Theatre Night! Friday May 2nd! Watching Glory Die....World Premiere! Readings!

Hi everyone,

I trust you are enjoying some breathing space! I thought I would let you know what we are doing the first week-end, and send some readings that will support our discussions.

FRIDAY, May 2
We are going to the theatre Friday May 2nd, Cultch, East Vancouver! 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, BC (1 block east of Commercial Drive). 

I have been working on our field trips, and I have just leaned that playwright Judith Thompson is starring in Watching Glory Die which is at the Cultch Theatre in East Vancouver. Judith and I studied together at Queen’s University. She went on to fame and fortune (including 2 Governor General awards) and I?....well, ummm…here we are. 

Watching Glory Die is a perfect catalyst for our work together this semester.

I have set aside tickets for us to pick up at the box office under my name- we have a group rate of $20. We have excellent seats in the orchestra.

Please arrive by 4:30. Parking is on the street. At 5pm, the executive director, Heather Redfern, will host a talk with us about how the Cultch designs their programs and attends to audience. We will meet in the lobby of the theatre, and the talk will be held in the Founders' Lounge, the small lounge adjacent to the theatre.

Judith's play brings critical issues of mental health, institutional practices to the table for us to explore. The play, which investigates a difficult story of the relationship and actions of a young prisoner, her mother and a prison guard.This play will be difficult to watch, the play has mature content and coarse language: which due to the topic, based on real events, is not unexpected.

I am interested in exploring with you the role of the arts in addressing issues of health education; arts for social change, and the responsibility of institutions to create environments and programs with which to respond to community and individual needs. Judith is one of Canada’s top playwrights, and we are so lucky to see her performing in her play. Judith also did a play for DOVE, called BODY & SOUL that explores women’s conceptions of their bodies.

SATURDAY, May 3
I have been involved in the past 9 years in research projects with women who have been incarcerated in prison. Currently I am involved in advising on the writing of a handbook manual regrading a research project on cancer (early screening and prevention) for individuals who have incarceration experience. On Saturday, May 3rd, in Surrey, we will have two guest speakers, Debra Hanberg and Renee Turner from the research program who will share with us their experience of the design, development and implementation of a cancer-focused health education program with women and men who have been formerly incarcerated. Debra and Renee will be coming to the theatre, so you’ll have a chance to meet with them.

I will bring sending another email in the near future about our other field trips.

Readings:
Along with the Little Prince, here are the readings for our first week-end together. Three of these articles is based on the research I have been involved with women who have been formerly incarcerated, and speak to the theories and practices embodied within the participatory action research. The invitation is to read these articles keeping in mind your own practices and focus of research.

The other two pieces will be the theoretical pieces that underpin our work this semester: The URL is for Coming into Presence by Fels, which really is the heart of who I am, what matters, and the scholars and educators who walk with me. Living Inquiry will also inform our work: think about Place, Time, Language, Self/Other in terms of our focus for our first week-end together. These two articles, we will refer to throughout our time together. I will send further readings for the week-ends following as the course unfolds.

I’m really excited how this course is unfolding, and looking forward to journeying with you in the next two months! I am also arranging for a field to the Vancouver Art Gallery to see A Terrible Beauty by photographer Edward Burtynsky. I would also like to arrange a field trip to a senior citizens’ residence. If someone has a contact name and number with a senior citizen’s residence in Surrey, who would be willing to show us their facilities, and speak to us about their programming and challenges, that would be helpful.

See you at the theatre! 

Lynn

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HEALers! Please find your readings attached in the email you received by Dr. Fels. Due to potential copyright issues, I am unable to publicly post them here on the blog. At the end of her email, Dr. Fels included this link to one of her pieces: Coming into Presence: The Unfolding of a Moment. Also, here is a pdf of The Little Prince.

Cheers!

Jacqueline