I met some superkjølefolken at the konferanse. I've already told you about Daniel and, just like it is everywhere, fugler av en fjær samler sammen so he connected me to some pretty interesting folks over there.
I had a long conversation with Larry Bringsjord who, among many other things, is the CEO of FONO. As we chatted we talked a lot about the importance of having a bit of creative/cultural chaos in any project to shake up the status quo and break loose any stagnation that might be impeding creative flow. As an example, he told me of a project he's putting together with a Lakota Indian poet in South Dakota which will include singers from Senegal & well-known Norwegian musicians. However, as soon as he said the words 'South Dakota', I stopped him and said "you're kidding!" and went on to explain that I was also in the process of developing a project with the Lakotas in South Dakota using the iCREATE model of economic development through the cultural legacy arts. We were both a bit taken aback that Larry from Oslo and Ruth from Austin came to the same moment in Kristiansand to compare notes on future work with the Lakota tribe in South Dakota. Maybe that's just another day at the office for some of you, but for me this type of unexpected cultural collision is one of the greatest pleasures of my job!
We then went into the auditorium to see a great film created by two men here in Austin called Before The Music Dies. Andrew Shapter & Joel Rasmussen are two talented filmmakers who worked together to create a film that "...takes a critical and comedic look at the faceless machinery of the American music industry and the increasingly bland mediocrity it produces." The film debuted at SXSW 2006 and has received critical acclaim & enthusiastic audience support. Joel is sheperding the film during its European vacation and is in Edinburgh today hosting its international debut. Once Joel & his family return to Austin, we're going to work on deepening the connection between Austin & Kristiansand through music & film exchanges and, eventually, create a Sister City connection to expand the cultural, economic and creative channels between the two municipalities.
The day didn't end there, I'll be back with more.
rg
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About Me
- GuRuth
- I am the first Cultural Strategist in Texas, in fact I am the only one in Texas! In the years spent developing iCREATE, I've used my deeply-held values in alignment with my compassion & intellectual curiousity to create profit in both public and private spaces for a wide range of constituencies. I speak, teach and consult internationally with a mission to inspire my clients to live their best lives by working with them to identify touchpoints that engage them on their personal path towards success, satisfaction, and connectivity. I love nothing more than to explore the diverse topics inherent amongst culture, commerce and community...and then develop projects articulating how all those elements work together as the basis for sustainable growth based on shared values. My life experiences have led me to admire the insight of Albert Einstein when he said "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it."
1 comment:
very cool. i really wanted to see that film but i'm always too cheap to get the sxsw film pass.
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