|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
THE FIFTH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND CULTURE FEST |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
The New England Culture Fest 2008, WRAP UP
THE FIFTH ANNUAL NEW ENGLAND CULTURE FEST (NECF 2008)
Showcased World Class Flamenco, Brazilian, Rock, African, American, and Innovative Beats, Arts, Fashion, Film for Better World!
The Premiere Fair Trade Festival!
Cobblestone Met Carnival at the Premiere Fair Trade Festival!
In an exciting fusion of film, fashion, world culture, and fair trade advocacy, The Fifth Annual New England Culture Fest benefit extravaganza exploded in the Arts District of historic downtown Lowell, Mass. Enterprise Bank Parking Lot (2-10 PM) with twenty piece Brazilian powerhouse ensemble Samba Tremeterra complete with hot Carnival dancers and drummers trained under veteran master drummer Deraldo Ferreira of the Brazilian Cultural Center of New England heading up an all-star lineup of international rhythms for a Autumn Carnival you have never experienced before! While organic hand crafted beer from Peak Organic, along with offerings from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters flowed -- “Salsa Lessons Under the Sky” with Dan Marshall & Katalin Matyus of FreEMotion/ LibrEMocion Repertory Company to African drums and flutes of Black Bear Moon Ensemble, a cross between New Orleans and West African roots the Folk Soul Band kicked things off the right way and New Englanders were transported to another place: immersed in the sights, scents and sounds of global culture! The NECF Main Stage featured the hand painted backdrop by Lowell artist Gary Cadet and welcoming fans was the huge NECF Art Fence coordinated this year by artist Sarah Kolker running the length of the Lowell Arts District nerve center: Middle Street- all created by youth graffiti artists, and hand dyed with local veggies by UTEC Farm youth! Gutsy rockers System Noise from New York City blew the crowd away. The uplifting positive influence of the folk-rock of Every Good Boy complimented the bustling henna, face painting, activities for children during the day at the Ethical Art & Biz Expo! In between acts the crowd rocked out to DJ Ray who juggled old school house to jungle and hip hop music! And back at the NECF by popular demand was a moving performance by acclaimed masters, The Juanito Pascual Flamenco Quartet -- and newcomers D. Scott & The Family heated up the Culture Fest with a delicious blend of empowering female led hip-hop / neo-soul grooves! The NECF hallmark of large scale interactive video installation art featuring the global images of The Second World Fair Trade Stories Film Archive was masterfully mixed by Brooklyn VJ Bryan Teoh. The amazing fire dancing tribal rock group Incusinvaded the festival once night fell memorizing and amazing Culture Fest fans – all in tribute to the economic empowerment work of the non-profit organization, Second World (www.second-world.com). All the while : Nicole Richard and Stylist Suzy Watters were at work along with a team of make up artists, hair stylists from Salon Creations and Cut Color and Company all busy at work styling models from John Robert Powers for the scintillating fashion show from the Fashionably Fair advocacy program fusing fashion and fair trade in a stunning display of labels Jute & Jackfruit (Indigenous and Enoudo), Nomads Hemp Wear, Norden Arts, from as far away as the Nepal and Canada. Exclusive designs are now available for bidding and more than 50 prizes were raffled off at the NECF Raffle!
More than one hundred artists, ethical businesses, fair trade organizations and restaurants participated in the Fifth Annual NECF 2008, all of which is set for an international e-broadcast thanks to the collaboration between Second World Productions volunteers and community television channel LTC. Among the many festivities and surprises at the Culture Fest Interactive Ethical Art & Biz Expo; Peak Organic Beer, Equal Exchange chocolates, Pangea Organics giveaways, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters was on hand with tasty fair trade coffee-- in addition yummy string cheese from Organic Valley circulated!
OFFICIAL NECF 2008 LINEUP
After the Culture Fest finale, guests and headliners alike continued the celebration at the new hot spot Ole Restaurant and Tapas Bar at 76 Merrimack Street for delicious Spanish style cuisine and their famous sangria recipe!
Event Partners include Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, The Boston Globe, 88.9 FM WERS, Bollywood Grill, The Weekly Dig, Mother Jones, The Fair Trade Federation, Enterprise Bank, Transfair USA, Organic Valley, Empire Loans, The Boston Phoenix, Lowell Telecommunications Corporation, Lowell General Hospital, The Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Mahoneys Garden Center, Christian Party Rental, The City of Lowell, The Holiday Inn Andover Tewksbury, Lowell Boot Cotton Mill, and Fast Lane Music Productions. Raffles and prizes featuring prizes from 100 featured New England businesses, artists, fair trade organizations and craftspeople at NECF Ethical Interactive Art & Biz Expo will also be ongoing throughout the day of the festival. The present echoes the past as in the spirit of the Lowell Mill Girls, Second World brings you an amazing event rallying for a better world for a very fair ticket price.
This is the Fair Trade Festival, being a unique event in the United States and globally highlighting the movement celebrating creative excellence, and the continuing struggle to provide a self-sustaining living wage and safe working conditions for artisans, musicians and workers worldwide.
The New England Culture Fest Mission Statement:
The funds raised via ticket sales to the festival will support Second World art empowerment documentation projects around the world which go hand in hand with fair trade advocacy and educational programs (lectures, workshops) in the Boston area. On the Second World website under “Initiatives” please find information regarding Second World projects. They involve not only documentation and in-depth research, but also development of art empowerment projects and micro-credit funds to re-establish income generation in disaster/conflict affected regions. With funds raised from the New England Culture Fest, Second World will continue to develop these initiatives linking New England with communities throughout India, Nepal, Peru and Jamaica. The goal is to increase awareness of fair trade and increase the number of orders given to cooperatives, along with establishing a self-sustainable online portal of multimedia information regarding fair trade, and its cultural/economic impact for disadvantaged indigenous and marginalized communities. Eighty percent of Second World beneficiaries are women. Click the donation button to the right to help.
About Second World:
Bridging the gap between the so called First and Third World, with media, music and art. Second World is a dynamic non-profit arts and development organization combining media, music and art for a better world. As a leader since 1998 dedicated to the marketing of fair trade artisans, and their stories, the nucleus of Second World is a multimedia research archive of educational tools for the fair trade marketplace. This is key to increasing the number of orders given to artisans involved with fair trade art projects. Based on a decade of research, Second World aims to address the crucial need for fair trade education. Ultimately, Second World hopes to bridge the gap between the First and Third World through media documentation, musical events and fair trade art empowerment.
First World. Third World. Forget What Your Were Told. Welcome to the Second World.
W W W .S E C O N D – W O R L D . C O M / W W W . C U L T U R E – F E S T . C O M
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Send
this article to a friend
