 Dear NCI Member:
November is here, and it's time again for the International Festival! From November 22 -24, come out to celebrate the heroes and heroines, visionaries and explorers from different cultures.
Now, you will have a chance to be a hero or heroine. In response to Typhoon Hai Yan (Yolanda), we will have collection boxes at the International Festival. Some of the items we need:
- Clothing (for a tropical climate);
- Canned goods/non-perishable food items;
- Medical supplies;
- Household goods (i.e. bedding, pots and pans);
- Toiletries (i.e. soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes);
- Cash or check donations (made out to Catholic Relief Charities).
We, along with the Filipino community, thank you for supporting our brothers and sisters in need.
You will also have a chance to enjoy delicious refreshments, educational exhibits, and inspiring and exciting musical and dance performances.
Some of our highlights for this year are:
- Musical performances by the critically acclaimed groups Salaam and Silk Road Ensemble;
- Stiltwalking with "Chopstick Man;"
- Players and coaches from the Indy Eleven soccer team;
- Interactive arts with the National Geographic Giant Traveling Map of Asia, Italian Street Painting, and new this year, a collaboration with the Indianapolis Arts Center;
- Tudor Rose Players (come experience the Court of Henry VIII);
- An International Beer and Wine Garden, as well as delicious foods from around the world.
Attached is information on the Festival. Just as a reminder for the ethnic booths; here is the judging criteria:
1. THEME: Include in cultural booth historical, geographical, culinary, social of educational aspects of the particular culture.
2. EDUCATIONAL VALUE: Provide relevant information about the culture
3. CREATIVITY: Demonstrate an effective and enjoyable method to attract visitors.
4. QUALITY: Overall excellence. Examples would be people native costume and friendly approach to visitors
November is also Native American Heritage Month; whether you want to take in a movie, participate in an interactive arts and craft session, or hear distinguished speakers discuss our Native heritage, there is something for you! Please check out a listing of events at http://americanindiancenter.org/default.php for more information.
We also hope you enjoy our new website! We are constantly adding new information, so stay tuned...
Also, please join us for our November 11th NCI meeting; we will be having our annual elections at that time. Just as a reminder, only representatives from ethnic groups in good standing are eligible to vote. We hope that you will join us at 7 PM at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan Street. All are welcome to attend!
Lastly, I want to thank the Officers, Board of Directors, ethnic group members, and sponsors, as well as the Promotion Company, our event managers, for their support, hard work, and commitment to NCI. It has been a pleasure and a privilege serving you!
Jena Myers
President
Nationalities Council of Indiana, Inc.
Event Features – What’s New This Year!
Salaam: Salaam has delighted audiences for years with its expansive repertoire of Middle Eastern and North African music. Salaam is true to the traditions, informing the uninitiated, and evoking nostalgia in listeners who are familiar with the art form. What sets Salaam apart is the versatility of its musicians, whose deep knowledge of Eastern and Western styles gives them the flexibility to move effortlessly between genres. The sound, while rooted in maqam (the modal system used throughout the Middle East), infuses tasteful forays into jazz, rock, blues, classical and avant garde. Salaam, whose name means "peace" in Arabic, is a musical ambassador for peaceful coexistence.
Indy Eleven : Indy's FIRST Professional Soccer Team Indy Eleven will be on site to promote their upcoming season to fans and have players & coaches signing autographs at the Festival!
The Silk Road Ensemble: Come celebrate the Dances, Music and Arts of the Silk Road People! Music and dances from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Eastern Europe, East Turkistan, Middle East, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Explore Asia in a BIG way: The Nationalities Council of Indiana will partner with the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana to present the National Geographic Society's Giant Traveling Map of Asia. he Giant Traveling Map of Asia offers students wide and varied explorations across the continent, an expanse encompassing almost thirty percent of the Earth’s total land mass. They may brave Arctic tundra, walk the Gobi Desert, and visit the highest and lowest places on Earth. Or they may explore the amazing diversity of human cultures found in Asia’s 47 countries. Whether it’s the birthplace of civilization, nomadic peoples, rainforest tribes, or the world’s fastest growing economies, there is much to explore and learn about on this giant map. The map is 26’ x 33’ and comes with a trunk of rich activities, games, props and educational resources.
Interactive Art Experience with Indianapolis Art Center: Make Hero Portraits, put together Multicultural Magnet Collages and help make Sadako’s 1000 Paper Cranes at this Interactive display with Indianapolis Art Center Staff!
Chopstick Man: Check him out and explore the ancient and universal art of stilt walking!
Tudor Rose Players: Come see them in full character as they bring the excitement and pageantry of the court of Court Henry VIII.
Returning Event Features
Continuous Music & Dance: As you enter the Festival, you are immediately entranced by the sounds of the world as performers in tradtional dress present the music and dance of their native country. The International Festival Main Stage is bustling with colorful entertainers from open to close including performanes from the Japanese Minyo Dancers, the Phillippino Barangay Club, Mexico’s Ensamble Folklorico, and the folk dances of Western European dancers like the Irish dances of Celtic Motion.
Taste Your Way Around The World! Find ethnic dishes from Egypt, Greece, the Philippines, Mexico, China, Turkey, Sweden, Hungary, Africa and many more at the international Festival. For those patrons 21 & older, taste your way around the world at the International Beer & Wine Garden hosted by NUVO. You can enjoy international beers and wines with the authentic cuisines from over 20 ethnic food vendors at the International Festival.
Passport Program: Explore your ethnic roots and interact with people from various cultures as part of the Festival's education outreach program. The Nationalities Council provides students with an International Festival Passport which attendees present at the Culture Booths throughout the day. By displaying knowledge of the country’s currency, language, customs and traditions, attendees collect stamps in their Passports.
Italian Street Painting: Using chalk as a medium, madonnari (street painters) will transform the concrete floors of the Indiana State Fairgrounds West Pavilion into a color-splashed gallery for the International Festival’s 20,000+ visitors. Festival-goers and students will have a chance to try their hand at this ancient art-form all days of the festival.
Click it! »
|
