School for Designing a Society

The School for Designing a Society, established in 1991, is a project of teachers, performers, artists, and activists. It is an ongoing experiment in making temporary living environments where the question "What would I consider a desirable society?" is given serious playful thoughtful discussion, and taken as an input to creative projects.

Upcoming Sessions in Urbana, Illinois

Autumn School for Designing a Society
August 23 - November 23, 2010

Following an Open House from 7-8:30 p.m. on Monday, August 23, courses run every week August 24th through November 23rd, 2010. Location is the Family Room in the basement of the IMC. Full-time students will have about 15 hours of class & rehearsal each week; courses can also be taken in isolation. For more info, fill out the contact form.

Composing Arts and Activism: We want to change the world, but are faced with the same tired out language and tactics. Design ideas from cybernetics, permaculture, and composition will be used to address problems of contemporary relevance. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. with food.

IndyMedia Arts Lube: A practicum in making media, independently, in a variety of mediums, moods, modalities. Building from low-risk, quirky "art lubes" into larger projects, enabled by the tools and spirit of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1 p.m., Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Performance and Composition Laboratory: Intensive rehearsal and composition work in the framework of ensemble. Composing and rehearsing projects are garnered both from individual and group desires, towards public performances throughout the semester. A weekly "Performers' Workshop", where performances-in-progress meet non-trivial input from audience. Rehearsal & Performance Skills Workshops - Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays 11:00am-12:00pm; Performers' Workshop Fridays 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Urbana-Champaign Udderbot Marching Choir: A joint endeavor with UC-OddMusic, the "UC-UMC" takes this invented instrument as a starting point for an experimental community marching band. An ensemble which draws on personal weirdnesses to construct the genuine collaborative social Oddness which any societal shift requires. Saturdays 1:00-3:00 p.m. For the first week, there will be an udderbot choir intensive: Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 3:00-5:00pm.

Cybernetics, a 'slow reading' group: Cybernetics, the study of observed and observing systems, offers a toolbox for talking about systems change. This reading group will use 'slow reading' (rather than the usual academic 'speed reading') to bring comprehension through critique of language. Fridays 7:00-9:00 p.m., not necessarily weekly.

Special Opportunity: Clowning and Performing in Costa Rica (September 6-10): This 5-day trip with Patch Adams, M.D. and the Gesundheit! Institute provides participants with daily experiences in hands-on care, using clowning, performance, humor and play in hospitals, nursing homes, public parks and streets. The trip is for both beginning clowns and performers, and more advanced ones. In addition to performing in clinical settings, there will be daily practical workshops in clown technique, song, poetry, Theater of the Oppressed, improvisation, along with composing in small groups. Special Discount for SDaS Autumn Session Students: $500. See below for more details. Teachers for the Autumn Session include Mark Enslin, Susan Parenti, and Jacob Barton, with several guest presenters to be announced. A calendar with this information is available here.

$1500 covers full-time tuition; some financial aid is available. Part-time enrollment is also possible; inquire for details. To apply, please fill out our contact form.

Spring Semester (Feminist Composition School)
February 14 - April 17, 2011

More info soon!

Upcoming Opportunities with the Gesundheit! Institute

Clowning and Performing in Costa Rica
September 6 - 10, 2010

Gesundheit! Institute and the School for Designing a Society invite you to participate in CLOWNING AND PERFORMING, a tour in Costa Rica. This 5-day trip with Patch Adams MD provides participants with daily experiences in hands-on care, using clowning, performance, humor and play in hospitals, nursing homes, public parks and streets. The aim is for you to practice some joy-bringing skills in a conducive setting, and bring these skills back home to your everyday life and work. The trip is for both beginning clowns and performers, and the more advanced ones. Let's open our hearts—and look inside!

Why Costa Rica? The history of Costa Rica has an unusual twist for a country in Central America—or anywhere—in the 20th century. Upon taking power in 1948 after an uprising against an annulled election, the victorious rebels proceeded to abolish the army and remove themselves from power. Costa Rica now hosts many projects of peace, justice and ecological restoration.

In addition to performing in clinical settings, there will be daily practical workshops in clown technique, song, poetry, Theater of the Oppressed, improvisation, along with composing in small groups. Patch Adams will be leading this trip.

Themes:

Day 1: The Red Badge of Courage: the Clown and the Nose The politics of 'help': exactly who am I 'helping' when I clown? 'Them'? 'Me'? 'It?' Charity versus bi-directional care. Clowning as anti-hierarchical intervention, clowning as invitation to social chaos, as a trick to bring love close, as warming up public spaces.

Evening Workshop: Adding Singing and Music to your Clowning and Play

Day 2: The Art of Making small things BIG, so as to make BIG THINGS small Clowning as a way of making small things (small actions of kindness, simple props, "fictional" premises) BIG in order to make BIG things (overwhelming grief, pain) small. Clowning as a way to invert a disproportionate relationship between joy and suffering.

Evening Workshop: Playing with Props: the Thingamadoodly and The Clown

Day 3: What is YOUR love STRATEGY? A 3-hour workshop with Patch Adams: how love is thoughtful action, not only emotional expression. Discussion on how to design strategies for showing and engendering 'love'. Hands on exercises.

Evening Workshop: Acting without language: How to add movement, mime, and acting when you can't use language

Day 4: WHERE AM I? Eyes on Costa Rica: Where are we? What is it? Who are 'we' in it? How to 'look a system' when visiting another country briefly? Discussion of the economic, historical, ecological, cultural, compositional life of Costa Rica.

Skill-shares: juggling, balloon figures, clown make-up, special talents.

Day 5: Synthesis of our week's experience Play back sessions in small and large groups: Have I changed? Has it? What's my next step?

Instructors

• Patch Adams—entered medical school in 1967 to use medicine as a vehicle for social change; promotes and practices living a life of public joy as a revolutionary act; fount of ideas for avoiding burn-out in long-term social justice and health. Enthusiator.
• Susan Parenti—composer, playwright, pianist, accordionist, poet, virtuoso speaker; critical observer & dramatizer of language's troubled relation to thought; composing not only pieces but also contexts where pieces might function: house theater, scripted rehearsal, timed discussion. Adept at making her personal curiosity social.
• Mark Enslin—composer, actor, bassoonist, guitarist, oud player, apprentice tabla player, listener, teaching composition facing the power of the respondent, assignment as an art form.
• Melanie Meltzer—clown and scholar, mover and steadier, catalyst.
• Steven Hawkins—peacemaker and performer, clown, teacher, social critic, motivator.

Further playful readings:

• Re-Designing the Character of the Care-Actor by Susan Parenti
• Metaclown by Jacob Barton

General Information:

Lodging: Accomodations will be provided by Casa Ridgeway Hostel
Cost: $1250 covers food, lodging, all educational and clowning events, and transportation within the country. This fee does not include your transporation to Costa Rica.
Travel: If you are interested in joining our group flight for lower rates, please contact melanie@patchadams.org If you plan to meet us there, please arrive by the evening of September 5.
Registration: To confirm your registration, we ask you please to (1) Pay here and (2) end either your full payment, $1250 or a $500 (non-refundable) deposit by July 31.
Payment: The full fee or deposit can be paid online via secure Paypal account HERE OR with a check made out to GESUNDHEIT! INSTITUTE and mailed to: Melanie Meltzer, 407 E. Oregon St, Urbana, IL 61801
Passports: No visa is required. Passports can be expedited by your local post office. Please bring two color photocopies of your passport with you.
Vaccines: The following vaccines are recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B. Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Measles Mumps Rubell (MMR) and Tetanus-diphtheria.
Forms: Forms are available for download at the bottom of this page. All forms must be notarized and mailed to Melanie Meltzer (address above)

Contact: Questions or concerns? Email melanie@patchadams.org!

Questions? Contact us.

---

---