February 2, 2010
Local idea goes global
Four years ago, Craigmillar Festival had a big idea to celebrate the life of one of the community arts world’s great figures – Reg Boulton who died in 2006. The big idea was to launch a global celebration of the power of community art and the creativity of local people. And so World Community Arts Day was born. On 17th February each year, all around the world, thousands of community art ‘happenings’ happen. You’re invited to join the fun
WORLD COMMUNITY ARTS DAY 17th Feb 2010
“ART AS A CATALYST FOR CARING AND SHARING”
Be creative on the day to raise an important issue you believe in and help create a World Festival Society for a day.
All we ask of you on that day is to do an arts project, however small or big on the 17th Feb 2010 or as near to the date as possible.
Be creative about an issue that you believe promotes “caring and sharing”.
Song, dance, theatre, draw, paint, write, make, poem, photogragh, lecture, walk, tour, talk, art class anyway that you feel you are creative!
It maybe an ongoing project you wish to highlight.
It is being creative that is important.
It could be a small or large gathering.
Or add an image or sound, etc to an existing website to mark this day.
If you can mark the event on your website in the build up to it that would be great too.
The aim is to create a world festival society for a day.
To illustrate how festival and celebration through art can provide answers.
For the first year and to get things started we started by asking those who were connected with the Craigmillar Festival Society as we know this group of friends is worldwide, in particular to remember a remarkable man Reg Bolton who died in 2006. The first two people to reply and helped to get it all started were Kevin Ryan, Director – Charnwood Arts and Ken Wolverton. Of course Community Arts is much bigger than this, but others did come and join the party.
History of Community Arts
Community Art is an important global movement, with a complex and long history. Thousands of groups and individuals are part of this story that is rich and very diverse. Many can be found on Communityarts.net. Here are a few to get you started.
All we ask of you on that day is to do an arts project, however small or big. Be creative about an issue that you believe promotes “caring and sharing”. Song, dance, theatre, draw, paint, write, make, poem, photogragh, lecture, walk, tour, talk, art class anyway that you feel you are creative! It maybe an ongoing project you wish to highlight.
Put it on a website, mark it with “World Community Arts day 2010”, then send the link to us and we shall put it on this webpage. Or maybe you just want to do it within your own community, great. It is being creative that is important. It could be a small or large gathering. Or add an image or sound, etc to an existing website to mark this day.
We are not asking for money, but your creativity and artistic skills to celebrate this day.
The aim is to create a world festival society for a day, to illustrate how festival and celebration through art can provide answers.
OUR BIGGEST FESTIVAL
This is the fourth year and each year it grows. This is our biggest yet with thousands of people joining in and bringing many projects from many countries. Many are adding artwork, music, photos, etc online into a range of social networks. Look and enjoy the diverse range of creativity.
http://www.communiversity.org.uk/worldcommunityartsday.htm