- an intercultural music workshop directed by Amanta Scott
for Tamil, Bengali, Chinese and English-speaking seniors, hosted by Harmony Hall Centre for Seniors.
WeavingSongs II
WeavingSongs I was such a success that Harmony Hall Centre for Seniors funded a second workshop entitled WeavingSongs II, hired Amanta Scott to direct the project and presented three public performances, one of which was at Pacific Mall, Toronto.
2010
WeavingSongs
This process-oriented Syncretic Art workshop directed by Amanta Scott was originally designed for Burmese/Karen refugees and immigrants seeking to facilitate integration into Canadian Society through the arts.
The workshop evolved in two stages and drew a greater range of participants than originally imagined: refugees, immigrants and internally displaced persons from Burma, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, India, Ethiopia, China and Canada.
WeavingSongs I - Stage Two took place at Harmony Hall Centre for Seniors and culminated in a public performance which was attended by an audience of 130 people. Check out the Stage Two photo gallery on this page.
In these sessions participants:
• learned four songs in four languages
• performed four songs in four languages
• integrated music and traditional dance movements
• explored language and meaning through the discussion of lyrics
• discussed the symbolic meaning of the song lyrics and the relevance of the song message to each culture.
For example, a Bengali participant was discussing a popular Tamil song with the group: Vaala Ninaithal Vaalalaam - translated as “You can live if you want to live”. For this participant, the song spoke about summoning up the determination to leave Bengal and come to Canada and build a better life. “Very philosophical” remarked one of the Chinese participants.
• built bridges in the community and cultivated cross-cultural understanding and respect for one another.
• The group also selected and sang the 2008 Beijing Olympic song which concludes “we are family”. Photographs from our culminating public performance show without question, we built a warm and inclusive family in this project.
WeavingSongs
(stage two)
WeavingSongs workshop
directed by Amanta Scott
March - May 2010
Harmony Hall
2 Gower Street, Toronto
WeavingSongs has been made possible thanks to the generous support of:
and
WeavingSongs I - Stage Two - Photo Gallery
Stage One took place at the Ethiopian Association in the GTA. Check out the Stage One photo gallery on this page.
Many thanks are due to our First Nation Elders: Jimmy Dick and Marie Gaudet; Ethiopian singer: Martha Ashagari, and Burmese translator: LerWah Lobo who gave generously of their time and energy to share songs, proverbs and explain the teachings of their cultures.
We are also extremely grateful to volunteer photographers: Lavanya Balasubramanian from Saudia Arabia; Helena Pijou, from Sweden; and Kathy Threlkdeld, from Nova Scotia, who collectively captured some very interesting moments.
In these sessions participants:
• exchanged and learned key words in each others’ languages
• learned about the history, geography and society of each others’ countries of origin
• performed songs significant to each of their cultures for the group
• discussed the meaning of the songs with the group
• demonstrated traditional dances
• shared examples of traditional costumes and textile design
• discussed significance of traditional designs, colours and symbols in textiles
• compared and exchanged cultural proverbs
• explored beliefs and folk wisdom through exchange of cultural proverbs and wise sayings
• shared stories of their journeys around the world
• built bridges between communities and cultivated cross-cultural understanding
