NOVEMBER 2021
NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2021
The 7th annual Compassion Arts Festival is here!
This year’s festival is inspired by “The Ten Trusts” in reflection on themes from the book The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do To Care for the Animals We Love by Jane Goodall and Marc Bekoff. Each festival event is a meditation on one of the trusts, exploring how the arts and creativity can be instruments for deepening understanding and respect for animals and nature, in advancing positive change and compassion for all life.
Events will be streamed on the festival website homepage, except for three programs on zoom that will require advance sign up, noted in the schedule below (The Fifth Trust Exhibit Art Opening, Teaching Our Children: Humane Education Roundtable, and Writing Like An Animal: Persona Poetry Workshop).
All festival events are free and made possible by volunteer presentations from creative artists in different kinds of artistry, advocates, educators and others using their work to raise awareness about our relationship with animals and the natural world, and for cultivating connection, empathy, and justice for all life.
Compassion Arts Festival is an all-volunteer project of Compassion Arts and is not a non-profit, so we do not accept donations. For more information visit www.compassionarts.org or email info@compassionarts.org.
“We join in a circle to do together that which we cannot do alone”
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
KINDRED SOUL
Sunday, November 14th | 2—4pm EST
Tamerlaine Sanctuary
The festival’s opening event, KINDRED SOUL, is a virtual house concert and sanctuary tour with Tamerlaine Sanctuary & Preserve, hosted by multi-media performing artist and composer Michael Harren. This music-for- animals event features songs and poetry from guest performers Risa Branch, Danny Hamilton, Michael Harren, Stewart Mitchell, Lila Rose, Donald Vincent and others, interwoven with an introduction to the work of Tamerlaine Sanctuary and a visit with some of the animal residents. A celebration of “The First Trust: Rejoice that we are Part of the Animal Kingdom”, KINDRED SOUL will stream on the festival website homepage.
RESPECT ALL LIFE
Monday, November 15th | 7—8pm EST
Pascale Salmon: Freedom
RESPECT ALL LIFE is a classical piano concert and speaking presentation by acclaimed musicians Drs. Joanne Kong and Paul Hanson, exploring the principles of “The Second Trust: Respect All Life.” The program, created by Joanne Kong ( Vegan Voices), is a video performance of classical piano selections performed by Drs. Kong & Hanson, with readings, information, artwork, and photographs of Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals Media. The pre-recorded concert video (by Jeff Adams of Vegan Linked), will stream on the festival website homepage.
LEARNING FROM ANIMALS
Tuesday, November 16th | 7—8:30pm EST
Photo: The Last Pig film
Hosted by Lisa Levinson, LEARNING FROM ANIMALS is a roundtable discussion program featuring animal advocates whose work is intertwined with animals’ lives, for deepening our understanding of individuals of other species. Roundtable speakers include documentary filmmaker Allison Argo, animal behaviorist and author Marc Bekoff, animal chaplain Rev. Sarah Bowen, and Luvin’ Arms Sanctuary co-founder Shaleene Shah. The program will reflect on “The Third Trust: Open Our Minds, In Humility, to Animals and Learn from Them”. This event is co-partnered with In Defense of Animals and will stream on the festival website homepage.
TEACHING OUR CHILDREN
Wednesday, November 17th | 7—8:30pm EST
Pascale Salmon
TEACHING OUR CHILDREN is a speaker’s roundtable on Humane Education and why it matters, hosted by groundbreaking educator and speaker Zoe Weil ( co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education). This virtual program will explore humane education in relation to “The Fourth Trust: Teach Our Children to Respect and Love Nature”, and will feature guest speakers Kim Korona (HEART), Nora Kramer (YEA Camp), and Kris Tucker (IHE).
This is a closed program that requires advance sign-up.
Attendance is limited, please register by November 16th.
THE FIFTH TRUST
Virtual Exhibition & Art Opening
Thursday, November 18th | 7—8:30pm EST
Linnea Ryshke "Embers"
Linda Brant
Lee Deigaard
Patricia Denys
Alise Eastgate
Kathryn Eddy
Karen Fiorito
Erica Gajewski
Suzy González
Isa Leshko
Jane O’Hara
Janell O’Rourke
Colleen Plumb
Linnea Ryshke
L.A. Watson
Gretchen Woodman
THE FIFTH TRUST is a virtual group exhibition and an art opening event reflecting on “The Fifth Trust: Be Wise Stewards of Life on Earth.” Curated by Jane O’Hara and Janell O’Rourke, the online exhibit and virtual art opening feature the work of fifteen women artists for animals: Linda Brant, Lee Deigaard, Patrica Denys, Alise Eastgate, Kathryn Eddy, Karen Fiorito, Erica Gajewski, Suzy González, Isa Leshko, Jane O’Hara, Janell O’Rourke, Colleen Plumb, Linnea Ryshke, L.A. Watson, Gretchen Woodman.
The art opening is a closed event that requires advance sign-up.
Attendance is limited so please sign-up by Nov 17th.
PRESERVING NATURE’S SONG
Friday, November 19th | 7—8pm EST
Photo: John Yunker
A contemplative program on “The Sixth Step: Value and Help Preserve the Sounds of Nature”, PRESERVING NATURE’S SONG features animal advocates in the fine arts, literary arts, and healing arts, in interviews on how creativity can advance conservation and deepen respect for animals and the natural world. Featured presenters include artist and holistic animal teacher Linda G. Fisher, writer and publisher John Yunker, and healing arts facilitator and communicator Dawn Casteel-Lorick.
This program will stream on the festival website homepage.
WRITING LIKE AN ANIMAL:
PERSONA POETRY WORKSHOP
Saturday, November 20th | 2—4pm EST
Jane O’Hara: “Listening”
Gretchen Primack leads this virtual workshop on writing poems from the perspective of animals. Using the power of words, imagination, and compassion, Persona Poems connect with the experiences of others, in ways that can inspire empathy and transformational change.
This workshop is a closed program that requires advance sign-up.
Attendance is limited so please sign-up by Nov 19th.
THE ABSENCE OF UNNECESSARY HURTING
Saturday, November 21st | 7—8pm EST
Pascale Samon: Open Cages
A poetry reading event exploring “The Seventh Trust: Refrain from Harming Life In Order To Learn About It”, Gretchen Primack shares poignant and thought-provoking selections from her acclaimed poetry collection KIND (new edition Lantern Publishing), with the support of special guest author Mandy-Suzanne Wong, reading selections from her recently released book of collected essays “Listen, we all bleed.” The program’s title THE ABSENCE OF UNNECESSARY HURTING is a reference to Gretchen’s poem of the same name and the theme of the evening’s readings.
This program will stream on the festival website homepage.
EIGHTH TRUST SYMPOSIUM
Sunday, November 21st | 2—3:30pm EST
Alise Eastgate
Hosted by poet and educator Donald Vincent, this virtual symposium on “The Eighth Trust: Having the Courage of Our Convictions” focuses on creativity and veganism as tools for advancing positive social change. The EIGHTH TRUST SYMPOSIUM presenters include Aysha Akthar of Contemporary Sciences, artists Jack & Alise Eastgate of Eastrand Studios, Ana Bradley of Sentient Media, After Animals podcast, Donald Vincent and others. Program speakers will share about their work and the interconnections of plant-based living, social justice, and caring for animals and the Earth.
This event will stream live on the festival website homepage.
LIFT UP ALL WHO CARE
Monday, November 22nd | 7—8:30pm EST
River’s Wish Sanctuary
LIFT UP ALL WHO CARE is an exploration of “The Ninth Trust: Praise and Help Those Who Work with Animals and the Natural World”. Hosted by Marla Andrews, this virtual program looks at ways we can support those who help animals, how to help animals directly with our lives, and how to understand and prevent compassion fatigue. Presentations include videos from River’s Wish Sanctuary, readings from the book Allowed to Grow Old by author and photographer Isa Leshko, an interview with artist and advocate Cyrus Mejia of Best Friends Animal Society in a speaker’s roundtable TBA.
This program will stream live on the festival website homepage.
ACT WITH HOPE
Tuesday, November 23rd | 7—8:00pm EST
Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur/ We Animals Media
ACT WITH HOPE is a speaker’s roundtable on “The Tenth Trust: Act Knowing We Are Not Alone and Live with Hope”. Hosted by Martin Rowe (Lantern Publishing), the ACT WITH HOPE program shares the work of groundbreaking advocates leading the way in positive action for animals. Speakers include Ayrenish Birdie of the Encompass Movement, Joanne Kong (Vegan Voices) and Jo-Anne McArthur ( We Animals Media/ Unbound Project). The is a pre-recorded program that will be streamed on the festival website homepage.
Vegans of New England
Wednesday, November 24th | 2—3:30pm EST
The festival closes with the launching of Vegans of New England (VoNE), a co-partnered project of Compassion Arts Festival, New England Veg Fest and CompassionFest. The VoNE project will present a live-streamed event focused on Gratitude in Action, for uplifting and connecting plant-based community, as well as for exploring the work of redefining the traditional Thanksgiving 'holiday' and re-examining what it means. The event hosts an inspiring line-up of farm animal sanctuaries, cooking demos, interviews, and recipes from vegan kitchens and chefs, interviews, music, healing arts, advocates and artists sharing their work and stories of hope and inspiration for creating a narrative of healing and holistic nonviolence towards a more compassionate and just world for all.
You don't need to be a vegan to attend - all are welcome!
Vegans of New England will stream on the festival website 11/24 at 2pm EST
Chris Taylor/ Wild Love Photography
Special thanks to vegan wildlife photographer Chris Taylor of Wild Love Photography for permission to use her beautiful photograph Egrets in Fog as this year’s 2021 festival image. Deep gratitude for the inspiration of the wisdom of The Ten Trusts ‘mantras’ created by Marc Bekoff and for the book of the same name by Dr. Bekoff and Dr. Goodall, and their important work for animals for many decades.
Thank you especially to the dedication, considerable time, work, brilliant ideas and collective teamwork from all of the Compassion Arts Festival event hosts and co-partners who have made this year’s virtual programs possible – Marla Andrews, Joanne Kong, Michael Harren, Lisa Levinson, Tabitha Logan, Marlene Narrow, Jane O’Hara, Janell O’Rourke, Gretchen Primack, Martin Rowe, Ellie Sarty, Donald Vincent, Alfee West, Zoe Weil, Alfee West, Jen Wyglinski – as well as more than fifty presenters ( listed in the Program Schedule events) who have shared their work and their time, and all those who have participated in helping in operational aspects like tech, zoom, video, graphics, and spreading the word.