LITTLEGLOBE'S COMMON GROUND PROJECTS have shown that
engaged creative work enables individuals to cultivate shared
experience (across racial, economic, generational, cultural and
ideological lines) that prevents potential conflict and promotes
individual and community empowerment, empathy, social inclusion,
and a renewed sense of human dignity. Our experience shows that
through an intensive creative arts process, normal limits of thought,
self-understanding, and behavior can dissipate allowing new perspectives
and actions to emerge.
The first phase of each project begins with a series
of conversations between Littleglobe artists and potential project
partners and participants. Littleglobe artists spend a great deal of
time cultivating relationships and safety for all participants. These
acts of deep listening, growing relationships, and witnessing informs
the shape of each project.
The second phase includes a series
of open workshops with artists in a variety of creative mediums.
During this phase community
trust and rapport is cultivated. Once an environment of safety,
care, and play is developed, we begin to work with issues of significance
to the community that arise organically. In general, we believe
that
the meaning of each project is revealed through this organic process
and we try very hard to avoid formulas. The
creation of a new creative work of artistic and social import such
as a performance, installation or a film
is vital to the project and typically a lasting sense of ownership,
a
strong sense of community, and esteem is experienced by participants. Our
projects are born from specific commissions, invitations from communities,
and initiatives by Littleglobe artists.
We strive to fund all of the community participants with artist
honorariums, regardless of experience, and create opportunities
for on-going mentoring.
Finally, though we don’t seek specific results,
we have seen remarkable reports of changes in participants health including
better posture and breathing, relief from dependence on physical aids
such as canes, walkers, eye patches and pharmaceuticals and reports
of overall experiences of well-being and joy.
