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Category: Recent News
The monthly e-newsletter selects about 5 news posts with this category. Priorities are news relevant to a wide number of people and especially of interest to visitors or new folk.
Register now online for our Saturday April 7 Gathering of the four local congregations at UCV. Register here.
(Help with registration will also be available in the foyer of the Sanctuary after our service on March 4)
The Apr 7 event starts with an In-gathering in the Sanctuary followed by a Young Adult panel and small group discussions on Intergenerational Solidarity. Then, in the afternoon, Unitarian singer/songwriter, Tony Turner, leads a workshop on “Singing for Change”. Tony will also host the evening Open Mic Coffee House. We’ve set time aside for “Acting for Change – Social Justice Networking” where we’ll learn about how things are going in each of the congregations in relation to social action – successes and challenges.
BIG ASK: Volunteers are needed for greeting, serving meals and cleaning up.
Please phone Jeannie Corsi on 604-224-1040 if you are able to help in any way.
Love, Hope and New Life is a three-day arts and music event at the Unitarian Church marking the 7th anniversary of a great natural catastrophe and human tragedy of March 11, 2011 in Eastern Honshu in Japan (The Fukushima area).
Offering these events all started with the exhibition of our Vancouver based artist, Judy Villett’s exhibition, “Colours of Canada” in late December, 2017. I rushed to see Judy’s textile art exhibition in late December last year, a few days before the exhibition was to be closed. A fine example of Canadian social art!
I called my good Taiwanese Canadian friends who are interested in music and art to see if they would like to go with me to see Judy’s exhibition. They knew nothing about it but they were delighted to join me at the exhibition at Place des Arts in Coquitlam. We all went together to see the exhibition the next day.
At the exhibition, my Taiwanese Canadian friends told me just by chance that their friends in Artistic Studio LaLaLa (Tokyo), a Japanese social art organization approached them to help introduce their work in Canada, Vancouver in this case. The LaLaLa has already visited many countries in the world to promote peace following the tsunami and the nuclear disaster in 2011. Having been often involved in international cultural projects, I immediately suggested that we should all help bring this important art and music public event to Vancouver, to which my good Taiwanese Canadian friends and Judy said “Yes, let’s!” The timing presented us a challenge, as the LaLaLa with its principle individuals, music and art producer, Eriko Shiomi, and a well known clarinetist and music educator, Keiichi Hashizume, were already planning to come to Vancouver this March. We felt this is a significant starting relationship with them for Vancouver, so we started working on its presentation in our city on March 7, 8, and 9.
Personally speaking, I feel privileged to have good Taiwanese friends in our community who are interested in Japan. Japan and Taiwan has most of the time had a mutually helping and enriching history unlike Japan’s negative history with other Asian countries. Taiwan quickly came to assist Japan’s recovery from the great earthquake/tsunami catastrophe of 7 years ago. Taiwan raised over twenty billion Yen (nearly $250 million) for Japan’s recovery that time. Japan has also come to rescue Taiwan quickly whenever disasters hit the country. There is a mutual appreciation of each other.
Connections with Japan
By Judy Villett
The terrible earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan in 2011 felt close to me in several ways. I have visited Japan and have great respect for the visual arts and crafts there, forming friendships with textile artists there. As well, a close family friend was teaching school in a town near Fukushima in 2011. He survived, moving inland with his fiancé’s family. He kept us informed during and after the tsunami. Finally, one of my sons lived and worked in Japan for several years. We followed the whole event with horror and helplessness from Canada, and are still very concerned with the nuclear plant and the fact that radiation from it has caused Japanese friends to leave Tokyo and avoid the whole area. There are unknown consequences still affecting the ocean.
I was elated with the opportunity that arose via Tama Copithorne, a friend from the UCV Book Group, and her friend, Cecilia Cheuh. Through their musical/choir connections, we are able to help present a workshop using some of the rescued kimono fabrics…..a chance for me to take part, even this long after the event.
Helping Eriko Shiomi from Tokyo with her workshop gives me a chance to handle the precious relics and help create something meaningful and symbolic with them. There will be a direct connection as the work goes back to Japan.
I look forward to learning more about the catastrophe and Erico’s use of larger pieces of fabric to make original garments to sell as a fundraiser to replace musical instruments for children.
I will donate my time and some of my own fabrics as well as iron-on/fusible webbing for those people who don’t sew to help them make simple fabric collages.
I am looking forward to the speakers and world-class music. I have already learned about the strong connection between Taiwan and Japan from Tama and Cecilia, and feel privileged to be part of the world community supporting the survivors.
For those of you who attended the Friday February 16 Wild Salmon Event and for those of you who couldn’t make it, here is the link to the video of the event.
If you would like to donate, click on the Maya’xala xan’s Awinakola (“Respect Our Environment”) website and go to the How You Can Help page.
http://respectourenvironment.com/
The Respect Our Environment organizers request that you comment that the donation is in relation to the Feb 16 Wild Salmon event so they can split the donation between the Musgamagw Dzawadaneux group and the ‘Namgis Mamalilikala group. They are two different nations who are occupying different fish farms in their 2 territories.
Make an ATC (Artist Trading Card) of a chalice (and then trade).
Participate in a free-wheeling discussion about the kids takeover in various groups. Be a bee or a butterfly–flit from one table to another or land on a topic and hang out there.
Hosts at each table will encourage brainstorming around: what would it look like if kids took over:
Buildings and Grounds
Sunday morning
Dinners and lunches at UCV (Messy church plus)
What would the ground rules be?
Send suggested topics to the Kids Takeover Team or show up with your topic.
We have a budget for art supplies and desert. Is there someone who could arrange the pie and ice cream for 1:20pm?
More about Kids Take Over
Inspired by Kids Takeover UBC (who in turn were inspired by Britain’s Arts and Culture Kids Takeover), I am starting an initiative (with Arts Committee support) to plan an Arts Festival for next fall or the following spring (depending on interest and offers from other UCVers).
Liam attended the Kids Takeover UBC event with his family.
There’s a great start for a committee: Liam and Noella two of our coming-of-agers have joined up.
Looking for a young adult and a parent/guardian of one or more babies (to represent their babies).
You’re probably wondering whether “takeover” is one word or two: The answer is both. Takeover is a noun; take over is the verb.
Are you a kid?
What would you like to take over at UCV?
Lunches?
“coffee” hour?
the Sunday service?
Book Group?
Forum?
Gardens?
Sidewalks?
Website?
Signs?
Tell us! We want to hear! We could create a Kids Manifesto.
Some photos of Kids Takeover UBC from their facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/events/2087351434828549/
Here’s some of their description:
For too long, UBC has been run by adults. It’s time for kids to rule at this fun-filled arts festival for kids and families.
Celebrate Family Day weekend by bringing your entire family to UBC on Sunday, February 11 from 10am to 5pm for a day where kids and youth will be given meaningful roles, working alongside staff and volunteers to participate in the life of arts and culture. Takeover Day, first launched in the UK, is a celebration of children and young people’s contributions to museums, galleries, arts organizations, archives and heritage sites.
Some links:
A humorous (I think) article from the Ubyssey about what could go wrong.
Here’s a sample letter from young people to an organization–or perhaps at UCV it would be adapted towards a particular individual, committee or team.
[The address of the organisation you’re writing to goes here on the left, above the main letter]
Dear ,
[The name of your school or group] would like to invite you to be a part of our Takeover Challenge from Friday 24 November 2017. This year Takeover Challenge can happen any time, any day over the year so there are plenty of chances to get involved in the biggest takeover in England.
The event gives young people the chance to ‘takeover’ organisations for a day. They get to experience what it’s like to be in a real work environment, taking on responsibility and being a part of the decision making process. This year the project is asking organisations to think about how they can extend their Takeover for more than a day.
Organisations benefit too, gaining new ideas, insight and creativity to improve their services as well as the chance to show their commitment to listening to children and young people. Organisations across every sector and of any size can take part – it’s a flexible event which can be tailored to suit your needs.
[The name of your school or group] chose to invite your organisation to take part because [here you can explain why the organisation was chosen. Is it because they work with young people and you wanted to have a say? Is it because you’re interested in what the organisation does and wanted to learn more about it? Try to give a few reasons and a lot of detail so they really understand why you have approached them]
If you were willing to let us take over for the day we would like to [now explain what you would like to do on the day. How many young people want to take part? Who do they want to work with? What decisions do they want to influence?]
We would be glad to discuss alternatives with you if any of the above isn’t possible.
In previous years Commissioner’s Takeover has been a big success, with hundreds of organisations and thousands of young people getting involved, having fun, learning new skills and exercising their right to speak up on the issues that affect them. With the help of [the name of their organisation] we hope we can make
2017-18 the most successful Takeover yet!
As well as giving young people a valuable experience, Takeover Challenge is a great opportunity to gain publicity and show that [the name of their organisation] is one that takes on challenges and cares about young peoples’ right to have a say in the decisions that affect them. [Is there anything else you can list here that might help convince the organisation to get involved?]
We hope you will consider this invitation and look forward to hearing from you soon.
On Sunday, January 28, Mary Bennett and Keith Wilkinson will do an artists’ talk at 12:30 in the Fireside Room about the 32 geometric signs found in ice-age caves in Europe and how learning about this inspired their visual art (Mary) and poetry (Keith.)
Each of them will talk about their own creative process, both the long term of how they began to create art and identify as artists as well as more recently how this particular project evolved.
Recently they published their chapbook with two poems (haiku) and one mixed-media painting selected for each of the 32 geometric signs. This is the second booklet they’ve produced, the first being “Incubating Poetry” combining Mary’s paintings inspired by birds’ nests and Keith’s poetry.
Books will be available for sale at $10 each at the talk for those who wish to purchase.
One Saturday morning while still in bed, I heard Genevieve von Petzinger being interviewed on CBC’s North by Northwest. I was “between series”, although my recent mixed-media pieces I had named “sign posts” because most included some kind of text or numeric symbol. I was playing with the phrase “it may be a sign”. So I sat up in bed and thought: Now that may indeed be a sign!
So I just slightly shifted my artwork focus to these specific 32 geometric signs. I’m not a graphic artist, and more than one person had already made graphic representations of the signs. Nor am I a photographer, and Genevieve’s husband has done some photographs of the signs. So I searched for how I responded. After reading her book, and watching her TED talk more than once, my focus was on trying to capture the feeling of entering a cave and seeing these evocative and stirring marks for the first time.
Keith Wilkinson – Poems
Haiku immediately felt to me like the best verbal response to these ice-age signs. When combined with images, haiku becomes the related form haibun, so this would become a book of haibun, joining images and words to express thought, feeling, and wonder; immediate, past, and ultimate; the natural world and intimations of worlds unknown.
I wrote my haiku first in response to the graphic rendering of the cave signs in von Petzinger’s publications. After that, I looked at the images Mary had produced in response to the same signs and reoriented the haiku toward those. I let these rest for awhile again and in a final series of edits disconnected the haiku from their ancient and modern “sister works” and let them move independently without direct reference to their origins or influences. So if the haiku seem to wander off base, this is why. It was a kind of triple-distillation process: response, adjustment, release—all circling around unexplained mysteries. And that is the spirit I tried to be open to—touching what couldn’t be said.
from Kiersten Moore, Director of Children and Youth Programs
Every Sunday we close our worship with a benediction to Carry the Flame of Peace and Love until we meet again. You are invited to sign-up to light our Chalice one Sunday and receive the Chalice Basket in return. It contains a chalice, a journal, and books with meditations, readings, and Unitarian celebration ideas to carry the spirit of our church and principles through the week. All we ask is that you return the basket to church the following Sunday for the next person or family to receive! Every family and individual member is encouraged to receive the basket at least one Sunday during the year. The journal is meant to be a congregational conversation on each of our experiences or thoughts on being Unitarian through the week.
Why receive the basket?
Taking time to reflect, read, and write, or even simply to light the Chalice once a day, helps to connect us more fully as a Unitarians.
You may already have spiritual practices that give you a moment of calm or encourage you to reflect in the moment. Receiving the Chalice Basket can bring a sense of community or connection to your practice for the week.
You may be wondering how to share Unitarian practice with family at home, or how to create ritual or a moment of mindfulness, or what a Unitarian practice through the week might look like. There are books in the basket chosen to give you some ideas.
Please sign-up on the website volunteer page to light our Chalice and receive the Chalice Basket, and remember to return it to service the following Sunday.
As part of our annual Women’s Gathering, Aline LaFlamme led a drumming workshop.
We learned three songs: Four Directions; Strong Woman and Gratitude songs. I, for one, hope to get a chance to sing and drum to these songs again. Like several other women in the workshop, I’d brought a drum I’d bought some years ago and very rarely used. Now it’s out, it wants to come out and play more often. We were told that all three songs are public songs and we are invited to sing and drum them any time.
The workshop was from 1 to 4 pm and Aline came back to join in the potluck dinner and also lead an opening round dance when we started the circle dance part of the evening.
7 Natural Ways of Healing
Aline tells us there are seven natural ways of healing that we can all use any time to help ourselves: talking, crying, screaming, singing, laughing, shaking and.. dancing! Let it be a dance!
Aline and her group Daughters of the Drum led the recent March On – Vancouver march on January 20. She welcomed all to join her and the group at the start of the march.
Margo Elfert and Tamiko Suzuki of UCV are members of Aline’s group and would enjoy having other Unitarians join the march with them. The group includes both aboriginal and settler members.
Margo is exploring with Aline the idea of a monthly drum circle at UCV. Contact Margo if you’d be interested in joining in.
Here are youtube links for two of the songs we learned.
When was the last time you had a thoughtful and fun conversation about sexuality? Remember your high school sex education? Ugh! Society is highly sexualized today and yet people don’t REALLY understand sexuality and this robs them of deeper fulfillment. Our UU values, through the Our Whole Lives program (OWL), give us a unique opportunity to take a holistic look at sexuality so that we can enhance self-knowledge, clarify our values and understand our boundaries. This workshop also helps participants:
guide their kids/grandkids towards healthy sexual relationships,
increase physical and mental well-being as you age, and
have greater confidence to positively impact societal issues in this area.
No, you won’t have to talk about your sex life, nor hear about mine! Join a safe, non-judgmental group for exploration where you will learn as much from the other participants as you will from the facilitators.
Introductory session: Friday February 2, 2018 7:00 to 9:30 PM.
One day Mini Adult OWL Workshop: Saturday February 17, 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Love, Hope and New Life is a three-day arts and music event at the Unitarian Church marking the 7th anniversary of a great natural catastrophe and human tragedy of March 11, 2011 in Eastern Honshu in Japan (The Fukushima area).
By Judy Villett
Are you a kid?
Why receive the basket?
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