Let’s Take a Walk #57

Dear Friends and fellow walkers.

Thank you so much to those who joined in for Let's Take a Walk #57 via Twitter @mcayer & Instagram Live @LetstakeaWalk_World.  LTAW#57 took place as part of the Marmalade Festival at The Old Fire Station in Oxford England. #walkingtogetherapart for #SocialChange #withLoveforPeace.

The Colors of the walk; Orange as the color of the festival, Oxford Blue, of course, and Pink, as the 12th of April was the International day of Pink.Together we walk, we sang #DonaNobisPacem and we posed ourself the question "What is, in your mind, the most pressing social change that needs to take place?" 

My gratitude to the excellent Tweet Master: Paul Katz, the playful Town Crier Delelza Brooks  and the Poetic Drummer Wayne Aspinall, as well as to the wonderful The Marmalade Festival  & The Old Fire Station team, Usha Dabur Car, Becs Morris and Ruba Asfahani and colleagues.                                        

On Tuesday the 11th, in preparation for the performance and on-site of LTAW#57, I worked with passersby, knitting and sharing stories, posing questions directly related to the theme of the performance.

"What is, for you, the most pressing #socialchange" that needs to take place?" #gatheringstories.

Many participants spoke of issues close to their lives; I was touched by two men who maintain the market square behind The Old Fire Station yet can not afford anything in Oxford. Both have several children to raise, they live outside Oxford. #wagedisparity. 

                                                

Each Line a story. Speaking of the urgency in climate change, the need for opposite parties and different countries to find common ground, #environment #justice, and #womensright were a large part of the conversations.

                                                  

On Wednesday the 12th we shared LTAW#57, the rain forced us back into The Old Fire Station. We felt lucky to have a place to go to, a shelter. 

                                            

We stoped by Andy Owen's installation Rocket Folly, #environment & #climatchange.

                                                                    

LTAW#57 ended at the cafe, where everyone joined in #donanobispacem #grantuspeace, we all want #peace, don't we? 

      

Here with the wonderful team. Tweet Master: Paul Katz, the playful Town Crier Delelza Brooks  and the Poetic Drummer Wayne Aspinall, and one of the participant, Katai Mulenga, thank you for your participation, kindness and joie de vivre. 

                                                                 

Finally, Thursday the 13th, Shlepping & Displaying, I walked around Oxford, near the site of LTAW#57 displaying the unraveled dress, performance artifact following LTAW#57, an impromptu and ambulatory exhibition. 

           

#Justice and #Respect where offered as ways to create positive social changes, exploring solutions together.

  

   

  

Let's Take a Walk brings people to share a moment, a step toward peace. Participants from anywhere in the world join us via Twitter @mcayer and Instagram @letstakeawalk_world, #walkingtogetherapart. On-site, a Town Crier, Tweet Master, and Drummer assist me. Addressing topic(s) related to the walk, prompting dialogue, and inviting audience participation. As we journey, the knitted overskirt I wear, created days before each walk with passerby, unravels, leaving traces. Performance time 30 minutes. So far, there have been 56 walks. As part of the project, I maintain this blog where you can view many of the descriptions and images of the walks. 

I am grateful for your attention and participation.

With love for peace.

Marie Christine

http://letstakeawalkmc.blogspot.com/

Marie Christine Katz

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@mck_workinprogress Features up-cycling project & workshops.

@DancingAloneWithmyShadow    Performance started during the pandemic, ongoing. 

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Blogs  Let’s Take a Walk    My Favorite Grandmother   Work in Progress

Let's Take a Walk #56 for The International Women's Day

Dear Friends 

Thank you so much to those who joined in for Let's Take a Walk #56 via Twitter @mcayer & Instagram Live @LetstakeaWalk_World. 

We celebrated #InternationalWomensDay. #walkingtogetherapart for #allwomen #withLoveforPeace

 

This year Women's month theme is Innovation and Technology for #GenderEquality #EmbraceEquity #DigitALL including #TranceRights.

 

The Color; Purple.

 

What song or a poem that celebrates All Women, that speaks of #womensrights & #EmbraceEquity did you sing or recite?

We talked about Beautiful by Carol King and Sia Unstoppable.

 

My gratitude to the excellent Tweet Master: Zackary Stephen_. Together, Zack and I began the walk on 5th Ave and 42nd street, historically the site of several essential marches, such as the one on March 8, 1857, when female textile workers marched in protest of unfair working conditions and unequal rights for women. It was one of the first organized strikes by working women, during which they called for a shorter workday and decent wages. As well as the Women's March for Suffrage on October 23, 1915, over 25,000 women marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City to advocate for women's suffrage. At that point, the fight had been ongoing for over 65 years, with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 first passing a resolution favoring women's suffrage. Unfortunately, they wouldn't find success for another five years.

We walked through The New York Public Library's current exhibition pausing in front of various exhibited items that honored the achievements of several women.

                                                

The Magnificent Sarah Bernhardt inspiring, creative and courageous.

      Rosa Park, civil activist, with courage took historical actions to protest racial segregation.                                                              

        

Mary Wollstonecraft's book A Vindication of the Rights of Women 1792

                Virginia Wolf inspired writing. 

                 Here is one of her diary and her walking cane.  

      

QiGong practiced in front of the Library for Tranquility and Harmony
We all want Peace, don't we? don't we?

                                          

After the walk, I stoped by the beautiful  St Thomas Church to light a candle by the Statue of Mary in honor of my mother. Thinking of Women's strengths and courage.

 

Let's Take a Walk brings people to share a moment, a step toward peace. participants from anywhere in the world joined us via Twitter @mcayer and Instagram @letstakeawalk_world. When performed on-site, a Town Crier, Tweet Master, and Drummer assist me. Addressing topic(s) related to the walk, prompting dialogue, inviting audience participation. As we journey, the knitted overskirt I wear, created days before each walk with passerby, unravels, leaving traces. Performance time 30 minutes. So far, there have been 54 walks. See http://letstakeawalkmc.blogspot.com. Prior the performance I work with passersby, knitting and sharing stories; posing questions directly related to the theme of the performance. Shlepping & Displaying, consisted of displaying the unraveled dress over the few days following the walk.                                                                                          

As part of the project, Marie Christine maintains a blog http://letstakeawalkmc.blogspot.com 

Thank you as always for your support and participation.

with Love for Peace 

Marie Christine 

 

 Let's Take a Walk#55 (to the Voting Booth) took place in New York on November 6th, New York Primary day. The walk began in person in Thompkins Sq Park while simultaneously being shared virtually on Twitter @mcayer and Instagram live @LetsTakeaWalk_World. We concluded our walk in front of Theatre of a New City, the voting site for the East Village.

We walked to heighten the importance of exercising our right to vote, a way to make an impact in society, My friend, Mariam, generously jumped in to be the Tweet Master; I was your Guide. So it was a two-woman show. "We all need a little help from our friends," The Beatles. 

 The Guide and The Tweet Master 

Departure Point, the magnificent tree 
in the center of Tompkins  Sq Park

May All Your Dreams Come True

The Let's Take a Walk project began in 2009 as a virtual Twitter-guided walk. So far, there have been 54 walks with participants globally joining via Twitter and Instagram, creating a shared moment, a collective step towards peace. On-site, each walk is assisted by a Town Crier, Tweet Master, and Drummer.

During the walk, Marie Christine asks questions about Environmental Awareness and Peace. The questioning prompts a conversation that invites participants to share their stories and engage in new ways. The knitted skirt made before the walk unravels as Marie Christine walks, leaving traces of the journey. Performance artifacts, along with film and photographs of the walks, are compiled into an installation, capturing the ephemera of the shared experience.

We are looking forward to sharing this journey with you. 

Join us via @mcayer on Twitter and @LetsTakeaWalk_World on Instagram Live

Thank you for your support and participation.

#WalkingTogetherApart #withLoveforPeace

Marie Christine