Organizers are holding a ‘Dear Tamaqua’ Write Night today (Tuesday, June 17, 2014) from 2 PM to 4 PM at the ABC Hi-Rise in Tamaqua. All are encouraged to stop by and take part.
“We all have a favorite place, a fun memory, a sad story, a concern and a hope for the future of our town,” said Leona Rega, Tamaqua Safety Initiative Coordinator.
Everyone, no matter where you live, is welcome to stop by and pen a letter, make a video, share a list during the event.
Materials and refreshments will be provided.
Anyone can also submit their memory, story, sentence, list, photo or video anytime online at www.DearTamaqua.com.
The next ‘Dear Tamaqua’ Write Night is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, 2014 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Tamaqua Community Arts Center (125 Pine Street).
Click HERE to view or print the PDF version of the flyer.
‘DEAR TAMAQUA’ MISSION STATEMENT:
‘Dear Tamaqua’ is to encourage community-wide pride and ownership of Tamaqua’s unique identity through partnership in an original artistic creation based on an honest examination of memories, common experiences, and with a spirit of hope for the future.
PROJECT DETAILS:
The Dear Tamaqua project will occur in two phases. In the first phase, current and past residents will be encouraged to share personal memories, experiences, and hopes for the future life of Tamaqua. Phase two will host a large-scale public spectacle in the streets of Tamaqua in August 2015, bringing to life the stories gathered during phase one.
Leona Rega, Tamaqua Safety Initiative Coordinator, shares the inspiration for the project: “Through our efforts over the past two years, the initiative has noticed an interesting disparity in those who love and appreciate their community, yet have deep concerns about its future because of crime, safety, jobs, family and lack of neighborhood connections, and more. The project aims to bring the ‘behind the door’, private conversations of how people feel about and what they envision for their community to light, and serve as a catalyst for change.” Dear Tamaqua seeks the good and bad perspectives of all the community to be penned to paper or submitted online, as original music, video, poetry, visual art, etc. All of Tamaqua’s citizens are encouraged to contribute material to be used in the project; any medium that communicates a personal memory, a unique Tamaqua experience, or hope for the future will be accepted, reviewed, and archived for future generations.
The venture is joined by Tamaqua native and local arts professional Kathy Odorizzi of the Allentown Arts Museum. She has encouraged the Dear Tamaqua project to answer; “Why is this community unique and special to so many people, and how do each of us fit into it?”
Knowing the scale of this community-based project, Odorizzi connected the Dear Tamaqua leadership with Touchstone Theatre, a Bethlehem-based group with a long history of creating powerful, original, community-based art. Touchstone company members will participate in an Artist-in-Residency program to assist in the story gathering and final performance. Touchstone’s Artistic Director, James P. Jordan, is also a Tamaqua native. “If you would have told me,” says Jordan, “as a graduating senior at Tamaqua High, that almost two decades later, I would be coming back to lead a project like this, I would have thought you were crazy. But it feels as if I’ve come full circle, and now it’s my chance to do something positive for a place that is such a part of me.”
Complete community participation is encouraged from local social clubs, schools, businesses, bars, etc. and past and present residents. “It’s the voice of the people who make a difference in the future direction of any venture,” adds Rega. “All we ask is for respectful communication for a better, safer, more connected tomorrow.” A public meeting on Wed. April 16th, 2014 from 6:00-7:00pm, will be held at the Tamaqua Community Art Center (125 Pine Street) for anyone who wishes to learn more about the project, lend assistance, or participate in future development needs.
Entries submitted before May 1, 2014 will be eligible for inclusion in a public presentation at the Tamaqua Summer Fest 2014 on June 15, 2014 and the National Night Out on August 5, 2014. All entries will help serve as inspiration for the large-scale public spectacle presented in the streets of Tamaqua on August 4, 2015. Physical letters may be mailed to Tamaqua Safety Initiative, c/o Dear Tamaqua, 125 Pine Street, Tamaqua, PA 18252. Electronic submission may be entered through the project website at http://www.deartamaqua.com. For more information on the project, including how to get involved or to make a monetary or in-kind donation, contact Leona Rega at 570-668-1192 or email: leona@tacp.info.
PROJECT TIMELINE:
Phase One –
In this initial phase, the Dear Tamaqua project will solicit, gather, and archive letters, original songs, visual art, video entries, etc. to be used as fodder for Phase Two.
Phase Two –
During this phase the Touchstone staff will begin a playwriting process that will entail distilling the essence of the letters and artwork received into a large-scale, outdoor performance. Community members and local artists will be engaged as the process moves from “playwriting mode” into “production mode” to help in all areas of this public theatrical creation.
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