Posts Tagged ‘Youth’

Talleres del Viernes en Totonicapán

Isabel Carrio Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

Todos los viernes la Artista ArtCorps Isabel Carrió y su grupo de 42 jóvenes de la escuela telesecundaria se reúnen para preservar la cultura y practicas de gestión del bosque Maya Quiché   desde una mirada contemporánea.

De acuerdo a las actividades y las demandas de las mismas, a veces trabajamos todos juntos. Pero por lo general, son tres grupos de entre 15 y 16 años que van entrando y saliendo de la iluminada sala de la Biblioteca comunal de Xolsacmalaja en Totonicapán, Guatemala, entre ruidos de sillas metálicas y las risas  del inicio del  fin de la semana.

Tenemos proyectos de trabajar con reciclaje, arte público, instalaciones y con una fotonovela en la cual puedan expresar sus inquietudes, deseos y sueños.

Mientras esperamos permisos de la municipalidad para intervenir espacios públicos, ya estamos trabajando en dibujo y pintura. Y con Josué, artista local de Totonicapán, trabajan la expresión corporal y teatral.

Queremos que todos estén animados y participativos y por estos tienen opciones, de elegir que quieren hacer, de sentirse libres y con la abierta posibilidad de reafirmase en su autoestima.

Queremos abordar el reciclaje en gran tamaño. Murales con tapas plásticas que ya empezamos a juntar. Y miramos imágenes de los retratos de Chuck Close,  así como los patrones de bordado tradicionales de Totonicapán. Imágenes fragmentadas que serán reinventadas con esas tapas plásticas.

También miramos documentales de Bansky para inspirarnos en nuestras próximas intervenciones de arte público. Y también cuestionamos la tala de todos los árboles del parque de Totonicapán.

Este proyecto se desarrolla en colaboración con EcoLogic Development Fund.

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Friday Workshops in Totonicapán

Isabel Carrio Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

Each Friday, ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrió and a group of 42 high school students come together to preserve K’iché Maya culture and forest management practices from a contemporary vantage point.

Sometimes we assemble in one big group, if the project we’re working on calls for it. But usually, there are three groups moving in and out of the light-filled hall of the Xolsacmalaja library in Totonicapán, Guatemala, amidst the sounds of metal chairs scraping and the laughter of the start of the weekend.

Our projects with the 15- and 16-year-olds involve recycling, public art, installations and a photo book in which they can express their doubts, desires and dreams. We want to take on recycled art on a large scale. We plan to create murals out of plastic lids that we have already started to collect, and we are studying images of portraits by Chuck Close along with the traditional embroidery patterns from Totonicapán. These are fragmented images that will be reinvented with the plastic lids.

While we wait on permission from the municipality to develop art and conservation projects within public spaces, we are questioning the felling of all of the trees from Totonicapán Park, and we are watching documentaries by Banksy to inspire us in our upcoming public art interventions. The youth are developing their drawing and painting skills with me, and they are also working on physical and theatrical expression with Josué, a local theater artist from Totonicapán. In order that each young person be comfortable participating fully in the workshop, we let them select from a variety of activities and offer lots of encouragement.

This project is being carried out in collaboration with EcoLogic Development Fund.

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La Identidad y Tradición a través de los Ojos de Jóvenes Indígenas

Isabel Carrio Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

La Artista ArtCorps Isabel Carrió aborda preguntas complejas sobre la identidad y tradición en su trabajo con jóvenes Maya Quiché en Totonicapán, Guatemala.

Como en un caleidoscopio, en el cual se generan las imágenes multiplicadas en espejos, tenemos tantas visiones diferentes de estos jóvenes de la comunidad de Xolscmalja. Miradas que se reúnen con la de sus abuelos, generando nuevas imágenes, siempre cambiantes y en algún punto, confusas.

Estamos ante una realidad que se nos presenta como un desafío: la conservación de las prácticas ancestrales y la recuperación de la memoria tradicional en un momento histórico muy particular. Con una brecha generacional que se manifiesta en términos lingüísticos, tecnológicos y geográficos. Con un bosque comunal en riesgo y con conflictos territoriales. Con abuelos que apenas si hablan el español y nietos que no hablan el Quiché. Con jóvenes con la mirada puesta en el país del norte, “Los estados,” como ellos lo llaman, en donde su padre está desde hace años.

¿Cómo poder reavivar la conservación de las prácticas ancestrales entre estos jóvenes que escuchan música rap en sus teléfonos, con  gorras de los Yankees en sus cabezas mientras ayudan a sus abuelos con la siembra del maíz? EL contraste es fuerte y determinante.

¿Cómo continuar con la tradición del káxkól? Este es un servicio voluntario (sin remuneración) pero obligatorio de un año, a través del cual se atienden las necesidades de la comunidad. Si no lo cumplen, se les corta el servicio de agua. Esta fuerte estructura organizativa de La Junta Directiva de Recursos Naturales de los 48 Cantones también está sufriendo la presión de la economía actual. Hoy no se puede dejar un trabajo remunerado por el trabajo voluntario, a pesar de que sea una contribución indispensable para su comunidad. ¿Cómo ven estos jóvenes esta estructura y cómo se ven ellos funcionando dentro de la misma el día de mañana?

Este es nuestro desafío de este año, que nos posiciona en un lugar más real y menos idealista. Todo cambió. Y estos abuelos son el último eslabón de esta cadena, quienes aun siguen cortando leña a mano y subiendo al cerro cargando velas para celebrar ceremonias religiosas.

Y estos son nuestros Jóvenes Líderes en Conservación, llenos de vida y de entusiasmo, con quienes iniciamos las actividades este año. Y quienes también se deben preguntar cuál es el camino a seguir.

Este proyecto se desarrolla en colaboración con EcoLogic Development Fund.

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Identity and Tradition through the Eyes of Indigenous Youth

Isabel Carrio Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrió tackles complex questions about identity and tradition in her work with K’iché Maya teens in Totonicapán, Guatemala.

The present generational breach across language, technology and geography makes the need for the conservation of ancestral practices and the recovery of traditional memory more important than ever. The communal forest is at risk and further threatened by land disputes. Grandparents that barely speak Spanish, if at all, and their grandchildren don’t speak K’iché. Teens look steadily to a country in the north, “The States” as they call it, where their fathers have been for years.

Like looking through a kaleidoscope, in which we see distorted images multiplied by mirrors, there are many different visions of teens from the Xolscmalja community. These impressions join with those of their grandparents, generating new, always changing images. How can the conservation of ancestral practices be revived among these adolescents who listen to rap music on their phones and wear Yankees caps on their heads while they help their grandparents plant corn? The contrast is powerful.

How can the tradition of the káxkól be carried on? This is a voluntary (unpaid) year of community service with the 48 Cantons Natural Resource Board, the K’iche’ traditional governing body. If this duty is not fulfilled, water service is cut off. Today, one cannot leave a paying job for a volunteer job, despite the fact that these positions are an indispensable contribution to the community. How do young people view this structure and how do they see themselves working within it in the future?

This is our challenge this year, one that positions us to be more realistic and less idealistic. Everything has changed–and the grandparents are the last link in the chain. They are those who still chop wood by hand and climb up into the mountains carrying candles to celebrate religious ceremonies. As we begin our activities, our Young Leaders in Conservation, full of life and enthusiasm, must ask themselves which path they want to follow.

This project is being carried out in collaboration with EcoLogic Development Fund.

Translated from Spanish by Karen Phillips

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Free Event at Boston Public Library on May 16: Photo Exhibit and Book Launch

ArtCorps Friday, March 29th, 2013

ArtCorps and Ecologic Development Fund invite you to join us for a spectacular visual journey and learn about how we are working together to protect natural resources and Mayan culture in Totonicapan, Guatemala.

Wisdom of the Rocky Hillsides, Book Cover, ArtCorps Artist Isabel CarrioAwakening a Culture of Conservation: Photo Exhibit and Book Launch

6:30 – 8:30 pm
Boston Public Library, Copley Square
Mezzanine Conference Room
700 Boylston Street,Boston map
Free and open to the public. Light refreshments.
RSVP

Pick up a copy of Wisdom of the Rocky Hillsides, a collection of stories from K’iche’ Maya oral tradition illustrated by our Young Leaders in Conservation.

Take a spectacular journey through the photography of ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrió to witness community efforts to preserve the natural resources and cultural heritage of the Guatemalan highlands. Learn more about the ArtCorps-EcoLogic creative collaboration.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in a community art activity with ArtCorps Alumnae Andrea Shigeko Landin, win door prizes such as delicious Taza chocolate sustainably sourced from Central America or a $100 gift certificate to Ole Mexican Grill in Cambridge, and sign up with Renew Boston for a free home energy assessment.

Photo exhibit made possible by generous support from The Finer Image in Danvers, MA.


Sabiduría de Los Rocosos: Niños Ilustran Libro sobre Prácticas Medioambientales de los Maya

Isabel Carrio Thursday, February 28th, 2013

El colorido libro “Sabiduría de los Rocosos” (Etamabál re u wo Xaq) recién salió de la imprenta. En preparación al lanzamiento de libro en la Bibioteca Publica de Boston el 16 de mayo, la Artista ArtCorps Isabel Carrió recorre las páginas de estas ocho historias con sus cautivadoras ilustraciones.

Estos breves cuentos de las comunidades de Panquix, Rancho de Teja, Xolnahualá, Xeman, Chuipec, Patuj, Chuicaxtun y Pacapox en Totonicapán, Guatemala, nos transportan a imágenes con bosques comunales, pájaros, culebras y  muñecas de oro que traen buena fortuna. Son historias ancestrales, que relatadas por los abuelos de estas comunidades a sus nietos, nos transmiten mensajes sobre el cuidado del bosque y el agua, el respeto por la naturaleza y la estrecha relación que existe entre los seres humanos y la misma.

Este proyecto que se inició recorriendo los caminos de montaña de estas dispersas comunidades meses atrás, se ve concretado a través de este libro con el fuerte propósito de mantener viva la memoria tradicional. Documentando estas historias de tradición oral, queremos preservar la identidad cultural y el conocimiento del pueblo Maya Kiche´ y que estos puedan sobrevivir de generación en generación. Lee mas sobre el proceso de documentación e ilustración de estos cuentos.

Gracias a los abuelos y abuelas, a los maestros y los niños que participaron de este proyecto inter-generacional, hoy tenemos este documento que mantiene viva la lengua indígena Maya Kiche’. Además de embarcarnos en un viaje sin tiempo, en donde las piedras tienen poderes especiales y los bosques se abrazan con las nubes.

Este proyecto se realiza en colaboración con EcoLogic Development Fund.

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Wisdom of the Rocky Hillsides: Children Illustrate Book on Mayan Conservation

Isabel Carrio Thursday, February 28th, 2013

The colorful book “Wisdom of the Rocky Hillsides” (Etamabál re u wo Xaq) is hot off the press. In preparation for the book launch at the Boston Public Library on May 16, 2013, ArtCorps Artist Isabel Carrió journeys through the book’s eight stories and captivating illustrations.

These short stories from the communities of the Panquix, Rancho de Teja, Xolnahualá, Xeman, Chuipec, Patuj, Chuicaxtun and Pacapox in Totonicapán, Guatemala, transport us with images of communal forests, birds, snakes and dolls made of gold that bring good fortune. These ancestral stories, told by the grandmothers and grandfathers of these communities to their grandchildren, transmit important messages about caring for the forest and water resources, respecting nature and the close relationship between human beings and the natural world.

This inter-generational project, which began months ago while traversing the mountain roads of these far-flung communities, has become tangible through this book dedicated to keeping traditional memory alive. By documenting stories from this oral tradition, we seek to preserve the cultural identity and understanding of the K’iche’ Mayan people for generations to come. Read more about the process of documenting and illustrating the stories.

Thanks to the grandmothers and grandfathers, and the teachers and the children who participated in this project, today we have a document that keeps the indigenous K’iche’ Maya language alive and takes us on a timeless journey to a place where rocks have special powers and forests embrace the clouds.

This project was realized in collaboration with EcoLogic Development Fund.

Translated from Spanish by Karen Phillips.

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How Does an ArtCorps Workshop Catalyze Social Change?

ArtCorps Tuesday, January 15th, 2013

In this interview, ArtCorps Artist Naphtali Fields explains how sowing confidence, purpose and creative leadership builds stronger communities.

Youth workshop, ArtCorps Artist Naphtali FieldsOver the past year, you have facilitated over 100 ArtCorps workshops. What have the youth groups and Servicio Jesuita staff taken away from the workshops?

The youth have learned that their stories matter and how to use storytelling and theater to promote discussion and behavior change. They have also experienced the power of what they can accomplish by working together. Staff have learned to value creativity, to give themselves more time and space in their personal life to reflect artistically, and that there is always a more dynamic and engaging way to present information.

How are the youth and staff applying their new skills and knowledge?

Youth are coming up with their own initiatives for continuing to creatively work to improve their communities. Other public and nonprofit organizations have approached the youth we trained to create original plays. The staff are thinking in new ways about how to incorporate creativity into their meetings and workshops, and they are trying to resolve conflicts in the office and the communities where they work by using arts-based tools.

Servicio Jesuita takes a “holistic” approach to human development. Can you explain how this plays out in your work?

I think the best way to think about community development is to understand how the issues are interconnected. The kid in a theater group is the same kid who gets sick when he has to put chemical fertilizers on his corn, the same kid who’s seen his dad beat up his mom and the same kid who only studied up to third grade because he had to start working full-time. So we are discussing, reflecting and working on multifaceted issues that are part of the participants’ daily reality. We’re holding up a mirror of what’s happening now along with an alternative vision of what we can accomplish together.

Mask-masking identity workshop with young women, ArtCorps Artist Naphtali FieldsWhich of your accomplishments as an ArtCorps Artist are you most proud of? Why?

I’m proudest not of the plays that we’ve performed, but of the change I see in the youth after they join the group. This takes place in the moments when they realize that they have accomplished something that they never imagined they could (like memorizing a part, singing a rap or performing for an audience)–and it happens not only in performances but in our weekly rehearsals and workshops.

How has your understanding of Art for Social Action evolved over the past two years?

I’ve realized that social action doesn’t happen until there is individual transformation–and that is a slow process. The beauty of Art for Social Action is that when one or two people discover their confidence and purpose and begin to blossom creatively, their actions inspire others to follow their example. This is how change spreads!

In 2012, the youth groups trained by ArtCorps Artist Naphtali Fields performed nine plays reaching over 700 people with messages about sustainable agriculture, women’s rights and violence prevention. This project is being carried out in collaboration with Servicio Jesuita para el Desarrollo and Oxfam America.


Salvadoran Youth Is a Guiding Example for Peers and Neighbors

Naphtali Fields Monday, January 14th, 2013

Edwin hopes to finish high school next year. He lives with his aunt because his mother left him at age seven to get remarried and the new husband didn’t want him. Last November, he started coming to the youth theater group led by ArtCorps Artist Naphtali Fields but after participating in several rehearsals for the Christmas play, he drifted away. This year, though, Edwin comes to every workshop and rehearsal.

Edwin and his wife on their wedding day in play about domestic violence

Edwin starring as husband in play about domestic violence

Edwin is the one who organizes his cousins so that they bike together up to the little school where we meet for every rehearsal. If I need something, he will get it for me. If the group is rowdy or not focused, Edwin helps me restore order. He does all of this quietly and without calling attention to himself.

A few months ago, I sat down alone with him before a rehearsal and told him, “Edwin, you are the one in the group who has grown the most in your leadership skills. When I leave, you’re going to have to work hard to keep the group going because everyone respects you and listens to you.” He ducked his head trying to hide his smile but didn’t say anything, just nodded. Later that night, as we were rehearsing, I noticed that he had taken my words seriously. Offstage he marshaled the actors and kept them focused. In our reflection circle he was constantly helping.

Edwin’s leadership has continued to grow significantly. He and Aracely, another of the group’s leaders, wrote, directed and organized a play on gender-based violence for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), which they performed for over 100 women from the Jujutla area. Days later, at the request of the public health department, they performed the same play in their own community. This was a big step for Edwin who had joined the group with the disclaimer that he would only perform outside of his village: “I’ll do a play for other people, but I’ll never perform in Las Palmeras. Everyone knows me here; they’ll all laugh at me.”

Edwin acting part of abusive husband in play about domestic violence

Edwin acting part of abusive husband in play about domestic violence

After the performance I asked him what changed his mind. He explained that he was inspired by another ArtCorps theater group, who he saw perform in their own community: “The actors in Guayapa were really good, and no one laughed at them. We can do the same thing here.” Edwin is truly a guiding example for his peers and neighbors, and it has been a real joy to see him change from an on-the-edge drifter to a motivational leader.

This project is being carried out in collaboration with Servicio Jesuita para el Desarrollo and Oxfam America in Ahuachapan, El Salvador.

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Youth Take Brave Steps Forward

Naphtali Fields Thursday, January 10th, 2013

ArtCorps Artist Naphtali Fields shares the accomplishments of two valiant groups of young people who never dreamed of taking the stage.

INJUVE youth group, ArtCorps Artist Naphtali FieldsIn December, the theater of Ahuachapán presented a double performance showcasing original plays by ArtCorps youth.

The first was an adapted version of Romeo and Juliet, Salvadoran-style. Of the fifteen teens who started in the group, few came to more than a few meetings in a row. Two days ago only half showed up to rehearsal. The rest had failed their classes for the year and were grounded. It looked like their first play wouldn’t happen. The youth all come from difficult home situations and a tough urban neighborhood ridden with gangs, drugs and crime; they have a hard time being responsible and respecting each other, let alone learning their lines.

Yet somehow, once again, the magic of the theater prevailed. Romeo, a boy who leads his own mini-gang and starts schoolyard fights, carefully guarded the rose he had plucked for Juliet. He helped me set up the stage, listened quietly to my instructions, and his first performance in public was a huge success. Each once-distracted girl or bad-attitude guy was motivated and worked together to present a beautiful play that communicated messages about domestic violence and abuse of power.

Young woman acting on stage, ArtCorps Artist Naphtali FieldsThe second play about gender-based violence was performed by the youth group from Palmeras, a village about 10 miles outside of town. Niña Nati came to watch her daughter Aracely act for the first time. Niña Nati can’t read and she sat in the back of the theater, clearly overwhelmed by its lavishness. When Aracely entered as a grumpy mother-in-law wearing her mother’s clothes, Niña Nati was proud as punch. Afterwards I asked her how she liked the play. “Oh, it was wonderful,” she replied, smiling, “but Aracely makes a very mean mother-in-law.”

After the performances, Aracely and I sat in the park eating ice cream. We talked about her dreams to study agriculture to work in rural communities and help poor farmers diversify their crops and take better care of their land. “I used to think the most I could do was work in someone’s house as their housekeeper,” she said between licks of the strawberry cone, “but slowly all these doors have been opened for me and now, even though my mother can’t sign her name, I’m planning on getting a university degree…I never could have imagined it a few years ago.”

This project is being carried out in collaboration with Servicio Jesuita para el Desarrollo and Oxfam America.