Arts Cuts in Canada an Issue, Think, Discuss, Vote!

We received this message by way of the Candrama list serve on behalf of Bruce Barton, University of Toronto, CM

The Arts and Election 2008: A Call for Educator and Student Engagement

The upcoming federal election on October 14th will be an important one for many aspects of Canadian society. Health care, the environment, and the economy are major areas of focus. Another topic of considerable controversy -- if limited general public attention -- is the range of changes the current government is making in terms of arts funding. A variety of programs, primarily related to the touring and showcasing of Canadian artists abroad, are being cut or significantly reduced. Both the nature of the cuts and the ways they are being implemented have proven to be the subjects of often heated debate.

It is not the place of educators or educational institutions to endorse specific political parties or politicians, nor to impose particular ideological positions on students. It is entirely fitting, however, for educators to encourage their students to be informed and socially engaged. The undersigned wish to encourage all citizens of voting age to explore the information available regarding these policy changes as they relate to the place and potential of the arts in Canadian society, to consider it carefully, to discuss the issues with others and ask related questions of their local candidates, and to express their position on this topic, among the full range of relevant issues, through their constitutional right to vote on October 14.

The short of it for Canadian arts educators: encourage your students to get the facts, think about them, talk them up, and vote.

Bruce Barton, Toronto
Pil Hansen, Toronto
Stephen Johnson, Toronto
Ric Knowles, Toronto
D.D. Kugler, Vancouver
Glen Nichols, Moncton
Shelley Scott, Lethbridge
Guillermo Verdecchia, Toronto
Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver

Arts Informed, Community Based Research

Arts Informed, Community Based Research, Stories for Change

Homelessness and Solutions from Lived Experiences is a collaborative exhibit of eight participatory, arts-informed, community-based research projects featuring stories about people at risk of or with experiences of homelessness. A report synthesizing shared findings and recommendations will be released at the Launch. The exhibit will be on display on Tuesday September 30 to Friday October 3, Toronto, Metro Hall Rotunda, 55 John St. See the PDF here

These projects were conducted by peer researchers, community agencies and academics working with people with experiences of homelessness. Together, these works represent an important body of evidence on the lived experiences of homelessness.

Street Health Stories will be one of the presentations featured.

About Street Health Stories.

"In 1986 a group of homeless people in Toronto met to discuss health care issues they were facing. They felt discriminated against within the health care system, and given their circumstances they were often unable to follow prescribed treaments. The group identified nurses as the people they would feel most comfortable going to for health care.
Upon learning of the initial discussions, a group of volunteer nurses opened the first Street Health nursing station in September, 1986 at the Toronto Friendship Centre drop-in, in the All Saints Church at Sherbourne and Dundas. Other nursing clinics followed, located where homeless people congregated, in order to provide hands-on health care and assistance in accessing and navigating the existing health care system."
From http://www.streethealth.ca/aboutus.htmtm

Street Health Stories, Picture of Homelessness in Toronto

"Street Health Stories is an NFB Filmmaker-in-Residence project.The exhibit was sponsored by Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital. Street Health Stories opened alongside the release of the Street Health Report 2007, which reveals a picture of homelessness in Toronto that demands immediate action. Community-based healthcare organization, Street Health, surveyed 368 homeless adults in Toronto about their health and access to health care. The Street Health Report 2007 presents the findings.

The National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker-in-Residence program presents the Street Health Stories installation which gives a human face and voice to Street Health’s statistics."

Photo and info from http://www.nfb.ca/filmmakerinresidence/blog/?page_id=87

See Youtube video clip from "Street Health Stories"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-omQ5rr3GUk

See Homelessness and Solutions from Lived Experience PDF Flyer

Homelessness and Solutions from Lived Experience Presentations and Exhibit, Toronto

The exhibit will be on display from Tuesday, September 30, 2008 to Friday, October 3, 2008.

Read this post for more info:

http://ccahtecrossingborders.blogspot.com/2008/07/homelessness-and-solutions-from-lived.html

That's My Time, Canadian Comedy Writer and Comedian Irwin Barker Chronicles Journey with Cancer

A reminder to our blog visitors to catch the special "That's My Time" featuring Irwin Barker on CTV, Saturday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Below an excerpt from the post at CTV.ca

"You have just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given one year to live - what do you do? If you are Canadian comic icon Irwin Barker, you set out on a courageous and inspirational cross-country comedy fundraiser tour for cancer research. Shot by award-winning Halifax filmmaker Adamm Liley, "That's My Time" chronicles the past year of Barker's journey with cancer, revealing a man's determination to find hope and humour in the gravest of human situations. "
(read more here)

If you would like to inquire at CTV about a tape of the programme information here.



See Toronto Star article here.

I hope you had an opportunity to see "That's My Time" last night. I found it inspiring to learn how Irwin Barker has used creativity and humour as a hopeful way to live with cancer. Comedians from coast to coast came together to support the man who has been a mentor to many of Canada's best up-and-coming comics. Barker has used the story of his illness as material for his cross country tour and raised 50,000 for cancer research. CM

New York University Drama Project Recruiting for Participants

A notice today from Joe Salvatore, New York University:

Recruiting Participants for New Drama Project About Class and Socioeconomic Status

I am writing to ask for your assistance in recruiting potential participants for a research project that I am conducting on class and socioeconomic status.

I am inviting NYC-based participants to take part in an interview theater project to learn more about how people living and/or working in New York City feel about class and socioeconomic status. I am the principal investigator, and I'm working with a team of nine student researcher/actors to create the work. Following the interview process, we will create a performance script from the interview transcripts, and "The Class Project" will be presented as a theatre piece in the fall mainstage slot for the Program in Educational Theatre at the Steinhardt School.

The performance dates will be October 24-November 2, 2008.

Contact: Joe Salvatore, Teacher, Program in Educational Theatre

New York University at 212.998.5266

email: _js1655@nyu.edu_

Caregiving and Alzheimer's Disease, Researchers at University of Toronto Put Caregiving on the Map

Putting Care on the Map
Portraits of Caregiving and Alzheimer's Disease Across Canada

A Research Exhibit

Ardra Cole

and Maura McIntyre

September 22 - 27, 2008
Toronto City Hall

This experiential exhibit features photographic portraits of family caregivers, audio recordings of stories of care and emblems and artifacts that speak of the caregiving experience.

We recently heard from CCAHTE subscriber Maura McIntyre, a researcher at The University of Toronto, about an upcoming exhibit to be held at Toronto City Hall. We are pleased to bring you news today about this arts informed research exhibit.

"We are researchers from the University of Toronto working on a study about caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. In Putting Care on the Map we are interested in raising the profile of care and caregiving across Canada. The Alzheimer’s Project is a seven-piece art-research project about caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease that pays tribute to those with the illness and those in caregiving roles. One purpose of the exhibit is to make Alzheimer’s disease more familiar to a wide public audience. Another aim is to provide opportunities for those directly affected by the illness to feel affirmed and supported. We used two and three dimensional images and objects to represent, communicate and educate about aspects of caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease, while also inviting the audience to experience and make meaning of the work."

"We are seeking to understand more about the emotional complexities of Alzheimer’s disease and what it means to care. We want to show Canadians where care lives and what it looks like for family members caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. "Putting Care on the Map" is a tribute to family caregivers and to the worthiness of care and caregiving in general. We invite you to help us put care on the map. "
Maura McIntyre, Ardra Cole

View the PDF invitation to "Putting Care on the Map"

See Video clip
"Front row seats" for Ardra Cole & Maura McIntyre presentation

Visit Ardra Cole's website

CCAHTE. Open Access. Creative Research for the Real World.

Planning a conference?

Invite The Canadian Creative Arts in Health, Training and Education Journal (CCAHTE) to present at your event or conference.

Progressive.Open Access. Interdisciplinary. International.

Creative research for the Real World.

We have a story to share.

Design above from http://wordle.net

Suggested topics:

• Open Access Academic Publishing, The Canadian Creative Arts in Health, Training and Education Journal (CCAHTE) The story of a Canadian based, international and interdisciplinary open access peer reviewed journal of the arts in health, training and education.
• Creative Research in Action and Practice. Telling Research Stories for the Real World.
• Creative Communication Strategies for Networking and Marketing Your Bright Ideas in the Digital World
• Creative Responses in Death and Bereavement. How a progressive university course using distance education and new technologies helped create a unique community for healing and a place to learn about the many applications of the creative arts in grief, healing and health training.
• Living Stories of Hope and Change. The story of "Remember Me for Birds" a research ethnodrama about aging, mental health and autonomy.

Contact CCAHTE, The Canadian Creative Arts in Health, Training and Education Journal at ccahte@cmclean.com or by phone 519-268-8786 for information about these CCAHTE presentations.