Imagine my surprise and delight when I answered my phone, last year, to be invited to participate in the London International Children’s Art Festival. The theme for this festival was ‘World Environment’ and the caller told me that several people involved with the London arts scene had suggested my name to her. I was asked to organize several art events for this four-day festival.
The festival took place in a downtown Market, with events happening inside as well as outside in the large community area, as well as on the street (which was closed to traffic during the event). Many community organizations were participating and the outside areas were filled with tents and booths. There was a performance stage set up and many musicians entertained the hundreds of children that would gather. There were theatrical performances taking place in several venues throughout the downtown area, so you can imagine some of the chaos that ensued as throngs of children bustled from one place to another.
Children from all over Southern Ontario came to this huge event, being bussed in by their schools. Over the course of these four days, it was estimated that just over twenty thousand children had attended. It was a very busy four days.
One of the events that I organized was ‘Peace Chalk Art’. We had a tent set up outside for the volunteers that were taking care of this event. The children that came to this area were asked to think of ‘peaceful’ things and then they had to draw their expressions on the large sidewalk area that was divided off for this event. Here are some of their art creations….
I also organized an ‘environmentally friendly’ art event that took place inside the Market. The children were to use small shapes that had been cut out of cereal, pop and tissue boxes – reusing this colourful cardboard – to create fridge magnets in the shape of pretty flowers…
I was really happy to get permission to play a few of my songs for the children and parents.
This is one of the songs that I played…
Our Only Friend
Can you feel my heartbeat
Pounding thro’ the strings
Of my guitar?
Oh! The joy it brings.
I’m singing simple songs
For the world to hear
About ‘Peace and Love’
Laced with a little bit of fear.
Can you feel your spirit
Raising in the air?
As you’re floating above life
You can go anywhere.
You can scale a mountain
Or forge the great divide.
You can dive in with the whales
And now you’re coming out the other side.
You can hug the moon
And kiss a brand new day
Cuz you’re young and wild.
Could you be a tree
With branches waving at the sky?
Once you were a seed
But then, you grew so high.
You’re changing with the weather
And the seasons, too.
White is your winter crown
And the summer brings the morning dew.
When you hug the moon
The night dissolves away,
Then your heart can smile.
- solo –
Can you see the sunshine
Through the acid rain?
Dark clouds usher in
Ten thousand years of pain!
It’s not to late
If we find a peace to lend
We’ve got to learn
That the Earth is our only friend
Can you feel my heartbeat
Pounding thro’ the strings
Of my guitar?
Oh! The joy it brings.
I’m singing simple songs
For the world to hear
About ‘Peace and Love’
Laced with a little bit of fear.
You can hug the moon
And kiss both night and day
Cuz you’re Nature’s child……
There was one other special art event that I had organized for this festival - but that’s tomorrow’s story….
Jim
The festival took place in a downtown Market, with events happening inside as well as outside in the large community area, as well as on the street (which was closed to traffic during the event). Many community organizations were participating and the outside areas were filled with tents and booths. There was a performance stage set up and many musicians entertained the hundreds of children that would gather. There were theatrical performances taking place in several venues throughout the downtown area, so you can imagine some of the chaos that ensued as throngs of children bustled from one place to another.
Children from all over Southern Ontario came to this huge event, being bussed in by their schools. Over the course of these four days, it was estimated that just over twenty thousand children had attended. It was a very busy four days.
One of the events that I organized was ‘Peace Chalk Art’. We had a tent set up outside for the volunteers that were taking care of this event. The children that came to this area were asked to think of ‘peaceful’ things and then they had to draw their expressions on the large sidewalk area that was divided off for this event. Here are some of their art creations….
I also organized an ‘environmentally friendly’ art event that took place inside the Market. The children were to use small shapes that had been cut out of cereal, pop and tissue boxes – reusing this colourful cardboard – to create fridge magnets in the shape of pretty flowers…
I was really happy to get permission to play a few of my songs for the children and parents.
This is one of the songs that I played…
Our Only Friend
Can you feel my heartbeat
Pounding thro’ the strings
Of my guitar?
Oh! The joy it brings.
I’m singing simple songs
For the world to hear
About ‘Peace and Love’
Laced with a little bit of fear.
Can you feel your spirit
Raising in the air?
As you’re floating above life
You can go anywhere.
You can scale a mountain
Or forge the great divide.
You can dive in with the whales
And now you’re coming out the other side.
You can hug the moon
And kiss a brand new day
Cuz you’re young and wild.
Could you be a tree
With branches waving at the sky?
Once you were a seed
But then, you grew so high.
You’re changing with the weather
And the seasons, too.
White is your winter crown
And the summer brings the morning dew.
When you hug the moon
The night dissolves away,
Then your heart can smile.
- solo –
Can you see the sunshine
Through the acid rain?
Dark clouds usher in
Ten thousand years of pain!
It’s not to late
If we find a peace to lend
We’ve got to learn
That the Earth is our only friend
Can you feel my heartbeat
Pounding thro’ the strings
Of my guitar?
Oh! The joy it brings.
I’m singing simple songs
For the world to hear
About ‘Peace and Love’
Laced with a little bit of fear.
You can hug the moon
And kiss both night and day
Cuz you’re Nature’s child……
There was one other special art event that I had organized for this festival - but that’s tomorrow’s story….
Jim
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