Ollin Imagination

7/6/10: Ollin Imagination Performing @ Sisters Uptown Bookstore

2010-07-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday July 6, 2010 at 7:30pm come out to Sisters Uptown Bookstore to see Ollin Imagination perform!! 1942 Amsterdam Ave. @ 156th street!!! We will be performing pieces from our identity series. Looking forward to seeing you! Take the C to 155th street or the 1 to 157th street.

Shout Outs for Paz! Ollin Imagination @ El Museo del Barrio

2010-07-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ollin Imagination @ Museo del Barrio's Speak Up Speak Out Series

2010-07-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

Shout Outs for Paz!
Saturday, April 17, 2010 @ El Museo del Barrio
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
El Café
Admission: Free
Join the phenomenal women of Mahina Movement, Las Gallas, Ollin Imagination, ReadNex Poetry Squad for an evening of an Explo-fusión of poetry, activism, music, and multimedia rolled into passion and fire, served HOT!
Admission: Free

Bruised MangOs: Rhythmic Ammunition por la Paz

2008-07-14T10:45:00.000-07:00

Ollin Imagination Presents:
Bruised MangOs: Rhythmic Ammunition por la Paz

a Latino response to the war

Saturday November 15, 8pm
Sunday November 16, 2pm
@ the Brecht Forum
451 West Street, NY
(take the A, C, E, L to 14th Street and 8th Ave. , or the 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street and 7th Ave ).

Thursday November 20, 7pm
@ Boricua College
9 Graham Ave. Brooklyn , NY
(take the J, M, Z to Flushing Ave. ).
Reservations are required for this location

Saturday November 22, 9pm
@ Hunter College
Lang Recital Hall, Room 424, 4th floor, Hunter North Building, 695 (69th St. entrance) Park Ave., NY
(take the 6 train to 68th St. Hunter College).

Tickets: $20, Free at Boricua College
(Group & student discounts available.
No one will be turned away)

NO LATE SEATING

Please e-mail ollinimagination@yahoo.com for more information on group rates, and on how to purchase tickets.

“Bruised MangOs: Rhythmic Ammunition por la Paz” is a performance piece conveying the effects of war on communities in the united states and abroad.

The show intends to nurture dialog and action by placing people closer to the reality of war. Advocating for liberation and creative solutions addressing the moral, physical, and spiritual destruction caused by war, Ollin Imagination hopes the show will inspire others to create their expressions of resistance.

Welcome to Our Cultural Uprising!

2008-02-19T20:56:00.001-08:00

Ollin Imagination envisions building a culture of peace, respect, and social justice through the arts and education. Being aware of the power of art to move and heal communities, Ollin uses art forms like theater, dance, spoken word, and music to educate, touch people's lives, and inspire them to engage in social action. Ollin Imagination is a collective of artists, activists, educators, students that shows the intersections of art and politics, nurturing the creativity inside all of us to help liberate our communities and ourselves.

Ollin Imagination formed after the US invasion of Iraq in 2002, with a family day picnic in Prospect Park. Young children and adults came and took a whack at piñatas of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. These piñatas were featured again at a protest in front of a military recruitment center in the Bronx. Ollin also created puppets and banners for the huge protest against the Republican Convention in August, 2004.

Ollin Imagination is currently a performing troop dedicated to raising awareness of the effects of war both at home and abroad through the performance piece: Bruised MangOs: Rhythmic Ammunition por la Paz.” The show is a poetic and musical performance that premiered in June of 2007 as Anti-War Expressions.

Bruised MangOs: Rhythmic Ammunition por la Paz will be premiering on Saturday November 15 at Hunter College. Check our blog for all show dates.

Ollin has also organized two annual Dance for Peace Festivals, which have attracted communities and performers of different backgrounds to take a stand against the current U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Please check out our blog page for more information on our projects and actions.

We are open to any and all people tapping into their own creativity and wanting to use it to promote social change. You do not have to be an "artist" to use art for social change or to be part of our circle. We believe that art does not have to be a privilege for elite groups, and that with a supportive and safe space we can all tap into our creative spirits.

For more information or to join our cultural circle, contact us at ollinimagination@yahoo.com.

Anti-War Expressions: A Poetic Rythmic Journey from Queens to Borínquen to Bahgdad

2007-07-14T12:17:00.001-07:00

Ollin Imagination's Anti War Expressions (AWE) is a Latino response to the Iraq War. It is a performance combining poetry, spoken word, music, and theater to convey the horrific effects of war on communities in the united states and abroad.

The various characters explore the multifaceted dimensions of people affected by the war. The artists delve into the lives of war veterans, women, poor youth, and immigrants. While some characters are affected by the psychological and physical aftereffects of war, others come to the realization that joining the military didn't help them achieve the "American Dream." The desperation and resiliency of mothers and children torn by war are also depicted. The crude reality, discrimination, and hopelessness faced in war are common threads uniting the lives of these characters.

Although filled with the injustices and horrors of war humor and hope also blend to remind us of the possibility of a just and peaceful society.

AWE intends to nurture dialogue and action by placing people closer to the reality of war. It is a call to use our imagination to create a world beyond hatred and the destruction of human beings and the planet the houses us. Advocating for liberation and creative solutions that address the moral, physical, and spiritual destruction caused by war, Ollin Imagination hopes the show will inspire others to create their own expressions of resistance against warfare, exploitation, all forms of discrimination, or any other issue affecting their communities.

The show is followed by a dialogue/workshop that engages that audience to reflect and talk about how to stop the war.

Ollin's AWE originated from RAWE (Rafi's Anti-War Expressions), a one man show written and performed by Rafael Landrón, one of Ollin's founding members, as a personal response to the Iraq war when it first started. This show toured high schools, after school programs, and the streets of Brooklyn, NY bringing a message of peace and hope to youth of color. The show has evolved to include the voices and experiences of mothers and immigrant women.

AWE's debut was on June 16th, 2007 at Hunter College's Lang Recital Hall. Since then, AWE has performed in venues like the Brecht Forum, Manhattanville College, churches, and the streets!

El Arte: El Fúsil de la Revolución Social Moderna

2006-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Enfocándose en los atropellos y discriminación recibidos por lo inmigrantes residiendo en Estados Unidos desde la iniciativa HR 4437, leyes que criminalizan a cualquier inmigrante indocumentado o a cualquiera ayudándole u otorgándole cualquier tipo de asistencia, un grupo de jóvenes denominados Ollin Imaginación llevó a cabo este 4 de junio del 2006 un Festival de Baile con el propósito de hacer un fuerte llamado al gobierno Estadounidense a poner un alto a esta injusticia. Este evento anual, conocido como el Festival de Baile por la Paz, ya es el segundo que presencia la ciudad de Nueva York, y tiene como principal objetivo protestar los efectos de la actual guerra en Irak en las comunidades pobres e inmigrantes de Estados Unidos.

Este año, uno de los grandes efectos de esta guerra ha sido el ataque a las comunidades inmigrantes, que con el perjurio a la libertad y seguridad de nuestros pueblos utiliza la idea de hacer prevalecer estas dos como excusa para irse en contra de personas inocentes, honestas, y trabajadoras. Ollin Imaginación también tomó esta oportunidad para protestar otro de los grandes efectos de esta guerra: el agresivo reclutamiento militar de los jóvenes Latinoamericanos y Afro-americanos, siendo estos dos los grupos raciales más reclutados en Estados Unidos para ir al frente de guerra. Hasta ahora, más de 526 Latinoamericanos y Afro-americanos han muerto desde el inicio de la guerra (www.icasualties.org/oif). Esto equivale a más del 21 por ciento de soldados perecidos, número alto considerando que estos dos grupos étnicos todavía son una minoría en la población de este país. A pesar de servir lealmente a este país, cientos de Latinos y Afro-americanos han perdido la vida desde el inicio de esta guerra, mas cientos de inmigrantes han sido victimas de deportaciones, arrestos, crímenes raciales, entre otras formas de discriminación.

Conocida como una de las áreas más multiculturales del mundo, el Parque de Flushing Meadows en Corona, Queens, fue testigo de este Festival de Baile el cual atrajo a más de 300 personas, en su mayoría inmigrantes de Latinoamérica. Frecuentado por muchos inmigrantes Latinos, el parque se caracteriza por tener un aire bien Latinoamericano. Las amplias canchas de fútbol llenas de compatriotas usando sus camisas deportivas respectivas a su país de origen, sus familias, cientos de jóvenes, y hasta las carretas de comida típica, toman posesión de este parque especialmente en los calurosos fines de semana que ya azotan la ciudad de Nueva York. El evento, queriendo atraer a inmigrantes del área de Queens, presentó a más de 10 grupos de bailes folklóricos de diferentes partes de Latinoamérica y del mundo, al igual que poetas, músicos e importantes líderes del movimiento anti-guerra y pro-derechos de los inmigrantes. Iván Medina, inmigrante Mexicano y soldado veterano de Irak, que también perdió a su hermano gemelo en esta guerra, hizo un llamado a los jóvenes inmigrantes a no dejarse engañar por los reclutadores militares. Comentó Medina que los reclutadores atraen a los jóvenes inmigrantes con falsas promesas, entre ellas la tan codiciada ciudadanía. La ciudadanía, la cual le fue prometida a Medina al unirse a las fuerzas armadas, todavía no la ha recibido.

Con el slogan: “Construyendo una cultura de paz, respeto y justicia social por medio del arte y la educación”, Ollin Imaginación busca una alternativa a la destrucción moral y física que ha ocasionado el gobierno Estadounidense a los grupos que ha utilizado para construir su poderosa economía, siendo éstos esclavos e inmigrantes. El colectivo, liderado por madres, padres, educadores, artistas, e inmigrantes, presenta primero que nada una alternativa de curación por medio del arte a la gente que ha sido ultrajada y violentada por los monstruos sociales del racismo, machismo, homofobia, pobreza, entre otras formas de discriminación y explotación. El arte, en cualquier representación, es medicina para la mente, cuerpo y alma, y también un arma para crear belleza en vez de destrucción. Por medio de la expresión artística y creativa, estos grupos pueden desahogarse, pueden adquirir una voz en contra de las injusticias sufridas y especialmente, reconocimiento en esta sociedad que los ha marginado por generaciones. Ollin, palabra en Náhuatl que significa movimiento, hace un llamado a construir un movimiento de justicia social en donde sea nuestra imaginación la que de nacimiento ha soluciones nuevas basadas en las necesidades y realidades de la gente oprimida de este país. En esta ocasión, el baile y la danza folklórica fue el fúsil artístico para expresarse en estos tiempos de revolución cultural. Entre bailes, poesía, música protesta, y mensajes de paz demandando justicia y dignidad humana, la multitud se educó, divirtió y protestó las injusticias cometidas por el gobierno de Estados Unidos.

Laucnhing of the Bruised Mango: Poems by Rafael Landrón

2006-08-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

On June 19, 2006 a community of artists, activists, family and friends got together at Teatro LaTea to celebrate the birth of "The Bruised Mango," a collection of poetry written by one of Ollin Imagination's members, Rafael Landrón. In the midst of this cultural celebration were readings and performances by the author, who also sent words of encouragement for all people to tap into their creative spirits and use this power of expression to inspire others to change the world. Joining us in this celebration were the Bomberos de Brooklyn, percussionist Angel Burgos, poet and filmmaker Lenina Nadal, and Wollin (the womyn performers of Ollin Imagination). In the middle of songs, dances, poetry, taquitos and sweet mangoes to snack on, the "Bruised Mango" was blessed and finally joined the currents of revolutionary literature. Rafael's poetry, rich in history, culture, and personal stories, speaks about Nuyorico, war and plátanos. You'll sure be taken to many places reading his words, amongst them to places of injustice, sadness, and desperation, but most importantly, to places of hope, love, and much, much laughter. You can obtain a copy of his book by e-mailing ollinimagination@yahoo.com, or calling the author at 718.782.2200.

Here we leave you with something fresh off the tree:

LOOSEN YOUR TONGUE
Loosen your tongue
Loosen your tongue young one
Bound attached to the bottom of your palate
The tissue that connects the bottom of your mouth
Must be snipped
LOOSEN YOUR TONGUE
Loosen your tongue
For every thought not spoken
Goes to the well of despair
Do not trap your rage
Do not trap your freedom

Loosen your tongue
I know how heavy it feels at times
Pressed down, as if Columbus himself was standing on it
it sometimes feels easier to
Take it and not say a word

Loosen your tongue young one
Mamas boy talk!
Speak only when spoken to
So Polite respectful of elders
loosen your tongue
I want to hear you child
I want to see your words

Be brave I understand your fears
The 400 years of doubt
Pressing down on your tongue
But lift it wag it
Let it be known what you think
Speak child
Speak your inner most thoughts
Because they are counting on the fact that you
Press down, stay quiet, and obey
Loosen your tongue

Picture taken by photographer Cristian Peña

Mets Fans Against the War take a Stand...by Sitting Down

2006-06-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

On April 5th, 2006 in Shea Stadium, a group of Mets fans went to show their support for Carlos Delgado but not just to root or cheer while he was at bat. In fact, what they were there to root for had nothing to do with this baseball star's hitting prowess or fielding skills at all. What they were showing their support for was his political prowess, and they were going to do so by defiantly sitting down during the 7th inning singing of God Bless America while holding a banner.

Asked why they felt the need to support Mr. Delgado (a humble yet simultaneously outspoken critic of the War in Iraq) in such a way, and they will all tell you the same thing: Freedom of speech and expression are more American than apple pie, God Bless America, and yes even Baseball. By flying F15s over World Series games and routinely dropping paratroopers onto fields during ceremonies, Baseball and the MLB have failed to present games as apolitical arenas, a place in theory where hitting and pitching stats are the things that matter.

If pressed they will tell you that baseball fans whether they like it or not, are subjected to frequent displays of pro-war militarism, yet at the same time Carlos Delgado is not allowed to express his anti-war sentiment because it "politicizes the game." This seeming contradiction is their point, and it is a point worth listening to. Unfortunately and fortunately, the song was never played that day. But, the next time you’re at a game and they play God Bless America look for their banner during the 7th inning stretch and you just might see them.

Dance for Peace Festival '06

2006-03-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

On Sunday June 4th, 2006, Ollin Imagination accomplished their second annual Dance for Peace Festival, this year attracting more than 300 people at Flushing Meadows Park. People gathered to enjoy numeroous cultural performances as well as to learn about the current political state affecting people of color, particularly immigrants. This action is a free, annual, multicultural and interactive dance festival attracting youth, families, and communities of different backgrounds. Aside to protesting the current Iraq occupation, the festival’s objective was to raise awareness about the attacks on immigrant communities since 9/11, and the aggressive military recruitment of youth of color. In addition, the Festival attracts communities who have limited access to artistic and cultural events, and that are not traditionally engaged in political discourse.

The pictures above belong to Ollin's first Dance for Peace Festival, which took place on July 31st, 2005 at Union Square Park. Pictures were taken by Cristian Peña. If you would like to learn more about the Dance for Peace Festival '05, please read the article below: "A Dance Against the Occupation."

Art Circles

2006-03-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

Monthly gatherings that offer a space for artists as well as people who do not necessarily see themselves as artists to gather to express themselves creatively and create communally. Hosted by Ollin members, or by community members who join the Circles, these are characterized by being warm, family oriented spaces in where healthy home-made food and a social justice theme are always present. Ollin's Art Circles are also a space for people to heal. Being aware that art in the traditional form is a privilege for those who have money and time to dedicate to it, and that creativity escapes our souls as we grow and become more immersed in the oppressive institutions and experiences of this society, we've created a space for people to escape from these and gather to build, cry, laugh, hope, and dream creatively. Art Circles take place every second Saturday of the month. For more detailed information or to find out about this month's Art Circle location, please e-mail ollinimagination@yahoo.com

Rafi's Anti-War Expressions: “A poetic rhythmic journey from Newyorico to Borínquen”

2006-03-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

As a response to the aggressive military recruitument of youth of color
Ollin Imagination presents: RAFI'S ANTI-WAR EXPRESSIONS

About the Performance
Rafi’s Anti-War Expressions/Workshop was created as a response to the aggressive military recruitment of youth of color. Part one of Rafi's Anti-War Expressions is a Nuyorican response to the war communicated through spoken word, theater and music. The artist, Rafael Landrón, delves into the life of a Nuyorican veteran who shows his perspective on everything from cuchifritos to mango trees. Rafael also delves into the minds of a young mother of color and an inner city young man, who find themselves searching for opportunities and a better future by joining the military.

About the Workshop
Part two of the Expressions is devoted to a 90 minute interactive and experiential workshop, that engages the students to feel, reflect and dialogue about the direct effects of the current war in their lives. The workshop culminates with the youth's creation of their own "expressions of resistance." Students are also supplied with fact sheets about the effects of the war, on the military myths, and on how they can contribute to the anti-war movement.

About the Artist
Rafael Landrón, is a Nuyorican artist, writer, and educator native of Queens, NY, who has performed in numerous venues including the Bowery Poetry Café, Nuyorican Poets Café, Carlito’s Café, Teatro la SEA, and many others. Deeply impacted by the start of the war in Iraq, Rafael felt powerless with the knowledge that thousands of innocent lives were going to be lost. He began to write what he calls “expressions of resistance to end the war.” Rafael hit the streets in front of the UN to recite his anti-war poetry prior to the beginning of the war. These pieces later developed into “Rafi’s Anti-war Expressions,” which premiered in June of 2005 at Teatro Los Kabayitos/SEA. Rafael hopes that his artistic anti-war expressions stimulate dialogue, inspires others to use their creativity to end this war, and most importantly, that it raises consciousness about the aggressive military recruitment of Latinos and other people of color into the military.

About the Workshop Facilitators
Tania Romero, born in New York City, but raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has dedicated more than eight years to working with children and youth. She is a graduate from Hunter College School of Social Work, in where she majored in Community Organizing and Plannning. She is also a mother, poet, dancer, activist, educator, and high school college counselor. She has spent the last four years practicing and learning about popular education. Through this work, she has been incorporating social justice and activism into education. She is founding member of Ollin Imagination, and participant of the Mexica dance group, Cetiliztli Nauhcampa Quetzalcoaltl in Ixachitlan.

Luz Schreiber was born in New York City and raised in Mexico. Her passions include: poetry, cooking, laughing hard and dancing with her three year old daughter. She is currently a member of Atl Tlachinolli, a Mexica dance group and also teaches first graders Mexica dance in an after school program in Spanish Harlem. Luz has an interest in all dance forms. She is an organizer for Ollin's annual Dance for Peace Festival that takes place in the summer, and is also founding member of Ollin Imagination.

To bring Rafi's Anti-War Expressions to your community, school or organization e-mail: ollinimagination@yahoo.com

A Dance Against the Occupation

2006-03-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Written by Luz Schreiber and Zach Arcidiacono

While the major antiwar organizations prepare for mass demonstrations in the fall, a group of dancers, poets, singers and other cultural performers gathered in the north plaza of Union Square Park on Sunday July 31 to protest the occupation of Iraq. Billed as a dance for peace, it was organized by Ollin Imagination, an activist group whose goal is to spread cultural circles in which art and politics are naturally intertwined and create a culture of resistance.

Cetilitzli Nauhcampa, an Aztec dance group, opened the event with a spectacular series of dances. The festival went on with Indian dance solos performed by Tatiana Rodrigues. Ellen Xiao Feng Guidone performed an Indonesian dance solo called “Golek Ayun-Ayun.” It is a western Javanese dance about the process of getting ready to face a day. Ellen is also a member of Organizing Asian Communities (CAAAV).

Rap artists Koba from the group Kontrast and Derone brought hip-hop with a social conscience, in two charged performances, casting a spotlight on the marginalization and repression of youth, and striking a note of defiance and resistance. Earthdriver bassist Jeremiah’s lyrics of love, with melancholic undertones, allowed for a moment of reflection.

Nuyorican poet Rafael Landron updates the famous ‘60s slogan “No Vietnamese ever called me nigger” with his powerful piece “No Iraqi ever called me spic,” a scathing indictment of the hypocrisy and racism of the United States. Lenina Nadal captures the privileged and the dispossessed’s perceptions of our increasingly polarized world in a poem that illuminates the hopes, dreams, anxieties and fears of the have-nots, while exposing the ultimate hollowness of privilege.

Chicana poet Erika de LaRosa, from the Mahina Movement, speaks with pain and pride about growing up in two worlds, the alienation and dual consciousness created when “the border crossed us.” Many Americans do not realize that just as US Marines occupy Baghdad and Kabul today, they once occupied Mexico City, annexing half of Mexico at gunpoint.

The event culminated in dozens of attendees participating in a vibrant, communal Afro-Puerto Rican ‘bomba’ dance with Los Bomberos de Brooklyn. Both young and old gathered and shared a moment of solidarity and celebration. “It was liberating to make an antiwar statement without being militant and combative ourselves,” said event organizer Timothy Rodrigues. “Dance is a fun, universal act that folks can enjoy together.”

The dance festival was an outcry against the war being carried out at home as well as abroad. Immigrants and people of color are being racially profiled, detained and disappeared everyday as our civil liberties are eroded. Working-class and people of color communities are being aggressively targeted for military recruitment. Monami Maulik’s (Desis Rising Up and Moving) chilling description of the arrests and deportations impacting the South Asian community, as family members disappear into a judicial netherworld, contrasted sharply with the prosaic routines of the shoppers and pedestrians relaxing in Union Square. Her words were a welcome wakeup call to the public. The Bush regime may well broaden the scope of repression, as has already begun with the detention of American citizen Jose Padilla, if dissent against their policies becomes more vocal and militant.

The dance festival denounced the crime of occupation in Iraq and in all occupied territories on the world. It was a dance for the democratic rights of self-determination, sovereignty and the right of resistance.

“War is due to the failure of human imagination. The festival tried to imagine the defeat of the culture of war and violence, thereby creating a culture of peace and community.” John Kim said, a member of Soul Survivors, who co-sponsored the event.

People passing by would stop to watch the performers, but also to dance and raise their voice for peace. The crowd shuffled with each performance, drawing approximately 300 over the course of the day. Shirley Lin, a member of New Immigrant Community Empowerment spoke of the symbolic importance of having this dance for peace in Union Square. “In the aftermath of 9/11 Union Square became a cutoff point where New Yorkers immediately started gathering. It became a place for debate as well as a space for remembrance.”

The powerful and hopeful message of the event elicited a warm and energetic response. “A movement of resistance that is based in creativity and love is the biggest threat to the war culture, because it generates a meaningful alternative.” Amy Hamilton said, a member of MAMA (Mother’s Alliance for Militant Action). Those in attendance were charged with positive action and glad to see that we have the power and ability to create beauty and imagine ways to relate to each other with respect and build a strong community. You can contact Ollin Imagination at: ollinimagination@yahoo.com.