HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 03-18 Bridging cultures, generations through drama and public art MAPLEWOOD REVIEWQ.TPOI11
Bridging cultures, generations through drama and public art I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
Bridging cultures,
generations through drama
and public art
Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 03/18/2015 - 12:00am
By: Erin Hinrichs
Z Puppets' creative director Shari Aronson with
puppets from the "Monkey Mind Pirates'
production, a /par/petry, neck, yoga adventure
that helps families overcome stress and
anxiety- (,swbmitted /shoat)
Sean and .7 ori Slamlik and slaver mom Mayor Nora
Sla mlik, at the Sensory /.::ria redly performance of
Shrek at the Chile raga',s 7hea are, 7hrough tier
involvement with the Autism Society of
Minnesota, Slamlik trained Chris Griffith and
Shari Aronson, co- creative directors care'
Puppets, along with other artists, on laow to
create a sensory- ... friendly environment for slaver
productions, (,swbmitted photo)
Maplewood among finalists for
Bloomberg Philanthropies Public
Art Challenge, requesting $250,000
for `Kid City'
We've all encountered a contagious laugh — the deep belly chuckle that echoes
through the room, or the lively staccato outburst that rattles off the walls.
But unless you crane your neck to investigate where it's coming from, the source
remains a mystery.
But what if that sound of laughter was harnessed to build a lasting sense of
connectedness? It's a concept that city officials in Maplewood, guided by the
creative leadership of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, are actively pursuing.
Students in Maplewood may soon have the opportunity to collect samples of
laughter in their community to be displayed in pop-up "laughter museums."
Equipped with the skills of clowning, puppetry, improvisation and laughter yoga,
they'll conduct street interviews with residents and record them laughing. Then
the students will design kiosks, where members of the community are invited to
connect with the person, and the story, behind each laugh.
"When you hear someone laugh, you can't see skin color, you may not get clues
about household income or even age or gender," says Shari Aronson, co -
creative director of the project. "You may not know what you have in difference
from the person, but instantly you know what you have in common: you, too,
laugh. The goal of the 'laughter museums' is to bring out and celebrate this
universal gift of laughter that we all share."
It's not your typical sculpture in a park or mural on the side of an old building. It's
creative and interactive, designed to invite all resident — young, old, Hmong,
Somali, Karen, Latino, Vietnamese and white — to engage in the community.
The laughter museums, along with other innovative performance arts initiatives,
caught the attention of those at Bloomberg Philanthropies. The city of
Maplewood, guided by the creative leadership of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz
artists, has been selected as a finalist for the Public Art Challenge. Narrowed
down from a pool of more than 230 applicants, Maplewood is now competing
against 11 other major cities across the nation — including Chicago, Atlanta,
Boston and Los Angeles —asking for $250,000 to implement its vision for "Kid
City."
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Q-TW1111
Bridging cultures, generations through drama and public art I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com
l...ast ya ar;s ZPuppets production rpt:< rnkeyMied
i:::lirates„ at the Children's .7heatre, featuring
families from the Autism Society of Minnesota,
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Z'1=1uppets' creative ira ctor (3hris Griffith leads
children in a group activity- (submitted photon
"Together with our artist team, Maplewood will tap into the energy and
innovation of our young people to engage and revitalize the whole
community through 'Kid City,"' Mayor Nora Slawik said in a press release.
'Deeper than it sounds'
In 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies invited mayors of U.S. cities with more
than 30,000 residents to submit proposals for innovative, temporary public
art projects that address a civic concern, while demonstrating collaboration
between artists and city officials. In May, at least three winning cities will be
awarded up to $1 million each to execute their projects over the course of a
year.
There are lots of worthy causes, but Slawik says she's confident that the
Maplewood proposal stands apart from the rest. Not only does the project
hold the potential to have "deeper penetration and meaning" in a smaller
city (relative to those in the running), she says, but it also embraces the
transformative power of performance arts.
And she trusts that the talented team of multicultural artists at Z Puppets
will make "Kid City" a success.
"It's deeper than it sounds. I'm having trouble conveying that to people who
haven't seen [Z Puppets] perform," Mayor Nora Slawik says, noting she's
felt the lasting impact of their performances in her own life.
What is 'Kid City?'
If awarded funding, Aronson and Chris Griffith, co -creative directors at Z
Puppets, will help roll out three distinct phases of "Kid City," with the help
of multicultural artists.
After introducing themselves to the community through a series of public performances, the artists will work closely with students to
create the "laughter museums" and establish a "Kid Council," which will allow youths to explore civic issues by using improvisation
to problem solve. They'll present their findings to the city council.
"Kids don't have those deep life experiences, but maybe that's a good thing," Slawik says. "[It'll] bring us a diverse perspective of
what's going on in Maplewood."
In the eyes of all those involved, the stakes for securing project funds through Bloomberg Philanthropies are high. Staff participants
are currently working on drafting a final proposal, due April 9, and are preparing for an on-site interview slated to happen
beforehand.
"As mayor, it's wonderful to be able to bring this kind of project to Maplewood," Slawik says. "And I certainly hope we win."
Erin Hinrichs can be reached at 651-748-7814 and ehinrichs@lillienews.com. Follow her at twitter.com/EHinrichsNews.
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A mayor'stestament ' the power of
Not only has Maplewood Mayor Nora Slawik participated in improvisational theater for a number of years; she has also
witnessed how theater can create a safe space for an open dialogue and positive interactions. Having worked with Z Puppets
in the past, through her work with the Autism Society of Minnesota and the Children's Theatre, Slawik thinks the creative
partnership is the perfect way to engage Maplewood residents.
"I have a son with high functioning autism and I know that the type of work they're doing has such a positive impact, not only
on the kids with autism but also with the parents. Often parents of kids with autism don't get to have those really positive
interactions. The day-to-day can be really challenging," Slawik says.
"They provided a forum where people can have really deep, good experiences together. Because I've seen that, I'm hoping it
can translate for the people of Maplewood."
Having seen theater alleviate communication barriers for youth with Autism, she's hopeful it will translate to a tool for bridging
cross-cultural and inter -generational communication gaps in the community.
"Improv takes you in a direction thatjust allows you to open. That will allow our youth to open up. People find their voice -
that's what I see more often than not," she says, noting it will help minorities in the community find their voice as well.
Local c s, local
The concept of "Kid City" dovetails with the Maplewood's new Parks and Recreation Master Plan, adopted this past January
Working closely with the project, the city's parks and recreation director DuWayne Konewko says, "We need to do a better job
of integrating art in not only our parks, but across the city as well.
"The demographics of the city are changing, and we think this Kid City program can help us bridge those gaps."
Police Chief Paul Schnell, along with local teachers, school administrators, parents and others involved in the city's new
Integrated Youth Development (IYD) program, will also play an important role in helping execute the proposed "Kid City."
As stated in Maplewood's project proposal, the city is in the North St. Paul -Maplewood -Oakdale School District, which serves
a diverse student body. Roughly 41 percent are students of color, and about 47 percent are eligible for free or reduced -price
lunches. Students and their families speak 35 different languages, with English, Hmong, Spanish, Cambodian and Chinese
ranking as the top five.
Project coordinators cite the economic growth and changing demographics of the city as assets, but caution that more needs
to be done to include new residents from Latino, Somali, Karen and Hmong backgrounds.
"These communities remain separate from one another, and seldom interact. This isolation combines with other risk factors,
making Maplewood's students some of the most at -risk in the region," the proposal states.
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