Something Collective celebrates, thanks, and says goodbye to MACC and the Incubator Studio at the finale event! The People’s Potluck Picnic Performance at Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre on Friday June 28th.
We had about 30 participants in the event who all brought beautiful dishes, some from neighbourhood restaurants and some from their own backyard gardens. 4 out of 5 of the Something Collective members were present for the event. Laura Barron and Maggie Winston were the lead artists organizing, and created some happenings and activities for potluck participants to engage in.
Those activities included a story web which engages people to share stories on the same theme. We chose to share stories about memories of Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre, the neighbourhood, or the place you call home. One person holds one end of a ball of yarn and as each person shares a story the ball of yarn is passed on so that a web is created within the circle, symbolizing our interconnectedness. This lead to many more conversations. We then experimented with a bottle flute orchestra, led by Laura Barron. She prepared glass bottles filled to water at a certain pitch. Then participants took a numbered bottle and together we sight read music numbers to the tune of “Summertime”. This was a truly great activity, with no pressure to be perfect, and just good fun. We also created live interactive poetry by writing words that resonated wit our feelings at the moment or described the event, and people could mix and match poetry similar to the magnetic fridge poetry.
The whole event took place on mats and pillows that were decorated with found fabric, decorated umbrellas, and a rag fabric circle to invite everyone to be together in the same shared space. While the food, atmosphere, and activities were fun and engaging, I believe that is was the energy of the people who came to the potluck, the conversations shared, and the mutual feelings perceived that made the event as meaningful as it was. Those who were present were people who had either attended a Something Collective event at MACC in the past, were other artists associated with the neighbourhood, were community artists working in Vancouver, or were friends and family of those we invited. It was a pleasant time had by all. There were little leftovers, which is a sign of people well fed.
All of Something Collective truly thanks all the administrators who made The Incubator Residency at MACC possible for us. Thank you Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, City of Vancouver, and the Neighborhood Small Grants program.
This was the perfect way to say goodbye and thank you for all the rich experiences we gained through this residency. I’m sure all of us wil continue to contribute to the neighbourhoods of southeast Vancouver in the future.
We are truly grateful for the support that allows community members to come together, share, and reflect on what community means for them.
Below are photos from the event:
