THIS Monday sees the launch of a summer-long project in the West Devon area, with a multi-cultural performance involving singing, dancing and drumming at the ancient stone circle at Merrivale. The dawn chorus welcoming of the summer is part of the Tavistock Music Festival and will be led by the town?s deputy mayor, Caroline Keane. Caroline said she hoped as many people as possible would join in the celebrations, as they did in last year?s inaugural dawn chorus event. A special free workshop will take place at the Molly Owen Centre this Sunday, April 30, from 10am until 12.30pm when the songs and dances to welcome the dawn will be practised. The dawn chorus celebration sees the start of a series of walks and musical events aimed at highlighting environmental awareness, using the ancient tradition of stone carrying. Throughout the summer, Caroline and Zimbabwean drummer Chanda Nyerezani will take the stone carrying tradition to communities and schools throughout the region. There will also be eight walks, starting on May 14 and continuing on Sundays until September 24 ? each will end with a storytelling and drumming workshop. Caroline said: ?The workshops present an opportunity to learn about stone carrying through stories, dances and song from Central Africa. ?Everyone who comes along is asked to bring their own small pebble or stone so that together we can create our stonecarrying journey.? A particular piece of granite is taken to all events, known as the ?Childstone?. Caroline said: ?The message the Childstone carries is peace ? in this we include peaceful and quiet enjoyment and appreciation of all our relations, whether these be animal, vegetable or mineral components of our world. ?Children collect their own stones and are specific in naming an intention for the stone they have selected. Each child has come up with their message for their own stone, to represent their thoughts and wishes about a better world and what they want for the environment.? The stonecarrying environmental project has already attracted funding from the BBC?s Breeze award scheme and the National Lottery?s Awards for All programme. Caroline said: ?The awards have enabled us to put this multicultural programme together for the benefit of over 1,000 primary school children who now have an insight into other traditions and how other cultures weaving with our own can enrich our environment and help honour our own landscape.? The dawn chorus celebration takes place at 5.15am on Monday. For more information, call Caroline Keane on 01822 610546 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected] or visit http://www.stonecarriers.blogspot.com">www.stonecarriers.blogspot.com
