Garden of Fire 2017

We have celebrated the Garden of Fire Festival previously, but this year was certainly memorable.  Although this summer was mostly a rainy washout, the weather was on our side COMPLETELY for this festival! Rain fell before the event began and there was a MAJOR downpour just after I packed up my supplies, but not a drop while we played outdoors.

Let the Festival Begin

Members of the Corning Native American Council led the opening ceremony with chants of unity, health, and happiness.  There were nearly 400 people from 6 area youth agencies on premises to enjoy this experience.  The purpose of this festival is to celebrate six weeks of art education with an "earth" theme.

Earthy Centerpiece

The crowd congregated around the Three Sisters sculpture made of glass and metal.  Three artists collaborated to create this permanent fixture at Care First in Coopers Plains.  Mud was used this year to add an earth element by means of a sculpture of the Sky Woman, an Iroquois Creation Story.  Students worked under the direction of artists to create the work, but had their own voice to develop the depiction.

Paint Earth's Elements

This activity packed celebration offered treats in every corner of the property.  Several organizations participated to create a variety of options.  There were canvases for collaborative representations of the earth's elements.  The Food Bank of the Southern Tier offered a mobile farmers market and every child got to fill a bag with fresh vegetables.  

The Southeast Steuben County Library provided two separate activities.

harp & heART

Maryalice brought her harp to offer some "Music and Creativity."  She played songs of varying tempo and beat.  Students were asked to use different types of drawing media to let the music dictate their imagery.  

"Nancy" on the Road

My Giant Knitting Nancy loom made another appearance this year.  I brought this loom to the first Garden of Fire festival in 2013, but many of the kids who wove on it then are now in college.  Ironically, the kids who used the loom this year turned it into a game.  Kids entered the end of the weaving, shimmied toward the center of the loom, then hit it in reverse to exit the weaving.  I have taken this loom to several events and this has never happened. 

A knitting nancy or ned was used historically to create woven tubing.  Items such as fishing nets, stockings, and socks were made with these looms, but I wanted to demonstrate to students that they can produce similar creations using their own fingers.  

Patience is Important

Providing a photo tutorial was intended to help guide the students to learn on their own, but I discovered that the festival atmosphere had each kid on activity overload.  

Calming Activity

Finger weaving or knitting creates tubing with versatile uses.  Headbands, belts, bracelets and necklaces were the options to make, depending upon time and patience.

Nimble Fingers

Some students grasped this technique and made long rope!

Quick and Simple

With limited time to learn and create, a few kids created bracelets, which only took 5 minutes to make.

Try and Try Again

Some adult students had the hardest time grasping the technique to this weaving process.  

Quick Learners

Some students quickly learned the technique, then shared their knowledge, allowing me a lunch break.

Festival's End

To end the festival, everyone gathered for a closing ceremony.  The Corning Native American Council along with some magnificent drummers led chants and songs, students recited poetry and team administrators thanked everyone for a wonderful event.

It was a joy to be part of such a magnificent youth program in my community.

I wonder what the theme will be in 2018.

For more information on Garden of Fire, visit:

https://gardenoffire.com/blog/

Check back soon for coverage of the week-long Theatre Camp with Centre Stage Community Theatre.

Thanks for visiting!

~erica

Theater Camp

Theater Camp was the last week in August>>> the final stages of Summer Vacation.  Through arrangement with Kim Canale and Centre Stage Community Theatre, we planned a week of theater games and activities, which culminated in a library themed play at the end of the program series.

"Run, walk, skip or hop"- the group practicing a special song

The first day of camp was covered by Kimberly Canale, a publicity agent and director (among other roles) with Centre Stage Community Theater.  I arrived the second day of the program and was treated to a special song, written just for the library theater camp.  This song is TOP SECRET (ok, you may have heard some of it or will in a video here or there, but THAT'S IT!)

Games were aplenty all week.  Having a room packed with teens and tweens requires lots of activities to keep the excitement going.  "Pretend" was the basis of the games, just like the one shown below.  "Pretend you are stiff as a board.  You are a block of wood.  You have no muscles, no heart beat, and you cannot move until I, the Magic Fairy, grant you life," was the role Kim gave these exuberant participants.

"You are a block of wood."

I collected unusual items throughout the library to use as props.  The kids were instructed to use the items in unconventional ways and act with them so that others could guess what the item is supposed to be.  This happened to be the all around favorite game--ALL WEEK. 

"That's not a squash, it's a golf club."

Kim suggested a game where participants paired up to act off of each other, like a mirror. This was quite the experience to view in person.  

Script reading was a big part of Theater Camp.  We needed to assign parts for our play and understand who really liked to read out loud and who like to be or hold props.  Luckily this was an easy task.  Each participant voiced their choice of roles and everyone was happy.

Script reading is serious stuff!

We read from Zany Fractured Tales and Plays, which is hilarious at any age!  Each person got to practice with these plays before they hit the big time by acting out the play written especially for this program.

Before I go any further, this tease is necessary.  You will receive no more details about this wonderful program unless you attend the Southeast Steuben County Library's 15th Birthday Party on Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 5-8 pm.  

At 6 pm that evening, the World Premier of our special library play will air for the first time ever.  The actors in the play do not know how they look while acting.  Parents of these actors have not seen the play.  The entire week is somewhat of a mystery to family and friends of these actors and we want to keep it that way!

Much gratitude and appreciation is owed to Kimberly Canale and Centre Stage Community Theatre.  Kim and her volunteers worked tirelessly each day of our camp to produce a fun and fulfilling program for teens and tweens.  The play that Kim wrote is specific to our library history and holds an important message to viewers of all ages.  Please spread the word and save the date to screen our Theater Workshop World Premier.  Bring the family!

.........Ok, just one little sneak preview of our fabulous actors.  

Give them a round of applause!

That's all for now.  Check back soon for more exciting adventures in Young Adult world at the Southeast Steuben County Library.

Thanks for stopping by,

erica