We will transform the space next to the gazebo on the island in Victoria Park into an open area of circus arts exploration. Aerial silks and rings will hang from the large tree in the middle of the area with safety mats underneath (we have previously put both of these up with much success). Gym mats will cover part of the grass, offering opportunity for acrobatic exploration, yoga and movement arts. Circus props such as juggling equipment, hula hoops, unicycles and numerous other types of circus props (i.e. poi, staffs, fans) would also be available to explore. A slackline might also be suspended between 2 trees. A chalkboard welcome sign explaining and encouraging curious exploration and play for the public will welcome passerbys. The chalkboard will also list specific circus skill classes that would run weekly (i.e. an intro to hula hooping class or learning a three ball juggling cascade). Music will also play from a Bluetooth speaker throughout the evening and blankets would be available for lounging and relaxing, along with healthy vegan snacks available for everyone (i.e. fruits, granola bars). Once the sun goes down, the area would be lit by battery powered LED strands and fairy lights, and there will be ambient music until the park closes for the night.

Given the wide skill and range of circus props we have available, our project offers opportunity for anyone, of any age to come, explore and potentially pick up a new skill among a group of supportive like-minded individuals. From a 68 year old couple walking by deciding to try their hand at learning a beginner juggling trick, to young children picking up hula hoops and spinning around, to differently abled people being assisted through their first acrobatic yoga moves, supported by a team of spotters, there is plentiful opportunity for individuals, families and people of all walks of life to engage in safe play.

Congratulations to KW MAY DAY 2019!

From the event page:

Join us in the park and in the streets!

Wednesday, May 1st, 4:30 pm
Victoria Park clock tower
Potluck, performances, speeches, activities. Family friendly.
March to follow at 7 pm

Join us Wednesday, May 1st for our second annual May Day community gathering, to shake off the icy winds of winter, celebrate the coming of spring, and remember once again what it means to be resilient, radical, and rejuvenated!  Let’s gather to share our stories, our grief and our joy, and to reimagine and remember what we want and need in this world!

In this space we can feast, create, dance, celebrate, and resist, while we continue to build connections with ourselves, one another, and the land.

Our goal is to create an event that is inclusive and free to everyone; grounded in mutual aid, voluntary participation, and personal/collective autonomy, without authority. We’re dreaming up a fierce, fun, family friendly event, with diverse activities and a potluck in the park, followed by a most marvelous march. Let’s put our dreams into action together!

Update:
The instruments were delivered to House of Friendship Day Treatment centre on Friday, where Lucas demonstrated the instruments for several of the employees. He felt having both instruments at House of Friendship was best because of the interactive nature of having 2 players play together and also given that the instruments will be used more frequently and be better taken care of in this location.

They will be available to sign out by anyone who works at House of Friendship to use at any of the programs. Courtney Harris, the music therapist who works at several of the shelters and day treatment centre will be using them on a fairly regular basis.

At the supportive housing program Coffee House on May 7, Lucas will be bringing a bunch of koras and other instruments for participants to use.

Thank you for making this dream come true!

Congratulations to Lena and her organization Beecuz!

Beecuz is a youth-led organization that seeks to develop a future generation of passionate, confident and compassionate people by inspiring critical and creative thinking through education, awareness and design.

We believe that everyone has an inherent talent, an authentic personality and the potential to succeed, even if it comes in a unique form. Beecuz uses education, awareness and design to provoke thought and discussion around current social standards while establishing self-efficacy and self-compassion.

Congratulations, Brenda!

2Serve is a non profit organization that does outreach projects for the community of Waterloo Region. They have seasonal and ongoing projects feeding and assisting people in need.  Please consider checking out and contributing to her good work at 2Serve.

Congratulations to Grace at gracefulbricks.wordpress.com who is January’s winner!  She’s planning a great event to showcase many international and local Lego artists such as herself and create more knowledge and dialogue around mental health.  Good luck Grace, we look forward to attending what will surely be an awesome event!

From its humble beginnings in 1964 CKMS has gone through many ups and downs, but has always provided an important voice for the community.  They are this month’s deserving winner of our KW Awesome Foundation grant.  Set your dial to 102.7 FM to listen to an awesome and diverse line up of shows!  Congratulations and thanks for making KW awesome!  http://radiowaterloo.ca/listen/

The Region of Waterloo has a country side boundary line (see map: http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regionalGovernment/resources/ROPMap7new.pdf) that it created to protect farmland and sensitive environmental areas. This line faces regular challenges from housing developers looking to create new suburbs. The last time that the line was challenged, the Region was forced to push the boundary line back.

To protect the country side boundary line it is important to embed it in the culture of our community by building awareness of both the existence of the boundary line, and its significance for the sustainable development of Waterloo Region. So let’s have a party that celebrates the boundary line and all that it gives us!

This summer, we will be hosting Waterloo City Limits, a bike and folk music festival just past the St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market at the Waterloo Rod & Gun Club.

Here’s how it will work:

Cycling: The circumference of the boundary line is approximately 120km. The day will start with cyclists having a friendly & fun ride that (as much as possible) follows the line.

Activities: Back at the Rod & Gun Club, bike tuneups will be offered, a course will be setup to teach safe biking skills to kids, and local sustainability & cycling groups will have booths for those looking to engage beyond this day.

Food: Super tasty locally-sourced food will be available.

Folk: Richard Garvey is a great local musician who has put on a small folk fest the last few years with other local artists. Richard will be hosting a local folk music fest at the Rod & Gun Club to welcome cyclists as they ride in and engage attendees who aren’t cycling.

Cyclists & attendees will be invited to donate a suggested amount, and food will be sold at accessible prices. Local craft beer will also be sold. Profits will seed a boundary line action fund to pay expenses of local NGOs if they need to defend the boundary line in future.

Founded in 2011, the KW Poetry Slam is a series of community-building spoken word poetry events in Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario. KWPS is an official slam community under Spoken Word Canada.

By bringing together diverse artists in Kitchener Waterloo, the KW Poetry Slam builds a strong arts community by hosting a series of spoken word poetry events in Kitchener and Waterloo. The regular season slam series sends a team to the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.

This month’s KW Awesome Foundation $1000 grant is going to send the KW Slam Poetry Team to Winnipeg to participate at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word from October 23 -30th.  Congratulations, you’re all awesome!

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