Kickstarter

We had seven minutes 'till doors to the theater opened. Tensions were running high and time constrained to a point that made it hard to breathe. Frustration, excitement, and anticipation hung thick in the air. What happened next was magic...the lights went down, the audience quieted, and the alchemy began. 

To be honest, none of us were quite sure what would happen on that stage. The feat of lighting and mic-ing the stage and integrating music into a beautiful spoken andl visual narrative was difficult, given the timeframe. The day before, dancers, singers, and actors (inspired by the work that was being created) came out of the woodwork. We were awed by the fluidity, passion, and presence that came to be. And that included the presence and energy that was shared by the audience. I think it's safe to say that everyone in that room was moved in some way; by the immense joy in Shamou and Marita's song and dance; by the power of Elana's poem reminding us that "every village is your village...every child is your child"; by the sweet and haunting melodies of the 10-stringed Oud... 

While the performance surpassed all expectations, something greater took place here too. Art imitated life. The great import of this project was in its making. Under adverse conditions, using art as a medium, many people of different cultures, backgrounds, faiths, and visions came together to create something moving and powerful. It took communication, compromise, flexibility,  ideas, and the ability to listen.

Thank you for supporting the work of Seeds of Peace and The Transcendence Project.  Already, with your help, the world has become a more peaceful place.

Gratefully,

  Emilia & Deb (The Transcendence Project), and Seeds of Peace

Less than 60 minutes to go.  As the time winds down, the excitement ramps up.  We're thrilled to have surpassed our fundraising goal.  Know that these funds go toward expanding the work that Seeds of Peace is doing in the U.S., Middle East, and South Asia.  

Rehearsal went into the morning hours last night.  After, Hagai (who uses theater to work with at risk youth in Israel) said, "I know that this is what we do as educators, but I'm still amazed a what is created when all these different people come together and create something so beautiful.  It's like a miracle!"

It certainly is a magical experience, and we wouldn't have been able to share it without you.  I'm sharing a sneak peak, rough cut of a song brought by Hassan, an oud player from Israel.  This is from rehearsal last night.  It is a melody written by his grandfather.   Wait 'till you hear it live!

Again, we extend our sincere gratitude,

Emilia, Deb, & Seeds Of Peace

"As I said in our video, "Words sometimes fail me.", and I am speechless with joy and gratitude at this moment."  - Emilia

With your support, we've surpassed our goal!  

We're thrilled to go into this program knowing that all expenses will be covered and that we can truly keep the doors open to anyone who wishes to attend.  What's even better is knowing we're going into this program with all of you as participants.  We now have a whole community, and the energy that you've passed on is palpable!  It will continue to permeate this program and performance.

Tomorrow night, we'll meet all the artists for the first time and begin the creative process of collaboration.  We can't wait to tell them about the success of this campaign.  What a beautiful way to show them that this community of people from far and wide welcomes them, and feels passionate about their work in the world.

Stay tuned for an update about the upcoming performance...

With deep gratitude,

   Emilia, Deb, and Seeds of Peace.

We extend a warm and hearty "thank you"!  We've got 14 days to go and we're already a little more than halfway to our goal!

We can't tell you how excited we are.  Local percussionist, Shamou and I are really starting to dig into the content of the show and are thrilled with the creative challenge of coordinating and collaborating with Arabian hip-hop artists, Jordanian percussionists, visual artists, film-makers, and local artists, Hannah Tarkinson (Isobell,singer/songwriter) and Drew Weyman (bassist)... and more.  We'll have three creative sessions at the Seeds of Peace camp to bring it all together.

Please continue to spread the word and keep the momentum going.  We hope to see you on the 5th and we're grateful to have you aboard!