Become an Opera Patron – and defile an opera set at the same time.

(March 19, 2009 --- Chicago, IL) How does a young theater company produce a punk opera during an economic recession? Graffiti! By visiting www.chicagovanguard.org, anyone can become an opera patron – and defile an opera set at the same time.

“This important 20^th century work about punks and skinheads warrants an equally anti-establishment approach to fundraising and design,” says Artistic Director Eric Reda. “I can think of no better way to do justice to the spirit of GREEK than to invite the public to become collaborators in the creation of the piece while at the same time inviting them to become micro-patrons.”

For as little as $1, COV invites anyone and everyone to tag the GREEK Graffiti Wall. Each dollar purchases a 4x4 pixel on the virtual wall, each pixel can be filled with any upload-able image, and every image on the wall will be incorporated the final backdrop and video display of the production.

Plus, every dollar contributed to Chicago Opera Vanguard’s production of GREEK constitutes a chance to win an exclusive VIP opening night package, including hotel, dinner and admission to the production.

More information on the GREEK Graffiti Wall, please visit www.chicagovanguard.org.

GREEK

Chicago Opera Vanguard - the city’s new home for cutting edge musical theater – continues its inaugural Season Ø with the Chicago premier of GREEK by Chicago Symphony Orchestra Mead Composer in Residence Mark-Anthony Turnage.

GREEK sets the ancient Oedipus myth in the economically depressed Britain of the 1980’s, where becoming a violent punk is a working class kid’s means of survival. Thatcher’s London is afflicted by a plague of racism, violence and mass unemployment. The city is overrun with violent policemen, old drunks and football hooligans. Based on Steven Berkoff’s play by the same title, GREEK was an immediate success at its 1988 Munich Biennale premiere.

MARK-ANTHONY TURNAGE:

Mark-Anthony Turnage is among the most relevant and innovative creators of concert music today. His orchestral and operatic music is often forthright and confrontational, unafraid to mirror the realities of modern life, yet its energy is exhilarating. With his flair for vivid titles, and his complete absorption of jazz elements into a contemporary classical style, Turnage produces work with a strong appeal to an enquiring, often young audience. Born in Britain in 1960, Turnage studied with Oliver Knussen and John Lambert, and later with Gunther Schuller.

With the encouragement of Hans Werner Henze, he wrote GREEK, his first opera, for the Munich Biennale festival. GREEK received a triumphant premiere in 1988. The many ensuing productions worldwide established Turnage’s international reputation.

Turnage is currently Mead Composer in Residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Much of Turnage’s music is recorded on Decca, Chandos and Black Box. Recently, Turnage was tapped to compose the music for an opera detailing the life of Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith.

GREEK performs 8PM Tuesday May 26 [preview], Thursday May 28, Saturday May 30, Wednesday June 3, Friday June 5 and Saturday June 6, at the AV-Aerie, 2000 W. Fulton St. Admission is by reservation only. Suggested General Admission is a donation of $35 Wednesday & Thursday; $40 Friday & Saturday; $20 preview. Suggested Student Admission is a donation of $10 Thursday & Sunday; $15 Friday & Saturday; $5 preview. Tickets are available online at www.chicagovanguard.org.

The ensemble features baritone Justin Neal Adair as “Eddy”, soprano Ashlee Hardgrave, mezzo-soprano Caitlin McKechney and baritone Brad Jungwirth. Chicago Opera Vanguard Artistic Director Eric Reda directs the production with music direction by Chris Ramaekers [Northwestern].

The extensive design team includes set by John Sundling [DePaul, Yale], sound by Florian Staab [Liz Luhrman Dance], lighting by Richard Ebeling, murals designed by Rob Funderburk, and costumes by Philip Dawkins.

About Chicago Opera Vanguard:

Employing the daring aesthetic of an off-Loop theater, Chicago Opera Vanguard is dedicated to creating the Mid-West’s foremost home for engaging theater with music by commissioning new works, giving a second voice to daring music-theater pieces, and by completely re-imagining operatic favorites. More information on current and future Chicago Opera Vanguard productions can be found at www.chicagovanguard.org.

Give $10,000 to a Friend in Need with Give A Little

On 23rd March Givealittle.co.nz launched a new initiative to kick start a bit of good feeling amidst gloom and doom about recession.

The Wellington based social enterprise is giving the New Zealand public the chance to do something amazing for someone or something close to their hearts. It’s an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of a friend in need, a family, a local school, favourite charity or community organisation.

‘Givealittle wants to know who you would like to give to, what you want to give and why it is deserved,’ says Givealittle.co.nz CEO Nathalie Hofsteede.

Up to $10,000 will be awarded to the submission that attracts the most givers after a month online.

‘The best way to feel good is to help someone feel better. In just 3 months since launching the website we have already seen the powerful change that can be achieved when we put people and causes we care about at the centre of our giving’ said Ms Hofsteede.

‘We have received a request from a woman wanting to replace stolen items from her elderly parents’ home, two parents wanting to shout their disabled child’s caregiver a trip home to Australia as thanks for years of hard work. It’s all wonderful stuff.’

Givealittle.co.nz will shortlist 10 submissions to become Givealittle Friends in Need projects and give the finalists advice about how to use the power of the web to reach a wider audience. Each page will have one month to gather a crowd of givers. The page with the largest number of givers (but not necessarily the most raised) will be given $1 for every giver up to a maximum of $10,000.

‘It’s about encouraging a crowd of people to give just a little to help make a big difference for a person, family or organisation,’ said Ms Hofsteede.

Online submissions will be accepted until 5pm Friday 3 April 2009 www.givealittle.co.nz/friendsinneed

Find Your Way Home

Magdalene is a two-year residential and support community for women coming out of correctional facilities or of the streets who have survived lives of abuse, prostitution, and drug addiction. Begun in 1997 in Nashville, Tennessee, Magdalene offers women at no cost a safe, disciplined and compassionate community in which to recover and rebuild their lives.

They have recently produced a beautiful book 'Find Your Way Home: Words from the Street, Wisdom from the Heart'. It is a small and simple book of hope and courage written collectively by the residents, staff and volunteers at Magdalene.

It is an inspiring read. I think the main lesson that I derived from it is that love - true, unconditional, non-judgemental, love - is a truly powerful force for change in ourselves, in our communities and in the world at large.

All the profits from the sale of this book go to Magdalene. You can purchase a copy from Amazon.

Thistle Farms is a non-profit business set up by Becca Stevens, Founder of Magdalene. The women of Magdalene create by hand natural bath and body products. Through Thistle Farms they gain job-skills and learn responsibility and cooperation. All proceeds go back into supporting the residents of Magdalene. You can purchase their beautiful products online.

This week Thistle Farms and Magdalene have launched a wonderful new blog - The Voices of Thistle Farm. Be sure to visit and show your support. They are a fantastic organisation that offer women a chance to heal from lives that many of us can barely imagine. Not only this they are helping to change the culture that allows these things to happen to so many women.

Help Turn the Tide on Global Deforestation

Image via Wikipedia

The "Replant The Rainforests" pilot program is launching this year! Created by the Eco Preservation Society, the pilot program's goal is to raise $1 Million by April 25th, 2009 to begin the process of creating Sustainably Managed, Permanent Rainforest Habitats around the world and to prepare for the launch of the 2010 ten year goal program, "Turning The Tide".

Sponsorship funds raised during the 2009 pilot program support the following Sustainably Managed, Permanent Rainforest Habitat projects:

Project: Reforesting Costa Rica's Playa El Rey - Cause: Saving Mono Titi

Project: Borneo Reforestation - Cause: Habitat for Displaced Orangutans

Project: Belize Plantation Reforestation - Cause: Save the Jaguar

You can contribute by taking part in the 'Earth Day Birthday' campaign. Its an ambitious goal, but if we all donate a small amount together we can effect change on a grand scale! Donate today, or simply spread the word.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Willie Smits is saving Borneo, one orangutan at a time (ethanzuckerman.com)
• Rainforests In Some Regions Are Re-growing Rapidly: Should We Worry Anymore About Deforestation? (treehugger.com)
• Regrowing Borneo's Rainforest--Tree by Tree (sciam.com)

What Causes Do You Donate to?

Share your favourite charities in the comments below.

Make YOUR Cause the Biggest on the Planet

YourCause.com is a social networking site where people who are passionate about a cause can harness the power of the internet to spread the word and raise money for the non-profit organisations that are making the world a better place.

So far, it's only available to non-profits registered in the USA . . . oh to have a truly global site. There are so many non-profits outside the USA that could benefit from this kind of worldwide exposure!!

YourCause.com provides all the tools you need to create a webpage to champion your favourite cause - and its free. Every cause has a chance to win with their Daily Donation programme - some of the revenue from the site is donated back to the community . . . it could be your cause that benefits!!

YourCause.com is also free for non-profits to use. As long as you are registered in the USA of course!

So join the YourCause.com community and start making a difference today!

Bloggers Unite to Make a Difference

Bloggers Unite is is a fantastic initiative that is attempting to harness the power of the blogosphere to make a difference.

The idea is that Bloggers get together and write about a specific subject on one day of the month. From International Women's Day to Arbor Day USA to International Literacy Day - Bloggers join up to turn spread the word for a good cause. So instead of just one voice, there are thousands of voices talking about the same thing at the same time.

Its easy to participate.

• You can join in by signing up to take part in a 'Bloggers Unite' event. Or you can start your own event and spread the word for a cause you care about.
• Then you add a badge to your blog to help spread the word.
• On the day of the event publish a blog post and share it with the 'Bloggers Unite' community.
  

Its a great way to build a community of bloggers who care about your cause - and a fantastic way to get the word out and raise awareness.

Pledge to End Child Hunger in America

1 in 6 children in America wonder where there next meal will come from. That's more than 12 million children in America going hungry! Hard to believe that there is that kind of poverty in the midst of such plenty.

I discovered this great way that YOU can help provide 140,000 meals to kids in Austin, Texas through the fantastic Good Concepts blog. Its sponsored by Tyson Foods & Kimball Office and is in support of the wonderful non-profit organisation Share Our Strength.

All you need to do it is visit PledgeToEndHunger.com and pledge to spread the word, volunteer or donate - and you will help Share Our Strength reach their goal of 1000 pledges. Your pledge will provide 140 meals - when the 1000th pledge is made Tyson Foods will donate enough food to feed 140,000 children in Austin, Texas.

Related articles by Zemanta

• I'm Taking the Pledge Against Hunger, Won't You? (beth.typepad.com)
• NICE Campaign: Operation No Kid Hungry (operationnice.com)
• Share Our Strength - Operation No Kid Hungry (cookingwithanne.blogspot.com)

Carnival of Digital Philanthropy Volume 3

Welcome to the March 1st, 2009 edition of The Carnival of Digital Philanthropy.

Be sure to Stumble the posts you like, or submit them to other social bookmarking services. Let's promote each other, as well as this blog carnival.

Andy presents Questions for Question Box posted at Doomsday Labs, saying, "I recently started volunteering for a remarkable nonprofit called Question Box, after following (and talking incessantly about) them for nearly a year. Their aim is to bring the web to poor, often illiterate people in remote areas. This is an interview with the project's founder, Rose Shuman."

Catherine Eagleson presents Let Crosswords for Fun Put the ?Fun? Into Your Fundraising! posted at Crosswords For Fun, saying, "Puzzles are a great activity that provide mental stimulation and fun for all ages. If your school, club or group is wanting to raise much needed money, you may want to consider running a Crosswords for Fun puzzle drive."

Mordechai Torczyner presents Rabbi's Benevolent Fund: '08-'09 Shareholders Annual Report posted at The Rebbetzin's Husband, saying, "I don't know that this is for you, exactly. It's an on-line report for a small synagogue-based philanthropic fund, and I hope it might serve as a model for other similar funds, as are run by many churches, mosques and synagogues."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of digital philanthropy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.