The community centres, parents and mentors have asked to do Neighbourhood Diaries again. I am committed to doing it but I need ideas on how it can sustain itself.
1) I am still committed to acting as an outreach and marketing program for Liz Haine's project Story Planet.
2) I don't feel ND should ever have to pay for a permanent location. I only want to see programming, people and materials.
3) I do feel that ND will have to be able to raise funds. The communities where this is needed have the space, they simply do not have the money.

So it looks like a not-for-profit with mentoring services that also behaves like a foundation providing funds or subsidies when needed.
Beyond the Harbourfront Gallery I think there are other ways we can acknowledge the children and their work. As you can see I already have some thoughts of my own, but I would be wide open to anyone's input.

Also, I am reporting back to the Ontario Arts Council next month. If you have any comments please send them my way so I can include your thoughts in the materials. Please identify:
1) who you are,
2) what your role was,
3) what the key benefits were for yourself as well as the children
4) and comment away on your best experiences.

Lastly, I am also committed to responding to a request in southern Nova Scotia within the next couple of weeks. I met someone at an UNESCO meeting in Quebec. Things have been tough out there and they feel that ND can help. I believe they're right. Stay tuned.

Post your responses or email them to robinuch@gmail.com entitled ND to ME (name).
Thanks everyone, I miss all of you.

Robin

I am looking for old but working digital cameras to be donated to my workshop. I have been hitting up ever value village with no luck. I need about 10... please let me know if you have any I can have.

Graham
graham@northfive.com

Projects 1 - Mosaics

Outline: Provide the kids with a huge supply of squares of all different colors and let them explore mosaics.

Materials: Squares of different colors, glue, paper

Step 1: Provide the materials and give a small example.

Step 2: Sit back and watch the creativity

Critique: Some very interesting results, The kids were more impressed than the parents.

Project 2 - Time Capsule (my favorite project)

Outline: Help the kids to create time capsules and fill them with several mini projects.

Materials: Coffee tins, labels, markers, paper, string, various found objects, photo printer.

Step 1: Create the Time capsule from the coffee tin and labels, I provided a space on the labels for their names and the year they want it opened.

Step 2: Take a photo and print them on the photo printer to put into their time capsule.

Step 3: Cut a piece of string measuring their hight and include it in their time capsule

Step 4: trace their hand on a piece of paper and cut it out.

Step 5: Draw various pictures to include. We did pictures of our family, our favorite things to do...

Step 6: Write a letter to your future self asking questions and mentioning what your favorite things to do are.

Step 7: Encourage the kids to find things form their life and include them in it when they get home. To start them off I gave each kid a brand new penny from 2010 and a Coke-Fifa 2010 soccer pin.

Critique: more successful then I expected, I may build a whole workshop around different small projects to add to the capsule. Bringing in time capsules I have done through out my life and showing them to the kids really inspired them. I great result from kids and parents.

I would like to thank Lea and Jen for a great job volunteering at Neighbourhood Arts & Crafts @ Cabbagetown. The kids loved you and you both were amazing help. Thank you again.

After the success of our puppet project in week 3, a few parents expressed that their children were frustrated that after they got home they could not recreate their puppet show without the puppet theatre i made. I decided to gear this weeks projects towards providing the tools for the kids to tell their stories.

Project 1 - Personal Puppet theatre

Outline: Make a collapsable, storable puppet theatre the kids can bring home with them and set up at will.

Materials: pre cut card stack shapes. Markers, Construction paper, glue scissors. wooden dowel, string

Step 1: Provide each child with a precut outline of the stage. encourage them to think of a theme that represents their puppet story.

Step 2: Tie two loops at each end of the string and pass them through the prepunched holes in the sides of the stage. plug the wholes with small pieces of dowel.

Step 3: hang different backdrops from the string to change scenes or settings during your show.

Project 2 - puppets, puppets and more puppets.

Outline: Make puppets for your puppet show theatre. Show the kids different kinds of puppets, puppets from strings, from sticks below etc.

Materials: Various colored felt, glue, scissors, markers, googly eyes, popsicle sticks, string

Step 1: Provide the material and encourage kids to think of a story to tell through their puppets

Step 2: Sit back and watch the creativity

Story Planet is at it again!

Project 1 - Model Magic Part 2 (Coloring)

Outline: Add color to the previously sculpted model magic.

Materials: Crayola markers work best.

Step 1: Distribute the kid dried model magic sculptures

Step 2: Color on them

Critique: Kids enjoyed it but it was no substitute for painting.

This is an article on Neighbourhood Dairies on a new Toronto news site called OpenFile.

Here's their bumpf. If you have some stories to report... "Do you have an idea for a story that you think we should cover? Is there an unexplored or underreported angle on an existing story you’d like us to bring to the forefront? Know of something going on in your neighbourhood that deserves more attention? Register to become an OpenFile member and submit your idea to our editorial team. Someone will follow up with you shortly. Remember: no story is too small or insignificant; if it matters to you, it more than likely matters to plenty of other people too."

R

Hey all,

Project 1 - Model magic

Outline: Let the kids explore their sculpting ability through model magic.

Material: Model magic (approx. $6.95 per package, 1 package is good for 3 kids. Buy it in bulk bucket for $19.95 for 4 packages)

Step 1: divide the model magic into equal portions

Step 2: Let the kids sculpt it

Step 3: Let the model magic dry for at least 24 hours, save the sculptures in a safe place for future coloring.

Critique: The kids loved model magic, make sure every kid gets the same amount otherwise there is some arguing.

Project 2 - Puppet show

Outline: Have the kids create their own characters for a puppet show in my puppet theatre.

Material: Cardboard, construction paper, glue, markers, scissors

Step 1: Pre make your theatre from a large box. I used a poster box.

Step 2: Give the kids a little puppet show to inspire them

Step 3: let the kids create their own characters and story

Step 4: let the kids perform them alone or in groups.

Critique: Very successful, the kids loved doing this.