Hello TOC Littleglobers!
It is so great to finally sit down and write you all a letter! There have been many changes here. Thank you for your patience while we organize ourselves for the next phase of the TOC project. In this letter we hope to give you a little background about what has been going on, let you know some of our thoughts about the next phase of our project, and ask you for your feedback and ideas.
What a Festival!
The first thing we want to say is congratulations for all of your work last year! We have heard nothing but amazing things about your work creating, producing and performing in the festival. It was a really fantastic event and we think it had a big effect on many people. For us it was a real honor to work with you and be a part of the festival. We have seen how resourceful and skilled all of you are and we look forward to undertaking more dialogue, creative collaboration, and community projects with your direction.
What Has Been Going on At Littleglobe?
Immediately following the festival we all took some time to rest and recover. We know you did too. Soon after the festival, Molly left for time with her family in Michigan and went onto several new projects in the United Kingdom where she worked for much of the summer. David accepted a year- long position with an incredible dance center in the UK and left the US in August. Val taught at the youth VOCES program and served as writer-in-residence at the Taos Summer Writers Conference. She also started her full-time teaching job at the College of Santa Fe in late August.
Val and Molly started to re-group for Littleglobe in September. We interviewed many applicants in an effort to hire someone to replace David and, by the end of September, Linne Lalire (who some of you met at the last meeting and who was part of the LG Memorylines project) joined the team. Linne is an architect, dancer, visual artist, and wonderful woman. She is now the general manager of Littleglobe.
We also completed the formation of the Littleglobe Board of Directors and got them to work. We spent some time following up with our funders and initiating some fundraising efforts to support Littleglobe as a social profit organization. Because of recent changes in the economy Littleglobe has experienced a funding cut which has meant some changes we are trying to work out.
You should also know that Val lost her sister very suddenly, a month ago, and has been spending some necessary time with her family.
So, we’ve been busy and this has sometimes meant returning your phone calls late.
And you?
We would love to hear how things were, for you, after the festival. We have missed seeing all of you and would love to know how you’re doing.
What Is Coming Up?
This coming year promises to be wonderful, and we are excited to work with you in important and new ways. At our last gatherings with you (in August and September) we talked a lot about your community needs and wishes and (with the help of Rosina from the Southwest Organizing Project). You identified several important goals for your communities and Rosina, David, and Val emphasized your role as project leaders and Littleglobe’s role of assisting you in your efforts.
This is an important transition. During Phase Two of the project, LG will support you as leaders in community projects and will work to provide the support you might need to undertake these efforts. We can help to connect you to other individuals and organizations that can help you realize your goals. We can find trainings and trainers and set up sessions in your areas. We can assist in many other ways, too. We will follow your lead, in this, taking direction from you.
There is a great energy in this group and we know that, together, we can accomplish anything. We have outlined some of our thoughts and ideas below- and we want to hear what you think. Call us at 505-660-9473, email Linne, Molly, and/or Val (molly@littleglobe.org, val@littleglobe.org, linne@littleglobe.org or write us at 223 N. Guadalupe, #427, Santa Fe, NM 87501.
Starting in January
We plan to begin Phase Two activities more fully in January. We are thinking about scheduling the second Saturday of each month together, location to be announced. At this time we can also start our work with Cuba High School students.
Please let us know if the second Saturday of each DOES NOT work for you.
The first sessions we propose doing some group trainings. We would like to hear more about what you might like. Some that could be offered include facilitation, community dialogue, conflict resolution, anti-racism, and leadership. We propose starting January 10th with the second Saturday being February 14th.
January 17th Tour with SWOP
Rosina (of SWOP) has also offered to organize tours of various communities in Albuquerque that have undertaken important community development projects. These communities have been making great efforts to improve their quality of life with great success. Places include Isleta Pueblo, Mountain View, Pajarito Mesa and others. The tours will allow you to meet people from these communities and learn from them. The tour will last about four hours.
The Common Ground TOC Community Council
When we last met with you, we had a small group volunteers form a leadership team for community projects. Eventually, we hope to have a team of eight people from the different communities who are interested in an active leadership role in the on-going Common Ground effort. Working together, this group will work with members of the community to decide on community projects and begin coordinating them. Let us know if you’re interested in joining this group asap. We are hoping to have eight people from different communities on this team.
We are thrilled about this development and think there will be a lot of support for collaborative leadership. We have already applied for funding for this group to help with trainings in fundraising and technical support..
Work in the Schools and The Second Common Ground Festival
Finally, we have some funding to continue school based work as well. Kate has a good number of kids interested and we spoke about them helping to produce a second annual common ground festival.
What do you think of the kids producing it with the support of you and Littleglobe?
There is also a possibility for a spring break intensive (for the students) to develop new material. The second festival will be organized by you, with our help. It could perhaps happen at one of the schools and we could also present some of the material we did last year for those who didn’t attend this year.
Littleglobe Support
In order to keep in closer touch, we would like to propose a phone-tree system for spreading the news. This would allow us all to take part in get out the word about meetings and trainings. See below for an idea about how it might work.
What do you think?
Littleglobe is also committed to finding support for any project that might emerge out of this ensemble. You will want to speak with Linne about anything you are thinking about as she will be the coordinator on the TOC project and is taking David’s position (linne@littleglobe.org, 670-3088)
A PHONE TREE
Here is a draft. Please send us your feedback.
Linne or Val will call Branch Captains
Call the person below you with information once you get it. We will put this into a test once you confirm phone numbers. Please let us know if you don't want to participate in the project next cycle and we will take you off the phone tree. Remember this is a draft and we will send out the final one once we get feedback.
Branch One:
Kialo 505-264-2129 and Terry 505-977-7042 (Captains)
Tyna and Dale 505-731-2377
Julie Pederson 505-328-5086
Samantha Leyba 505-289-0137
Sage Waukazoo and Kaden Washington 505-321-8254
Branch Two:
Elaine Shoman ( Captain) 505-289-0105
Debbie Herrera 505-289-3510
Valerie Antone 505-731-2367 ( notifies Joan Antone and calls person below)
Erik Jackson 505-731-2298 (notifies any other youth from Cuba High know and calls)
Debbie Loeffler 505-264-3378
Branch Three:
Kate Bagby 505-289-2156 (Captain- notifies kids from alt ed know and calls below)
Fatou Gueye 505-289- 9119 (notifies Jasmine know and calls below)
Walter McQuie 505-289-3350
AJ Pacheco 575-220-3046
Rosie Cordova 505-289-3638
Philip Montoya 505-771-2477
An Invitation from SWOP-November 22nd
SWOP would like to invite all of you to a guitar workshop on Saturday, November 22 in El Rito, NM with legendary musician and teacher, Cipriano Vigil. There are about 15 students from the guitar program at SWOP who will be taking the trip to El Rito, and studying New Mexican songs, styles, and techniques. We will spend the night at Cipriano's house and have a fun activity on the next day. Let Rosina know if you are interested at SWOP. Here’s her contact information: Rosina Roibal 505-247-8832 (office), Rosina@swop.net
DVDs of the Show
We have DVDs of the show and all the films. We are sending them to people we think might not have them. If you don't have them contact Linne and she will get you a set.
Thanks everyone! Please send us back your thoughts and comments.
Molly, Val and Linne
