ART IN AID OF HUMANITY
The Humanities are a big part of advancing humanity. And they are particularly important for children to learn. There is both scientific and economic evidence to support this.
Yet somehow lately, governments and institutions lean towards cutting Humanities programs -- feeling somehow that they are expendable.
Today, we share one beautiful example of how an art program has made a world of difference. And we share a film that speaks passionately about the vital need for Humanities in our schools and our lives.
LALELA PROJECT
Lalela Project provides educational arts to youth affected by extreme poverty, sparking creative thinking and awakening the entrepreneurial spirit.
The organization, based in the Western Cape, South Africa, serves children living in extreme poverty and at high risk.
The Lalela Project is based on the belief that Imagination, Activation, Collaboration, and Transformation (I ACT) is made possible through Ideas, Art, and Music (I AM).
Art is a powerful universal language that allows us to break through cultural and communication barriers, and open our hearts and minds to the hopes and challenges that connect us all.
The Lalela Project is all about exchanging ideas, art, and music as a way to listen to one another, and understand how to make the world better, together.
Lalela Project founder, Andrea Kerzner, was inspired to develop programs that focus on the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of children. And she saw the arts as key to these initiatives.
The word “lalela” means “to listen” in Zulu. By listening to children’s individual stories, and understanding their communities’ needs, Lalela Project helps to create positive change through the global exchange of ideas, art, and music.
The children who Lalela Project serves have it tougher than most. Every day, they are faced with the effects of extreme poverty, crime, gang violence, HIV AIDS, and abuse. Unemployment for those under 25 now at 65%. The odds are hugely stacked against them.
Lalela Project introduces the arts to these kids at age of six -- developing their imagination in safe spaces, enabling freer thinking, and bigger dreams. They deliver year-round arts education and leadership workshops. And, the organization helps to nurture life-skills, right up through high school, so these kids can make their dreams realities.
"Lalela Project has helped me dream up a new person in me." Anthony, age 15.
"I want to be a job maker, not a job taker." Melikhaya, age 16
Lalala Project has already demonstrated success. The kids that come out of their program have a 95% graduation success rate vs 56% for other kids in their communities. And that’s a very beautiful thing!
Lalela Project helps the kids to find stable career paths.
They partner with organizations that expose the students to cultural experiences, and with corporations that provide internship opportunities. Through life skills training and the power of the arts, Lalela Project helps these kids from kindergarten until they enter the job market as capable and creative adults.
Some recent large scale initiatives include a Lalela Project partnership with the David Rattray Foundation to bring an arts curriculum to children in rural Kwazulu Natal, and . construction of Lalela Project’s I AM Peace Center for the Arts on the campus of Hope North, a living and learning community centre for former child soldiers, orphans, and other vulnerable children in Northern Uganda.
To learn more, please visit Lalela Project and watch their video. And check them out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER: A FILM
On June 19, 2013, the Academy of Arts and Science Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences released its report, The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a vibrant, competitive, and secure nation.
The report was in response to a bipartisan request by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Representatives Tom Petri (R-Wis.) and David Price (D-N.C.) to identify the top most critical actions to be taken by Congress, state governments, universities, and foundations to maintain national excellence in humanities and social science scholarship, as well as to achieve long-term national goals of intellectual and economic well-being, a stronger civil society, and successful cultural diplomacy.
The Heart of the Matter film was produced by 41 scholars, scientists, philanthropists, artists, and business and cultural leaders. It features appearences by Ken Burns, Yo-Yo Ma, and John Lithgow, among others.
The film makes the very strong case that the Humanities are a critical part of our humanity, a keystone to our society, and ultimately critical to our survival as a species. History, languages, literature and ethics are as essential to a competitive workforce and informed citizenry as competency in engineering, science, and technology.
Read more about Beautiful Humanity, it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact including Beautiful Humanity in Books & Film, New Ideas About Humanity’s Origins, 10 Foods From Humanity’s Dawn, Humanity: New Portraits & Homes, On the Road to Beautiful Humanity, and Painting the Heart of Humanity.
Enter this week’s BN Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Humanity. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 03.09.14.
PHOTO CREDITS
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project. Children involved in the Lalela project.
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Courtesy of Supernews. David Kramer shaking hands with student of Lalela.
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Courtesy of The Chance Muse. Artists from the Lalela project as part of the Art of Jazz.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project. Shoshloza 2013.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
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Courtesy of the Heart of the Matter film.
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Courtesy of NEH. Humanities at the heart of a nation’s goals.
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Courtesy of the Lalela Project.
