Food=Need Event Oct 29-Nov 1st

Food=Need our big fall event concluded this week. What can I say, it was wonderful! Margaret Dragu our visiting artist from BC made this video from stills & video from the community home bread-making kitchen party and also from the Thurs evening dinner, reception and performance event at the DPNCHC. 

Comments from some of our participants:
Jay Smith (technician): Thank you for inviting me to be involved in the Food=Need project. It was a valuable and memorable experience for me. I enjoyed meeting the artists and community members and helping to make the event a success. It was a pleasure working closely with each of you and I would love to do so in the future.

claude wittmann (artist)….Something about "the chicken will arrive at around 2:30pm"
THE HEN. When Ron arrived with one of his hens, he suggested that she be in the big fence-like animal cage that he had brought. So, we transferred her from the cat carrier to the cage. She became quite nervous. I found that singing an Edith Piaf song was helping and that voicing "shhhhhhh..." was even more effective. She would also calm down instantenously at the sound of children's voices. It was incredible to be inbetween this grave I was digging with quite beautiful and light pleasure, and the chicken calling for attention. Suddenly I was attending to life more than to death just right there, very simply. It was both full of life and full of pain for some quite unknown reason. Towards the end of the performance, I felt the urge to try to go into the cage. I did go and I used Ron's advice on how to touch a hen to stop her. She and I stayed together for a while. My hand was warm on her back. I could feel her relaxing. I sang. When I got out, she stayed very calm and that was the time to open the cage. She quite quickly went out and ran to be on top of the dirt I had digged out. She happily picked. About 45 minutes later, Simlâ and I moved her back into the cage and Ron took her back home after the market.
THE GRAVE. I found myself swimming in a new mindset. I had the feeling that this was the last thing I had to do ever and it was immensely pleasurable. No stress, no other obligations than to do just that. Feeling the dirt, eating some dirt, seeing the dirt was also incredibly powerful and beautiful. Full of light. When I lied in there, I felt held.
THE FOOD. I ate one chicken heart and one drumstick. The learnings were incredible. It is rare that eating gives me strength directly but there, the experience went to its purest form. I ate and my thoughts changed completely and I started to see that my being just wanted to die. This is so paradoxical, but I believe that it is a universal experience, with more or less intensity. Would you agree on that...?
Of course, there would be way more to say... 

Margaret Dragu (artist): Amazing stuff that went on this week… What a festival! Amazing circle for the end of last night. All my love and deepest respect to you three [curators] “ . And to ARTIFACTS: “I didn't have a chance to say how much I loved your performance… Gentle awesome presences (ie. 2 jazz musicians easy & true with each other on the bandstand) and like a beautiful Czek Fiflm with umbrellas, white sheets, aprons, sunglasses and lamps. Could have gone on for much longer for me.”

Chrissy Poitras (artist): Having the opportunity to work with this group of individuals, in a space like the Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Community & Health Center, was a rewarding experience as it allowed me, along with the other performers, the ability to share and expand on the ideas behind Food=Need with a range of individuals. The group of people at the DPNCHC were welcoming and contributed more to this event then I could have imagined.

Students (UTSC):

"I loved Margaret’s video. It really helped me with our mask/personae performance for class." -Charlotte Balant

"That was so cool!" - Jasmine Bowen

"I enjoyed Margaret's workshop."- Ilana Fernandes

Cath Campbell (facilitator & community artist): I was very happy to be a part of the project.  I met old friends and made some new friends.  I really enjoyed the conversations and I liked doing the table...the cards I hadn't done in awhile and it was good to make a new connection with them...and to share...

some themes/images I gathered were:

Stories...here...away...HOME...a journey

Changing Rhythms

a place to rest and talk...where real collaboration can begin...without strict agendas and everyone feels like they can be safe... to be who they are...

I was very inspired so thank you...