Mapping with Simon in Mathare Since arriving in Kenya two weeks ago, I have been looking forward to spending more time getting to know Sisi Ni Amani’s Nairobi team. This week I met up with Coordinators Simon and Shiku in their home communities of Mathare and Huruma. Having grown up…
Meeting John Githongo Week 2: On Wednesday, I interviewed Kenyan peace activist and government whistle-blower, John Githongo. I first learned about John’s important contributions to Kenyan politics and civic dialogue from Michela Wrong’s book, It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower. After working as a journalist…
Coverage of the Upcoming Elections in the Kenyan Press Since arriving in Nairobi last week, I’ve picked up some Kenyan newspapers to get a feel for the political climate leading up to the March 2013 elections. Most papers bring a partisan perspective to ‘the news.’ A sampling of headlines gives…
Greetings from Nairobi! I am writing this first news blog at the start of my second production trip for Peace in Our Pockets. While I am still shaking off the jet lag and back stiffness from two long flights from North Carolina to Kenya, I’m excited about the month ahead…
Join Silvia Heyden and Assistant Director Marybeth Dugan for a screening of Weaverly Path at the Durham Country Library on Tuesday, October 16th @ 7pm. The screening takes place in the 1st floor auditorium of the Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St. Durham, NC 27701). Admission is free.
We are excited to share news of our latest film project - Peace in Our Pockets. In 2007, the disputed presidential election in Kenya resulted in widespread protests followed by violence throughout the country. Inter-ethnic conflict left more than 1,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands internally displaced and homeless.…
Video Librarian, July 31, 2012 “I hear colors,” says Silvia Heyden, an 82-year-old Swiss-American who weaves tapestries in her sunny North Carolina home. Heyden approaches her art synesthetically, often with one sense expressing as another (as she says at one point, “I have an eye in each finger.”). The pieces…
Polly attended the Annual Meeting of Alternate ROOTS a dynamic organization of Southern artists who are community activists committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the natural world. ROOTS is based in Atlanta, and held its intensely creative, energetic annual meeting every August in the mountains near…
Join a diverse community of visual artists for an affordable class series taught by local professionals. "Saturdays in September" takes place at the Open Heart Arts Center in Asheville, NC and will be an opportunity to learn new techniques and exhibit your work at a local venue. Artists of all…
Polly is working on several community inclusive arts projects - one in Asheville, NC where she lives now, and a couple that have more regional/national implications. An inclusive visual arts class series, over 3 Saturdays in September in Asheville, is coming together after several previous tries. The workshops will take…