Intergenerational Cultural Exchange

From CFI

Cultures and cultural traditions are quickly disappearing around the world. Our mission is to bring elders and youth, and particularly women from different cultures and economic backgrounds together to foster understanding and cooperation through the teaching and performing of traditional and contemporary dance, music, and theater with an added component of visual and fine arts.

Areas of Program Emphasis include:

• Zimbabwean Cultural Arts Exchange.

• Movement Vocabulary using the work of Joanna Macy in an intergenerational setting.

• Native American Elder and youth autobiographical storytelling incorporating indigenous dance, contemporary dance, and performing arts.

Zimbabwean Cultural Arts Exchange Project: The Zimbabwean government’s practices have turned what was once one of the wealthiest nations in Africa into a pauper nation, with unemployment now reported to be over eighty percent and the United Nations predicting that the economy of Zimbabwe could grind to a complete halt by the end of this year (2007). In a country forgotten by most of the World, where life expectancy for men is 37 years and for women, 34 years, the creation of life enhancing economic opportunities is crucial for Elders and youth.

For thousands of years, musicians, dancers, instrument makers, and visual artists passed down traditional methods from teacher to student. Those traditions helped to create an economy which was self-sustaining and produced a surplus of quality goods. However, due to the current political and economic conditions in Zimbabwe, traditional musicians and dancers are unable to survive through teaching and performing. Crafts people also find it difficult to make a living and pass down their knowledge since there is no market for quality crafted traditional instruments like the mbira and marimba and even accomplished musicians may not own one due to the high cost of the raw materials needed to construct them.

Food production, which was once stable and produced a surplus, is now beset by poor government practices and drought (believed to be a consequence of global climate change). With the inflation rate rising over 500 % per day, goods are horrendously expensive and there is little food in the marketplaces, making the situation very grave. As one friend recently put it in an e-mail from Zimbabwe “People we know are starving.”

This project is designed to create economic and artistic opportunities for intergenerational musicians, dancers and artists by bringing them here to the U.S. to teach and perform. Bringing representatives of Shona and Ndebele culture here would allow us to create awareness of the significance of their traditions and of the plight of the peoples of Zimbabwe. As well, Zimbabweans would appreciate the opportunity to engage in cultural exchange. Needless to say the money earned by these artists has a significant impact on the lives of their families and can often support a family for a year.

The chance for Zimbabwean artists to teach and collaborate with American artists, dancers, and musicians helps to create mutual learning experiences for everyone, which often leads to Americans visiting Zimbabwe for extended stays. This allows for the passing on of knowledge in a cultural setting, reinforcing the importance of traditional activities in society. When Americans live with Zimbabwean families they also help to support the families financially and create a market for their music or goods.

In addition, the interplay and exchange between Elders and youth establishes a dynamic whereby youth see their Elders in a new light; one of appreciation of their skills by peers from a different society. The ability to make a living from one’s passion also re-enforces for youth the importance of gaining the requisite skills and maintaining the traditions.

Monies raised in our efforts are used for Education and Outreach and also to support bringing artists here to the U.S. on tour and to teach. Our tour goal for 2008 includes bringing Irene Chigamba and her group, Mhembero, a 6 member troupe of drummers, marimba players and 2 outstanding young dancers who have performed throughout S. Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique. Irene is one of the few highly accomplished traditional mbira players in the country and is the former director of the National Dance Company of Zimbabwe. Their stay will include workshops and concerts in the S.F. bay area, Northern California, Oregon and Washington.

This project also has an Immediate Needs Fund, which allows for people to make donations on line. This money will be used to assist artists identified as having immediate critical needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, raw materials for creating crafts, or schooling. One hundred dollars will enable a musician or mbira maker to put a roof on her home; fifty dollars allows us to buy quality metal files for mbira makers and twenty-five dollars will pay for a young persons schooling for a year. Of course, food is the most critical need.

Please support our work!

ICE- C/O Julie Drucker

P.O. Box 438

Albion, CA. 95410-0438

ICE(at)pacific.net

510- 286-7920.

Make donations out to Cloud Forest Institute and write ICE in the memo field.