The Florrie and Squash Nutrition to provide multi disciplinary projects. We want to offer those on low income an opportunity to learn these skills and potentially apply them to what interests them, weather it be making t-shirts for their band, posters for DJ nights or just wanting to make art we would like it to be a place they can have a go at it. If our idea takes off we imagine in the near future to be able to sustain the expenses of the materials and utilities by taking on small jobs for local businesses. By printing t-shirts/flyers or artwork we can also provide payed employment to the young adults from the area who have already been trained up to do those jobs. We have spent so much time and effort between the three of us along with a lot of help from friends and family yet we are still a long way from being able to run a project in the space due to lack of funds and legal documentation required.

Austin, TX – We Can See Through Time

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

‘We Can See Through Time’ is a collaborative 3D drawing project between Austin based artists Matt Rebholz and Rachel Wolfson Smith. The show addresses optics, drawing, and time, through a changing landscape. The show is made up of four 55” x 96” drawings of landscapes that highlight cycles of urban change: a vacant lot, the frame of a house, a pit dug for a condo, that condo being constructed. Dioramas will be built as working models for each drawing. The drawings will be anaglyphs, meaning red and blue ink will be layered to create 3-D effects when seen through red and cyan glasses. They will explore traditional 3D depth of field effects, as well as creative experimentation between the red and blue layers. The subjects address a changing landscape, namely that of East Austin, where Rebholz and Wolfson live. They will draw from a separate diorama for each drawing. The diorama will be created largely from found materials in East Austin, and it will be exhibited in the gallery with the drawings. ‘We Can See Through Time’ will be the first show in ICOSA collective’s new gallery space. ICOSA is a collective of 20 Austin artists, and their mission is to “ignite ideas and relationships between the Austin and global art communities.” The gallery recently lost its original space because of the swell of gentrification in Austin. Their new space is in the current East Austin hub of Big Medium and Canopy studios. Included in the programing is a free workshop Matt and Rachel will teach on anaglyph drawing. Outreach will be directed at young folks that grew up in East Austin, before the boom. An artist talk and reception will follow the workshop. The exhibition will run September 7 – October 6, 2018

North Minneapolis, MN – H-cubed: Harrison, Healing, Harmony

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

H-Cubed: Harrison, Healing, and Harmony is an artist-led, community-driven, family-centered, grassroots organized series created with the purpose of cultivating healing and harmony in the North Minneapolis Harrison neighborhood through intentional creative space-making and collective empowerment. Each month, we host a catered meal with featured artists, open mic, and community conversations at Harrison and North Minneapolis locations. The gatherings are free of charge and open to the public, all ages and identities, inviting anyone in search of a place of belonging to join the growing movement. Together, we are developing the courageous and compassionate community our hearts long for. Each event has a thematic topic, chosen by the collaborative team, around which performance and conversation is centered, where an inclusive environment of intergenerational, authentic dialogue can occur. H-Cubed grew as a community resource in response to the police killing of Jamar Clark and 4th Precinct occupation just North of Harrison. Partnerships expanded to include Redeemer Center for Life, Harrison Neighborhood Association, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, and Intertwine Northeast. Our mission is to empower marginalized voices, build collective resources that address deep-rooted, systemic issues, and catalyze healing through the arts. Traditionally, our work has been a labor of love operated by a core planning team of artist organizers and volunteers. Grant funding strengthens our efforts and allows us to deepen the impact of much needed community asset development.

State College, PA – Wild Geese Mural

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

A community-produced mural for downtown State College. The image is inspired by "Wild Geese" by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Mary Oliver. "You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -- over and over announcing your place in the family of things." The mural can be painted with community help off-site and installed in a fun installation day and celebration.

Libraries (Inactive) – UHV Traveling Bookmobile

2018-09-01T00:00:00Z

The Traveling Bookmobile at the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) Katy delivers books to children in suburbs of Katy, Texas who lack transportation to the public library or who do not have books at home to read. Books are available in both Spanish and English. Research has shown that one of the most important steps to help children learn to read and become life-long readers is to get books into their hands and homes. For some families, especially families that struggle financially, this can be difficult. Parents may not have the time or the means to take their children to the library, and some may be intimidated by the process of applying for a library card or finding appropriate books in the library. Many of the children that live in the neighborhoods targeted do not have transportation to visit a library during the day. By bringing books, in both Spanish and English, the UHV traveling bookmobile provides a service that is lacking. By including parents in the outreach, the hope is to interest them in reading with their children or in learning to read themselves. Drs. Amy Barnhill and Janelle Bouknight, UHV professors of education in the School of Education, Health Professions and Human Development, began the UHV Traveling Bookmobile in 2017. Even though they didn’t have a bookmobile in the beginning, they used their own vehicles to deliver the books. One or two children began to visit the bookmobile and then others followed. An average of approximately 29 students per week visit the bookmobile, with 75 repeat students and 382 books checked out so far. Through this project, UHV students, who assist with the bookmobile, learn about the needs in the community and learn how to interact with and teach at-risk students. Observing children outside of school with their families can provide a worldview that can't be experienced in the classroom or through student teaching. It provides a fun learning experience for UHV students studying to be teachers, and a fun learning experience for children who will benefit from books in their lives. An initial grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provided over 700 books for the bookmobile. A bus has been provided by UHV but, with state budget cuts, the University budget is unable to pay for operating costs for the bus for the initial year. Funding from the Innovation in Libraries Awesome Foundation Chapter will be used for gasoline, maintenance, etc., so the bus can be utilized to deliver books to the children. The bookmobile is an awesome program and children are really excited to see the bookmobile when it arrives. The University of Houston‐Victoria (UHV), a dynamic destination university in the Coastal Bend Region of Texas, is dedicated to providing students with educational and leadership opportunities that empower them to be successful 21st century professionals and citizens in the global economy. UHV is located in Victoria, Texas, but also has a campus in Katy, Texas. Professors at UHV are dedicated to assisting ALL children and youth in reaching their potential by overcoming barriers that hinder literacy development. The UHV Traveling Bookmobile is one of these efforts. What our grantee has to say: "Through this project, UHV students who assist with the bookmobile will learn about the needs in the community and also learn how to interact with and teach at-risk students. Observing children outside of school with their families can provide a worldview that can't be experienced in the classroom or through student teaching. It provides a fun learning experience for UHV students studying to be teachers, and a fun learning experience for children who will benefit from books in their lives." What our trustees have to say: "This project is a valuable asset to the community and will have a direct impact on town and gown relations." "It's an excellent opportunity for future teachers to understand the continued importance of physical books and the growing impact of the digital divide in this country."

Raleigh, NC (Inactive) – Tile Mosaic & Mural

2018-08-31T00:00:00Z

Spurred on by images I saw on Instagram, I contacted the creator of some concrete benches (in CA) that had been mosaic-ed with beautiful scenes. Next I contacted Raleigh Parks to find out where there are some concrete park benches in Raleigh, and they immediately got stoked about my project proposal. However, there may or may not be any concrete benches. So, they suggested a wall at Laurel Hills Park that would be a great place for the project. Once I saw the wall, my idea morphed into a painted mural/tile mosaic combo project on the wall. Parks Dept. is seeking for approval from the stakeholders of that place, and we are hoping to enlist some volunteers to assist in the painting segment of the project (I love community art projects; helping people wax creative). I have a couple of potential designs for the space and plan to work with the Public Art department (and the stakeholders @Laurel Hills if that is where we do the project) to make it a good fit for the setting. I would love to be part of bringing more beautiful and public art to the city of Raleigh. And I am thrilled with the receptivity for this project that I have received from the Parks department and the Public Art department. Photos I am including feature the Instagram shots as well as the proposed wall site @ Laurel Hills Park. *so far we have not found any concrete park benches, even with the help of the Parks department.

Disability – "Spill the Disabili-Tea" workshop

2018-08-31T00:00:00Z

“Spill the Disabili-Tea” is an interactive, facilitated workshop designed to elevate knowledge of disability justice and provide a space to apply this lens to the inclusive practices of various community spaces. As a queer, biracial, amputee with a Master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, I draw upon my lived experience, education, and advocacy skills to lead a candid conversation unpacking the following questions (and more): Who is "disabled" and what creates that experience? What is "disability justice?" What's the "right way" to interact with people with disabilities? How do we navigate "microaggressions?" What's the difference between "access" and "inclusion?" Is disability a cultural experience and how can that intersect with other cultural identities? How can I integrate these skills in the community? This specific project is proposed as a collaboration with the Plus Bus, a plus size retail store that sells new and used plus size clothes in Los Angeles. In addition to fostering a safe space for body positivity and ethical fashion, the Plus Bus is an established venue for community events and encourages opportunities for “face to face connection” and strives to “provide a safe space for spending time with other fatshionistas looking to connect and create memorable experiences.” With funding from the Awesome Project, I will be able to host “Spill the Disabili-Tea” at the Plus Bus, bringing the spirit of disability justice to a community space founded on body positivity and radical inclusion. The Plus Bus has created an engaged community of activists who are eager to build connections and awareness through socially conscious dialogues. Through this collaboration, I hope to draw connections between the fat activism and disability justice movements, fostering an exchange between these communities, highlighting the common goal of challenging normativity and embracing all bodies with love. What our grantee is saying: "This grant award represents an opportunity for me to take the passion and skills I’ve developed for disability justice in the Bay Area and share it with a new community of people eager to join in the movement. I admire the mission of the Plus Bus and am humbled to facilitate a workshop showcasing the relevance of disability justice in that community’s culture of body positivity and fat activism. I am also thrilled to have the means to create paid work for other marginalized peers in my network and compensate them adequately, using this capital to address inequities in work opportunities for marginalized people."

Minas Gerais (Inactive) – Coletivo Cai Junto - Redução de Danos

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

A redução de danos (RD) é uma prática pautada na ideia de que as pessoas não devem se intoxicar com produtos que podem prejudicá-las, mas se forem fazê-lo, têm o direito da melhor informação a respeito e os cuidados necessários. O Coletivo Cai Junto de Redução de Danos, fundado em agosto/2017, inspirado em outras iniciativas semelhantes, é uma organização autogerida com funcionamento horizontal, que tem recebido apoio da Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei (UFSJ), berço do Coletivo. O Cai Junto começa suas ações com RD em festas (principalmente festas universitárias em repúblicas ou outros espaços), geralmente “open bar”, em São João del-Rei, MG (uma cidade universitária), com uma excelente receptividade local. A Repúblicas Universitárias Associadas (RUA), entidade que congrega várias repúblicas tradicionais da cidade, firmou uma parceria muito forte com o Coletivo, e a presença do Cai Junto vem sendo solicitada nas festas com freqüência. A maior parte do Coletivo é de estudantes de Psicologia da UFSJ, mas também há estudantes de Medicina e Jornalismo. Durante as ações, os membros do Coletivo estão sempre uniformizados para facilitar a identificação. Há uma estrutura ativa, de informação e orientação para o uso de álcool e outras drogas de forma mais segura, e uma estrutura receptiva, de acolhimento e aconselhamento aos freqüentadores da festa que estão passando por algum desconforto pelo uso de álcool e outras drogas (desde que não seja uma urgência médica).

San Antonio, TX – Earn-A-Bike@School

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

Earn A Bike@School is a semester-long, tuition free, youth development program that partners with schools to increase attendance and academic performance, while decreasing negative behavior. Earn-A-Bike offers each participant the opportunity to earn a brand new bicycle, helmet, light and lock upon completion. We have successfully completed our program in both an in-school and afterschool capacity and are able to tailor the program to the campus needs. Our Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) aligned curriculum teaches students the importance of physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and key bicycle, safety, and maintenance skills. The goal is to improve campus statistics, including Texas Education Agency (TEA) scores, by way of increasing attendance and academic performance, while decreasing negative behavior. The culmination of the program is our Bike Build Event, which is a six-hour long program where students, with the help of a volunteer, assemble their new bike, reinforce what they have learned about safe cycling, and learn how to support each other when riding as a group. The event acts as a celebration of the students’ commitment and dedication to improving themselves and concludes in a two-mile group ride. This year, 300 students from Edgewood ISD will earn their spot at the Earn-A-Bike for Christmas 2018. Their good behavior, school attendance, academic performance, and health and wellness knowledge will have paid off. They will all receive a brand new bicycle, helmet, lights, lock and the experience of a lifetime. This Christmas Season, Earn-A-Bike will bring together 300 children, 300 parents and more than 700 volunteers to make the Earn-A-Bike for Christmas 2018 the largest bike build event in the US.

Aviano (Inactive) – Aviano Awesome Fivers

2018-08-30T00:00:00Z

Following the excellent example of other chapters, Awesome Aviano will be distributing Awesome Fivers throughout the month in our area. It seems like a fun way to get Awesome.

Tallahassee, FL (Inactive) – Non-profit Status for Tallahassee Autism Community

2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

Tallahassee Autism Community began is 2014 as an online support group for families that were struggling to find to find Autism Spectrum Disorder related services, resources, and support in the Big Bend Area. That online forum now serves over 200 families and sponsors programs such as TallyAutism.com- An online searchable database of all the available ASD related resources, services, and events in Tallahassee. Providers can be searched by location and insurance accepted. TallyAutism.com is a free website with no charge for provider listings to ensure that the community has access to all available services. The Annual "All About Autism" Resource Fair- 2018 was the inaugural year for the resource fair. Over 20 ASD related exhibitors gathered together to provide an amazing Autism Awareness event. The resource fair was completely free to the public and included popcorn, face painting, and a sensory friendly petting zoo experience. Each exhibitor also offered a children's activity. Monthly meet-ups and quarterly parent's nights at local venues. Spectrum Scouts-an activity based social skills group. This program is similar to Boys scouts, in that it teaches social and real life skills to children ages 5-18 who are on the Autism Spectrum. https://www.facebook.com/TallahasseeAutismCommunity/

Melbourne (Inactive) – Kensington Social Inclusion Week Lunch

2018-08-28T00:00:00Z

We are looking for a sponsor to fund our free community lunch event scheduled for 30 November during Social Inclusion Week. Our target group will be disadvantaged older people living alone. Nearly 50% of public housing residents that live in Kensington are elderly and living alone. This equates to just over 200 people. The level of health risk associated with social isolation has been compared with that of cigarette smoking, obesity and other major biomedical and psychosocial risk factors. Statistics from beyondblue show that approximately 10-15% of older people experience depression and 10% experience anxiety. The aim of the event is to provide an opportunity for people to socialise and make new connections. This may be with each other, or with staff and volunteers from the Neighbourhood House. An invitation from a friendly and familiar staff member to join an activity can be all that is needed for someone to make that first step. The event will consist of a free healthy lunch and several activities. The activities will be tasters of existing programs at the Neighbourhood House. This is an easy way for people to come and try something new without the anxiety that sometimes surrounds coming in new to an existing group. Activities will include; gentle exercise, art therapy and gardening. We will try and remove as many barriers as possible to ensure people are able to attend. We will provide a free community shuttle bus from the public housing estate to the Neighbourhood House for those unable to walk the 800 metres. The event itself will be free. We will have a team of staff and volunteers on hand to talk to people looking lost and lonely. In 2017 we held our inaugural social Inclusion Week Lunch which despite extremely hot temperatures managed to attract over 40 people. We will work with the Community Engagement Team at Unison Housing on the public housing estate in the lead-up to the event to spread the word and encourage people to attend.

Awesome Without Borders (Inactive) – Mosaic street art series

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

I've been dreaming of creating small mosaics to install around my neighborhood, much like the street artist Space Invader but in my own fashion and style. I would love to install these pieces in spots where people would come upon them unintentionally – providing stained-glass mosaic art in a context they wouldn't normally find.

Birmingham, AL (Inactive) – Magic City Poetry Festival

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

The goal of the Magic City Poetry Festival is to spread a love of contemporary poetry to the Greater Birmingham area through community-focused, free programming. Last year, we hosted open mics, a community conversation/keynote panel, featured poetry readings, and a community poetry showcase. This year, we hope to expand our open mic events, bring in Sonia Sanchez for our keynote speaker, host a poetry block party with the Woodlawn Street Market, name a Birmingham River-poet and host a reading, host an “in translation” reading, and create literary festivities for adults and children throughout the month. Our philosophy is that poetry is for everyone, and because of that, every event is free and open to the public.

Alaska (Inactive) – Spruce Root Apprenticeship

2018-08-27T00:00:00Z

From Trevan: Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring a spruce root harvesting and weaving class. Spruce root weaving has been recognized as a dying northwest coast native art form. I want to be part of the next generation that revitalizes this art form. I have an amazing opportunity to further my knowledge in spruce root weaving from Master Weaver Delores Churchill. I have been chosen for the Sealaska Heritage Institute spruce root weaving apprenticeship. From Kayla: I am Tlingit from Saxman, Alaska. I have been taking native art classes from 2 years now at our Totem Heritage Center. My culture has become my passion & this is one of my dreams to be able to work & learn along aside Master Weaver Delores Churchill. I am very passionate about these arts & want these to carry on to my own children & hopefully someday become a teacher myself.

Santa Fe, NM (Inactive) – Fall 2018 Expanding Your Horizons Conference

2018-08-25T00:00:00Z

STEM Santa Fe, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advocates for, develops and provides STEM programming, mentoring and resources for all youth, especially under-represented groups in STEM, to realize their potential and expand their opportunities in a dynamic world. Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) conference focuses specifically on encouraging young women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers by providing women STEM role models and hands-on workshops and activities. EYH brings women from a wide range of industries and professions to work with girls in 5th-8th grade in an exciting hands-on environment. Over the course of the conference day, girls experience new activities and engage in discussions about current opportunities in STEM fields. This conference is often a once in a life-time opportunity for girls to engage with female role models working in STEM professions. 200 girls in 5th-8th grade from Santa Fe and Northern NM are expected to participate. The conference starts with a Keynote address, followed by 12-15 workshops run by STEM women professionals. Each girl attends two workshops, lunch and then all the girls attend a STEM Fair in the afternoon where about 15-20 STEM demos are being shown. Every year at this conference one of the workshops needs microscopes and we have been borrowing them and hauling them carefully all the time. We would love to have our own set of microscopes for this conference. $1,000 would allow us to buy 5-7 good quality microscopes.

Tilburg (Inactive) – stadsdichters en haven

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

Hierbij mijn idee over het bewerken van de randen van de piushaven, en om de stadsdichters een mogelijkheid te hebben om hun naam te vereeuwigen. Het aanbrengen van dichtregels in de bassaltkade-keien rondom de Piushaven-kom. Voor de dichtregels zullen de ex stadsdichters, de huidige stadsdichters en de toekomstige stadsdichters uitgenodigd worden om teksten op te stellen. Elke nieuwe stadsdichter zal in de toekomstig gevraagd worden een aanvullende tekst te maken. Zo is het niet een eenmalige statisch kunstwerk, maar een voortdurend levend. Bij elke nieuwe bijdrage kan met communicatiemiddelen de Piushaven, het water in de stad worden verbonden met de stadsbewoners en hun cultuur. Het kan nog worden verrijkt met de volgende elementen: De uitgekapte dichtteksten kunnen in brons worden gegoten. Ze zijn dan beter leesbaar, lichten op onder licht, zijn nog duurzamer en ogen nog waardevoller. Een andere toevoeging is om te voorkomen dat de dichtteksten te groot worden, waardoor de kaderand te snel “vol”is. Dat kan door de dichters uit te nodigen om de Japanse dichtvorm genaamd “haiku”toe te passen. Deze wordt gekenmerkt doordat een gedicht maximaal 12 lettergrepen groot is, en uit slechts twee regels bestaat. Het project lijkt me ook rond het thema water, diverse partijen in de stad aan elkaar te binden. En een vorm van voortdurende aandacht te borgen. Met vriendelijke groet Piet Hoofs

Glasgow – Let's Make Glasgow's Healthy!

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

I would hold a well-being event for the public to attend for free. The location of the event would be within Greater Glasgow, preferably in Maryhill area, where these types of events don't tend to take place (I have an amazing studio in mind, awaiting confirmation). I would be targeting people with low income /people who don't usually have access to well-being activities. The event would involve various aspects to overall well-being. The event would be split into physical well-being and mental well-being - showing that the two are interlinked and we need both to have overall health. There would be movement activities such as beginner yoga and Pilates, to illustrate simple movements being sufficient for exercise and allowing individuals to not feel they have to run 10k to be fit and health. For mental well-being, mindfulness and meditation workshops would take place to allow people to learn how to do this and why it's useful, Practices such as QiGong would also be taught, to show that both physical and mental health can be looked after all at once. The last aspect of the event would be creativity - zine making activities to allow everyone's creative sides to come out, which is fantastic for mental well-being and allowing individuals to feel focused and driven on a task which has a positive outcome.

Piqua, OH (Inactive) – Avenue of Honor

2018-08-22T00:00:00Z

Traveling down Ash St from Spring St heading east it is a great sight to see so many of the veterans banners hanging from tthe light poles.

Chicago, IL – Refugee High

2018-08-22T00:00:00Z

The book, "Refugee High," an expansion of my article for Chicago magazine titled “Welcome to Refugee High,” will chronicle a year inside Chicago’s Sullivan High School. Sullivan has one of the highest proportions of refugee students of any school in the nation. The book will follow a group of students who have come from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Central America and the passionate group of adults fighting to help give these teenagers a second chance in a culture that increasingly vilifies them. For a century, Sullivan has been an engine of education and assimilation for immigrants, but the project of making the current class of students into new Americans differs starkly from any before. The stakes for these students are higher than ever. The refugee students at Sullivan are more geographically, religiously, and culturally diverse. Many come from backgrounds the school has never served before. Some arrive having only lived in refugee camps. Nearly all have been subject to the world at its most hateful and violent, and they are both traumatized and resilient. Above all, they are still teens navigating life in America. They flirt, dream, work, and try on different personalities, fashions, and spiritual practices. At Sullivan, the students also cope with the challenges of urban poverty and oppression. They meet racism against themselves and others and face the realities of overburdened social service organizations. Untold is the story of how a school and its professionals mediate the conflicting cultures, ethical expectations, and urban challenges to shepherd these survivors through a better future. These are teachers and administrators who must deal with students’ domestic stress, gangs that recruit and prey on refugees, and a fraught political climate, all while continuing to teach and manage their own lives. Sullivan’s fate is no less than the fate of American project itself.

Cass Clay – Harvesting Hope for Others Farm Camp

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

Harvesting Hope for Others Farm Camp for kids is a 15 week camp for children ages 7-15 years old. Our farm camp meets Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm from May 23, 2018 through September 19, 2018. Each of the 17 children attending farm camp has their own 4x6 raised garden bed that they planted on May 23rd and will nurture and raise through harvest in September. Each week, the children weed and water their garden bed as well as the surrounding in ground gardens. All produce raised from the garden is being given to families in need in the Fargo/Moorhead area through our Free Produce Box program. Harvest Hope Farm strives to Harvest Hope in others by enhancing their physical, emotional, spiritual and financial health through a hands on farm experience and education concerning sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship. In addition to tending to their gardens, the children attending farm camp learn about sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship by also working with the farm animals, exploring nature on the 13 acre farm, learning from others professionals in the community including extension agents and NDSU agriculture students and staff. Children who attend farm camp are encouraged to bring what they have learned at the farm, home, to teach their families how to grow their own garden and how to support the environment through using compost, recycling and being good stewards of the blessings they receive. In addition to learning about sustainable food resources and environmental stewardship, children attending farm camp are able to develop leadership skills, self-confidence, social skills, life skills, and increased self-esteem. The produce raised from this summers Harvesting Hope for Others farm camp will be given to 10 families with children in the Fargo/Moorhead area that are struggling to make ends meet. Farm camp will be offered annually with a goal of serving 100 families within the next three years.

Cass Clay – Silent Witnesses Project: ND Human Rights Film

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

As part of the North Dakota Human Rights Film & Arts Festival, we would like to have the "Silent Witness" art exhibition created by Lisa Brunner, Member of the White Earth Nation and 2016 Bush Fellow, placed in the businesses of downtown Fargo. The Friday night portion of the film festival will be dedicated to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. The film "1200+", which documents 1,200 Native American women and girls who have disappeared or have been murdered in Manitoba. The film’s co-directors, Shelia North and Leonard Yakir, both from Winnipeg, are currently scheduled to join us. Sheila is also the current Grand Chief of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a non-profit, political advocacy organization that provides a collective voice on issues of inherent, Treaty, aboriginal and human rights for the citizens of 30 sovereign First Nations. In addition to holding a panel discussion that will include Lisa Brunner, Grand Chief North and Leonard Yakir, we would like to bring awareness and discussion around the MMIW crisis through the "Silent Witness" project. Lisa Brunner created 5 life-size silhouettes of women who were murdered at White Earth. We would like to bring these 5 silhouettes to Fargo and construct 5 additional silhouettes and work with businesses in downtown Fargo to have them stationed in their stories. As shoppers are visiting the stores, they'll randomly come across these silhouettes and learn about indigenous women in the region who have been murdered. The silhouettes will be on display Monday, November 12, 2018 through Sunday, November 18, 2018. The "Silent Witness" project will be culminate on Sunday when they will be on display at the Radisson Hotel during their Sunday morning brunch.

Ottawa – The Living Colouring Book Project

2018-08-21T00:00:00Z

August's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Brenda Dunn to support a giant art piece for viewers to colour. "So often, in gallery settings," says Brenda, "we are told not to touch the artworks. To challenge this taboo, I'll be creating a giant colouring page that will stretch the length of the Lalande-Doyle Exhibition space at the Shenkman Arts Centre. The work will be comprised entirely of line drawing in black ink on heavy drawing rolls that measure 4 feet high by 30 feet in length that I'll be inviting the audience to 'colour' in order to complete the piece." Brenda's Living Colouring Book will consist of many scenes of Ottawa's creative spaces, both interior and exterior. "I will be documenting the evolution of the piece throughout via time-lapse recording," she says, "in order to capture the process of collective completion. The struggle of viewers to reorient themselves as participants, and overcome the taboo of touching is a tension I'm fascinated by and keen to explore. I want to encourage people to subvert the usual gallery expectations, and break down the idea that galleries places for quiet, passive contemplation. I love the idea of a piece we complete collectively." The exhibition will take place in January or February of 2019. Brenda is a self-described community-engaged Ottawa-based artist. "I make things," she says, "but I also make things happen."

Asheville, NC (Inactive) – BlkGirlAffirming (Yoga as Embodied Social Change)

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

I spell the word black, BLK. I do this because I believe that the current social definition implies that black is some how the lack of something. Truthfully black is the absorption of all light and color. I wanted to challenge this norm when naming my project. So who am I? My name is Jazmin and I am one of the few women of color teaching yoga here in Asheville. What do I do? I believe in holding brave space for undeserved communities in Asheville. Spaces were we affirm each others stories and collectively begin the process of healing ourselves from trauma, which often is stored in the body! What this looks like , is me showing up for communities that have historically not had access to holistic wellness tools. I would like to have a rotation of places I would host these pop-up events. Essentially going into public housing communities and community centers, such as the South Side community center. There I would provide donation based yoga and mediation classes. Out of the 72% of women who practice yoga, only 2% are Black Women. This is a billion dollar industry, often reflecting the racial and economic inequalities we see in America. My purpose is to empower communities of color to cultivate a more holistic relationship to themselves and the Earth. Sharing meditation, plant-based living, and yoga as an act of radical resistance and embodied social change. .

Ann Arbor, MI – Wander Packs

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

We are currently developing a non-profit with the main idea of enriching families to go explore and wander nature areas. We will also be providing education through workshops and events, and leading volunteers in conservation projects. We are designing an extremely user-friendly website to highlight nature areas and allow people to find the places that best match their needs. We will be launching in early July 2018. Our present focus is on Washtenaw County which is where our passion for nature has grown as well as being our home. One of the most impactful projects that we are working on is Wander Packs. Our Wander Packs are adventure backpacks filled with supplies to enhance children's experiences in nature as well as provide opportunities for education. Our goal is to stock public libraries and schools in Washtenaw County with 2-4 Wander Packs each that they would loan out just as they do books and educational kits. We have contacts at the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation department as well as other local conservation groups that are excited to partner with us in this. We just need to kick-start this amazing project!

Pittsburgh, PA – Look Who's Here! Carpool Karaoke Edition

2018-08-20T00:00:00Z

Imagine a charismatic Pittsburgh podcaster who happens to have Down Syndrome jamming in the passenger seat of a car while interviewing a local musician and an international journalist in the style of British Late Late Show host James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke series! You can make it happen. Our project Look Who’s Here! All-Abilities Media equips people with disabilities to work as interviewers and producers on informative and fun audio and video podcasts. After a year of production, we just won two Golden Quill awards from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania. Erin Gannon was honored for interviewing a disabilities advocate about the recent history of institutions in Pennsylvania. Erin’s also interviewed Pittsburgh-native and Yankees second baseman Neil Walker. Their conversation included discussions about getting injured as a pro athlete, Walker’s involvement in Miracle League baseball for people with special needs, and a batting and catching demo. Our project is timely. Pennsylvania and other states are increasingly integrating people with disabilities in the workforce and community, a process that will continue into the coming years. Yet many people still don’t interact with the one in five people who identify as having a disability. Citizens still often fight against group homes being established in their neighborhoods and threaten disabled residents and staff. People with disabilities should be prepared to have a more significant voice and role through media. Our carpool karaoke video episode will demonstrate that people with disabilities often have the same human curiosity (nebbiness?) and joy in music and good conversation that connects us all, whether or not we identify as having a disability. Guests we are considering inviting include local journalist John Miller, who recently wrote about the housing crisis for people with disabilities in America Magazine and hosts singalongs, and/or Joe Negri. Finally, we will work with a video producer who has autism.

Miami, FL – The L.S.D. Journal (Volume 6)

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Line Script Diary is an artist-run publisher and cultural office which highlights the peripheral practices of artists and cultural producers, with a primary focus on the written language- as well as sound, performance, and limited-editioned things. In addition to supporting newly commissioned dynamic publications, one major pillar of Line Script Diary’s mission is the ongoing series; The L.S.D. Journal. The purpose of the journal is to provide a mediated and discursive site for the exploration of ideas and executions within the realm of text-based works- giving a platform to an often underrepresented, but significant, aspect of the contributors’ practices. As an artist and writer myself, I have found that writing is usually the start of the creative process- regardless of how the actual art is resolved. There were no venues that highlighted this paramount point in the practice- so I set out to create one- and thus The L.S.D. Journal emerged. Following on its success, I have decided to select some of the contributors to create larger-scale books and publications, evolving from just the journal to a small arts-publishing house. Available free of charge at each new volume’s release, the journal also functions as both a testing ground and a teaser for potential future publications and projects by the contributors.

Yerevan – Canyoning

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Գաղտնիք չէ, որ Հայաստանն ունի տուրիզմի մեծ պոտենցիալ, որը լիովին չի օգտագործվում և զարգացվում։ Ես ցանկանում եմ ներկայացնել արկածային տուրիզմի նոր տարբերակ, որը կոչվում է Canyoning: Դա արկածային զբոսանք է կիրճի և գետի մեջ։ Զբոսանքի ընթացքում պետք կլինի լողալ, ջրվեժներից իջնել պարանով, թռնել ժայռերից ջրի մեջ, սահել թեք ժայռերի վրայով, մագլցել և այլն։ Այդ ճանապարհը հնարավոր կլինի անցնել 2-6 ժամում, գետի հոսանքի ուղությամբ։ Հայաստանում արդեն կան 4 հետազոտված գոտիներ, որտեղ հնարավոր է կազմակերպել նմանատիպ ժամանց։Մեր կլիման թույլ է տալիս հապատասխան գույքի օգտագործման դեպքում զբաղվել այս գործունեությամբ տարվա մեջ մինչև 8 ամիս։ Այս սպորտաձևը դարձել է արկածային տուրիզմի այցեքարտ բազմաթիվ երկրներում։ Հայաստանում այս մասին ցավոք քչերը գիտեն, եզակի մարդիկ են փորձել։

New York City, NY – Just Write Community Project

2018-08-17T00:00:00Z

Just Write is a simple idea with profound impact. A community project curated by community organizer, activist and nonprofit coach Tanesha ("Coach Tea") Ingram, Just Write runs quarterly letter-writing parties to provide support and encouragement to people writing letters to their incarcerated friends and loved ones and to help keep those communities connected. In Coach Tea's words: _Just Write is so awesome! We gather the community quarterly to write to children and adults that are incarcerated. Our letter writing parties involve, art, music and love. We create a safe space so that children and other community members do not feel ashamed about writing to their loved one in jail! On September 15th we are having a GIVE day for youth with a family member incarcerated. The day is designed to support the youth with building positive relationships , learning through play and self-expression. Youth can take advantage of slime and beat making, face-painting and team-building activities._ _Your $1000 will actually help with our Essay & Art Contest. We are launching this context prior to the event to give youth an opportunity to express how having a loved one incarcerated makes them feel and how they plan to still live a successful life regardless of these circumstances. We are super excited about this!_

Seattle, WA – Solar Panels for the Chinook Indians - LiveBright

2018-08-16T00:00:00Z

LiveBright is a high school student run nonprofit bringing electricity to resource-poor communities while promoting service above self to surrounding students, showing them the impact a small initiative has on the world. Previously, we have been able to equip several Seattle homeless encampments with solar panels, as well as low income housing in Tijuana, Mexico. We are wanting to give back to marginalized groups in the Seattle region, and have decided that we want to help the Chinook Indian Nation, by helping them build a kiosk to enable visitors to learn more about their group, as well as provide them with solar panels for members of the tribe who may not have enough money to pay for electricity.

Baltimore, MD – New Live Score (Adventures of Prince Achmed)

2018-08-16T00:00:00Z

Sweaty Eyeballs is a monthly independent animation series curated by myself, Phil Davis, and screened at the Parkway Theatre in Baltimore. Past programming has included both feature animations and shorts, free screenings for students and discussions with a diverse range of animators from all parts of the world. For our October 2018 program, we are attempting something spectacular with the pairing of an historic masterpiece, and a live, original, musical score from 12 regional musicians and one Foley sound effects artist. The Adventures of Prince Achmed by German animator Lotte Reiniger is considered the first feature-length silent animation and was made in 1926. The film is made with paper cut-out silhouette animation, telling the tale of a prince who overcomes the deception of an evil sorcerer, and embarks on a wondrous adventure, finding love and comradery. Our goal is to breathe new life into the film by creating an original score composed by regional musicians and sound artists, and perform it live. The film is 67 minutes long and has been assigned to six musicians/bands in 10-15-minute segments. The unique scores will range from improvisational to formally written, with the purposeful plan of offering the audience multiple sound experiences in a single film, through a broad range of musical styles and instrumentation. Along with the musical accompaniment, a professional Foley sound effects artist will be creating live sound effects to the entire film. A 35mm print of The Adventures of Prince Achmed has already been secured for the screening. The programming will consist of two screenings, each with live musical accompaniment, on Saturday October 13th at the Parkway Theatre. Between the two screenings will be a free silhouette animation workshop teaching puppet building, lighting techniques, and animating with a smartphone to get community members excited about the techniques used in the film and encourage them to try animating themselves.

Sydney – Uz: The Town

2018-08-14T00:00:00Z

Uz: The Town by Gabriel Calderon 17-20 & 22 September, 2018 New Theatre, 542 King St Newtown Tickets from $20 via https://sydneyfringe.com/buy-tickets/?e=MTU2OTU Uz: The Town, by award-winning Uruguayan playwright Gabriel Calderon, is being translated to English for the first time by director Veronica Barac and making its Australian premiere at the 2018 Sydney Fringe Festival. Uz: The Town is a dark comedy that follows a provincial woman, Grace, who is ordered by God to prove her devotion by performing a heinous act against her family. The resulting chain of events is a wickedly satirical romp exploring religious faith, homosexuality, morality, and small town dynamics. In the sleepy town of Uz reigns harmony, good manners and a love of God. There lives Grace, mother, perfect wife, and township role model. She lives with her loving husband Jack, her son Thomas and daughter Dorothy. Peace shatters in Uz when God, picking up on biblical stories of Abraham and Job, speaks to Grace and asks her to prove her faith by killing one of her children. Suddenly the local butcher, his daughter, nosey neighbours, and a questionable priest come into the picture, destabilising the predictable facade of each character. Donate to our Australia Cultural Fund page - we’re full-time students producing this independently and every dollar counts: https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/uz-the-town/ Buy tickets: https://sydneyfringe.com/buy-tickets/?e=MTU2OTU