06/22/2011 v1
One-Page Position Paper
PDF printable version
PIEDMONT CITIES HAVE STRUGGLED to understand refugee and immigrant populations, who remain deeply socially disconnected. Could the arts help? Led by Dr Bob King, more than 50 students at UNC School of the Arts met members of the Montagnard community and collaborated on The Global Village Revisited, an intercultural documentary video project designed to find common ground between two extremes: the highly literate, Western academy and a largely preliterate refugee community. Musicians, actors, stage technicians, dancers and filmmakers were energized through their discovery of a people who shared their passion for the arts and rediscovered the meaning and importance of culture.
Events included…
* Participants who answered No to either or both end-of-course questions: 1) Did you enjoy and learn from the class project? 2) Do you think it would be good to continue this project next year?
One-Page Position Paper
PDF printable version
Two very different groups, American art students and local
refugees, show how social networking and digital media tools can
combine to connect communities.
refugees, show how social networking and digital media tools can
combine to connect communities.
PIEDMONT CITIES HAVE STRUGGLED to understand refugee and immigrant populations, who remain deeply socially disconnected. Could the arts help? Led by Dr Bob King, more than 50 students at UNC School of the Arts met members of the Montagnard community and collaborated on The Global Village Revisited, an intercultural documentary video project designed to find common ground between two extremes: the highly literate, Western academy and a largely preliterate refugee community. Musicians, actors, stage technicians, dancers and filmmakers were energized through their discovery of a people who shared their passion for the arts and rediscovered the meaning and importance of culture.
Events included…
• Traditional musicians like Rmah Dock, 1996 NC Heritage Award recipientIN A COURSE SURVEY, EVEN THOSE WHO SAID “NO” HAD THEIR VIEWS CHANGED*
• Skype conversation with Mondega, MTV artist of the week
• Urban farming as practiced by Montagnard war veteran Thomas Eban
• Montagnard refugee resettlement overview presented by Dr Raleigh Bailey, CNNC
• Womens’ perspectives: Storytelling through cooking
• Backstrap weaving at Glenwood neighborhood’s Glenfest
• Mosaic Festival celebrating refugee and immigrant diversity in Downtown Greensboro
• Memorial Day at the Asheboro Dega Farm
• Meeting community members at MDA’s ESOL class
* Participants who answered No to either or both end-of-course questions: 1) Did you enjoy and learn from the class project? 2) Do you think it would be good to continue this project next year?
• I did enjoy the exposure to the culture....TOTAL RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE
• I ended up really enjoying the interaction with the Montagnards...
• At first, I was kind of unsure about the whole thing... but I ended up really enjoying it, and I think I took a lot from it...
• It was a great experience that I would otherwise have never been involved with...
• … Learning about a different culture and actually getting to speak with them and ask them questions was very interesting to me. I went out to the festival in Downtown Greensboro and I found it extremely enjoyable. I absolutely plan on going back next year...
• I didn't know anything about the Montagnards before start of this class. It was SO interesting (especially because I'm not from here, just like them)... it was awesome to learn about them.
• 87% of participants said they benefited from the project.
• As artists, they are natural agents of change. They are inspired by diversity; they inspire others.
• Digital tools powerfully changed the way they viewed and defined their communities.
• Documentary approach and field trips challenged participants to get out of their “comfort zone”.
• Finding and creating stories — not sound bytes or digital fragments — returned them to Marshal McCluhan’s Global Village and the roots of the performing arts.
