Evening of Witness

The Cathedral is pleased to announce Evening of Witness, March 21, at 7 pm, the culminating event of its art exhibition The Value of Water, on view since September, 2011. Evening of Witness is a recognition of the grand and terrible powers of nature in the era of climate change, and a celebration of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Amy Goodman will host an evening of readings, music, photography and film. First-person narratives from the Voice of Witness book series, founded by Dave Eggers and Lola Vollen, will be read by noted actors and activists, with visual interventions from Magnum Foundation photographers and artists. Together, they offer vivid portrayals of “water” through the experiences of Zimbabwean refugees, undocumented immigrants in the U.S., Burmese migrants forced into the illegal fishing industry, and of men and women who lived through Hurricane Katrina.

The evening will also feature Ali Hobbs’ film The Long Walk, the Cathedral’s Poet in Residence, Marilyn Nelson; poets Nicole Cooley and Patricia Smith, who have both written extensively about Hurricane Katrina; and storyteller Laura Simms. Kent Tritle, Director of Cathedral Music, will lead the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra. The Peace Poets will join the evening as readers of narratives.

Wednesday, March 21, 7 pm

Doors open at 6 pm so visitors can see the exhibition
The event is free; a contribution of $10.00 will be appreciated. Reservations are not required.

This event is presented in conjunction with The Value of Water: Sustaining a Green Planet, an exhibition with related programming at the Cathedral running through March 25, 2012.

 

The Long Walk, which will be shown throughout the day on World Water Day, Thursday, March 22, documents Sarah as she walks for 7.5 hours in soaring temperatures through the Nuba mountains of Sudan to fetch the daily amount of water she needs for her family. Film maker Ali Hobbs travelled with Sarah and recorded every step of the way. The Long Walk is an allegory for the lives of the more than 1.1 billion people who currently live without access to clean water, many of whom spend whole days walking miles to collect 20 litres of dirty water for their family's cooking, washing, drinking and cleaning needs. Access to clean water and sanitation is widely accepted as the first step out of poverty. Walking for water - how far would you go?