Sacred Space: Criscuolo Park

Dance Exchange members in a very small, very quite, and very beautiful 7am performance at Criscuolo ball field in Fair Haven on Sunday. 

Prayer Tie Van

Thousands of prayer ties have been made and collected over the past few months during workshops and on the fly all over New Haven. Organized by Andria Matthews, cut meticulously by dedicated New Haven dancers and the Festival receptionist Fiona, tied together by volunteers from everywhere, and stored carefully in this van graciously provided to the Radical Prayer project manager by the Festival of Arts & Ideas. This week especially it's been growing in there...

There are masses of them, and I have not come close to reading them all, but I read the ones that fall off occasionally into my lap.
And some of them have been put to excellent use in the Sacred Space dances as they wait their moment in the Festival Grand Finale. This, from Edgerton. 
We are seeking people to carry these hopes and dreams of New Haven in the Festival closing ceremonies. There are thousands and we need lots of carriers! Come to the Fountain on the New Haven Green on Saturday, June 28 at 3:30pm, wearing white, and be part of the Finale from 7-9pm. 

Sacred Space: Edgerton Park

The fourth Sacred Space dance on the perfect evening of June 21 in the Edgerton Park community gardens: Interplay in the Spirit, led by Lisa Laing, with music by Joseph Getter and Peter Hadley. 

The Sacred Spaces have all been truly amazing and special. There are 4 more that you shouldn't miss. See the Performance Schedule link at the right.

Sacred Space: Union Station

The second of the 5 Twilights Plus: Making Space Sacred series. Dance Exchange members took over Union Station during the 7am commuter hour. 

Parent-Child at City Hall

The third of the fourteen Radical Prayer performances in New Haven. The Parent-Child Duet, inside and on the front steps of City Hall today. 

You can join the next two performances of Parent-Child by coming to the lower New Haven Green this Saturday and Sunday at 2 & 4pm. Dance Exchange members will be teaching it to parents, grandparents, and children of all ages, near the fountain. Look for the tent with the prayer ties. 

More photos here. 

Wheeled Workshop

Today on the Festival blog! See video of people on wheels creating part of the Festival Grand Finale on the New Haven Green here. You can still join us! Wednesday June 18th, 7-10pm is the next Grand Finale rehearsal, including wheeled people, at the Pilot Pen Tennis Center at 45 Yale Avenue. See the full 613 Radical Acts of Prayer rehearsal schedule here. 

Parent-Child Duet 6-14-08

Mary and Becky teaching the Duet on the New Haven Green this weekend. 

The dance will be performed three times during the Festival: June 19 at City Hall, June 22nd at Yale Divinity School, and June 28 on the Green as part of the Grand Finale. There are plenty of classes left! Take one or more classes, attend the on-site rehearsal, and perform with us! Email LWingerter@artidea.org for schedule.

More photos here.

prayer tie tent 6-14-08

Some photos from our tent on the Lower Green today. We'll be there again tomorrow from 1-5pm, making and collecting prayer ties and teaching the Parent-Child Duet.

making 13,000 prayer ties

We are cutting 13,000 12 inch strips of fabric and tyvek to make the 80 walls of prayer ties for the Grand Finale.


Every willing hand is put to work. Fiona, the Festival receptionist, has cut most of them. She and her desk are often buried in tyvek. 

Fiona and Andria unroll tyvek for more cutting.

The ties are bound into sets of 18 and delivered around New Haven...

...where they are written on with the hopes, dreams, prayers, wishes, and demands of the community....

...and returned to the festival, where they are received with great excitement...

...and tucked into any available corner of the Festival offices, including the Project Manager's desk.

There are lots more prayer ties to be gathered! If you'd like materials for your group, email Linda at LWingerter@artidea.org for a kit. Or come to our Prayer Tie Tent on the New Haven Green by the Fountain on June 14 & 15, 21 & 22 from 1-5pm.