Collide-a-Scope Performance Festival: Occupying the Ontological Space of the "Other"?!?

"What does it mean to occupy the ontological space of the 'Other''? Seriously. This is one of the questions that I have been holding during this weekend of collaborative book writing with professors Gerald Campano and Richard Beach.

I arrive home from this kind of intellectual activity, to view the following video produced by my friend Matt Peiken, arts journalist and producer of this series, the "Three Minute Egg." It features Rodney "October" Dixon - former North High "Writing as Performance" student and "Teens Rock the Mic" poet, as well as Kenna Cottman Sarge - dancer, collaborator and North High graduate.

In my mind, this "Collide-a-Scope" Performance Festival invites us deeply into this experience of inhabiting the ontological space of the "other." This makes me happy. But, I don't know...What do you think?

Enjoy! If you are in town, check out the festival!

Poetry And Storytelling: Northside Artist Residence Event Recap

Hey Friends,

What follows are a few images from last night's "Storytelling and Poetry" event, held at St. Jane's House in North Minneapolis. Host Brian Mogren assembled a crew of Artist Activists/Educators/ Agents-of-Change who are in residence at the 16th and Bryant 4-plex, known as the "Northside Artist Residence."


The evening brought together a beautiful ensemble of people from around the Twin Cities - for an opportunity to hear spoken word and stories and have meaningful discussion. Rodney "October" Dixon was the emcee, leading the gathering in a Critical Response conversation, breaking open the work that was being shared.

Among the evening's performers were:

Berato Wilson
Amoke Kubat
Caitlin Hill
Gayle Smaller, Jr.
Rodney "October" Dixon

As well as a younger mentee of Mr. Dixon's, and another elder from the community.

All were inspiring.

The facilitated discussion brought forward the poets' and storytellers' themes around poverty, survival, hope, incarceration, change, missing mothers, and having faith. To have the opportunity to hear community and audience members' voices come forward - is one of the greatest joys and privileges for me. As a former North High teacher, and person committed to the questions and actions around emancipation, peace and justice for ALL -- this kind of activity is a key for my participation and engagement.

I am in awe as I watch these former students move and grow and make change.

I am humbled and find resonance in their struggle -- and am inspired by their work and words. I am reminded time and time again of the necessity of relationship-building that is occurring in North Minneapolis and beyond, that draws seeming opposites together. I reflect on how such encounters are gift and invite mutuality.

I recognize how my liberation is deeply aligned with and dependent on the liberation of all others.

Enjoy the pictures.

Stay tuned for more events inviting such participation!

Peace,
Melissa

Reporting Assignments

People!

There is SO MUCH to WRITE ABOUT! I'm a bit overwhelmed with my own mental log of assignments. This must happen to all of us on a certain level, right? Simply trying to B-A-L-A-N-C-E our bodies and spirits and hectic beings?

So to simply keep myself aligned, and accountable with all that has been speaking to me, and asking to get put down on paper (or, in this case: on the screen) I'm creating a virtual assignment list:

1. A financial reporting on Aunt Mo's visit - something in the topic arena of "The Price of Relationship-Building and Ambassador-work"?!

2. The metaphor of the phoenix -- Death and birth in Melissa Borgmann's midst: Joey Schulte's Funeral, Teens Rock the Mic's done-ness, and the baptism and career births I've been witness to in the past week...

3. Thin space experiences: Trees and dead people talking to me?!

4. More pine-cone meditations and notes from a recent walk along Edgecumbe.

5. Something on love-making...and a recent excerpt of Liz Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love."

Okay. Just needed to create that as a list of topics. Stay tuned!

Love,

Melissa

Love is the religion. The universe is the book.

From Coleman Barks in "The Illuminated Rumi."

TRTM: Power Summit Pix/ Reflection (6.23.06)

There are a couple things that I'm extremely proud of participating, being part of, or helping to bring forward when it comes to Teens Rock the Mic..

The Power Summit and Gopher Writing Camp are two such things - that are just so happening to come back to back this June...

It's 4:28pm on Friday, and I've just come from the closing ceremonies at the Power Summit, where Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater Artist, Esther Ouray, (Chana's mom) facilitated and lead the group of 30 young adult artists/activists in the closing ritual.

And WOW! Wow! is all that I feel like I can say...The POWER in that experience, following the WEEK of amazing, inspiring, information-loaded sessions....With Gayle Smaller kicking off Tuesday morning with his poem on "QUESTIONS" and that leading into our Socratic Seminar session, unpacking Rilke's words about "living in the questions" and the intersection (philosophically and practically) between Art and Social/Global activism....

WOW! Again....

Brittany's session co-lead by Caitlin on the idea of non-violence and art.....AHA! And she totally borrowed from Marc Bamuthi's workshop she took in NYC and asked the participants to create scenes featuring violence (after brainstorming ways we are violent, and sharing a poem herself..)

And the Cycles of Violence we saw staged by a group, and then got to unpack...Caitlin Hill stepping into that role as facilitator, and using the Critical Response protocol to engage and bring forward the voices of participants...Well let's just say, that the group had so many triggering ideas and comments and questions, there wasn't enough time....As the mentoring teacher working with these poets, I am so proud to see Brittany and Caitlin as they are growing in identifying their goals and objectives as young emerging teaching artists....To be able to end a facilitated discussion, borrowing on Rilke's words about "living in the questions" that we'd broken open the day before, it was BRILLIANT in my estimation to see and experience a closing that was simply further QUESTIONS each participant had as they were going forward from the session....

Hot stuff, guys. Hot Stuff!

And I don't think it's any small coincidence to run into Bill and Edye Howes this week, (down from Duluth doing the Freedom School work over at the Harrison Community Center) and then to hang out and brainstorm with Reggie Harris about our community of artists and activists coming together..!!!....There is so much beauty and richness here in our network of associates and artists....It's takes my breath away...

And to be privy to how these young people are working to BUILD THEIR SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE Of the WORLD and WAYS TO MOVE THROUGH IT INTENTIONALLY USING THEIR GIFTS....

Well, that just ROCKS, right?!

Okay...Reflection time is up for now...I'll close with pix, and good thoughts to you all...

Next week, head's up! You know I'm going to have to send something about the Gopher Writing Camp...

Good stuff!

Change is coming!!

Peace, Love, Holla back!

Melissa B

Brittany performing at PS

Watching the poets

Collaborating teachers

Rilke's words

Facilitating 2*

Posing the Questions/ Making objectives Public

Final ceremony directions

HOTB Ceremony

HOTB Ceremony 4 Directions

HOTB Puppet of Peace

Beautiful Group