July 28, 2012, Saturday - Kinship of Rivers at The Soap Factory

Time: 10:00am – 8:00pm, with programs and performances throughout the day

Location: Soap Factory, 514 Second Street SE

Kinship of Rivers is a five-year international river project that uses collective art, poetry, stories, music, dance and food to bring a sense of kinship among the people and communities along both the Mississippi and Yangtze Rivers.

The celebration throughout the day will include many different components, from music to dance, poetry to flag making, in which people from every walk of life are encouraged to participate. The gallery will be a gathering point for people to come together in celebration of the Mississippi and the Yangtze Rivers. At 6pm, The Soap Factory is hosting a performance of Ten Thousand Waves, a narrative poem written by Wang Ping set to music by Bruce Bolon. The Kinship of Rivers event will end with the completion of Tibetan mystic art: Sand Mandala, performed by Lama Yeshi Choedup, and a grand ceremony for peace and clean water.

Kinship of Rivers Program: July 28th
10am - 7pm

- Sand Mandala of Peace by Yeshi Choedup

1 -5pm

- Wind chime sound installations by Carleton Macy, recorder by Macy, yangqing by Peiju Picardo with melodies from the Yangtze and Mississippi
- Kevin Conroy builds a bamboo dome for chimes. Visitors are welcome to help build the dome and bring their own wind chimes to hang on the frame. Their sound will join in the melodies from the two rivers.
- Tea ceremony with Peiju Picardo from Samosa Tea
- Making river flags to bring to the Yangtze River and Tibet in 2013

3 - 5pm

- Dumplings with the Yangtze recipe and organic ingredients

6pm

- Ten Thousand Waves Ensemble, lyrics by Wang Ping, music by Bruce Bolon

7pm

- Completion of the Peace Mandala, a closing ceremony and offering the mandala to the river. Half of the mandala sand will be given to the audience as blessing, and the rest offered to the Mississippi for healing