"The world doesn't need more 'successful people'. The world desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds. It needs 

people to live well in their places. People with moral courage, willing to join the struggle to make the world more habitable and more humane. These 

qualities have little to do with 'success' as our culture defines it."

~ Dalai Lama

    Just a list of the skills  involved in making community festival  a worthy reality  is daunting - as it is at the core of culture-making & remembrance : and it is only appropriate that the engaged Animateur student make their own list of what areas they wish or need to study: ~ 

    Theater, Crafts, Production,Field Biology,Ecology,Economics,Puppetry,Dance,Tracking,Mythology,Health,Cuisine,Prayer, Offering,Gratitude,Bardic Poetics,Choral Music, Stilts!, 2 & 3 dimensional informed Mask & Costume, Shared Hospitality, Beginners Mind, Compassion ~ and thats just the beginning -

    As the Zapotec people here in Oaxaca say , there are 5  Arenas of Life in which we all participate daily:

                                   Spiritual,Trade,Fiestas,Communal & Commercial  and they are all interwoven  

                                                 SACRED EARTH: VILLAGE ARTS SCHOOL

    SEVAS is a new school based in Oaxaca Mexico , called for by those , who would against many odds, continue to be enchanted , soul-fed  and compelled to work as community-animators ~ Bioregional Animateurs = One through which Another is able to study & apply disciplines of traditional & contemporary Village Theater & Applied Ecology. That's Us ~

   Modelled on the Scandinavian Folk School system of Learning for the Love of Life with a vocational approach,rather than a degree program aimed at qualifying for work in a large institution. -  Classes & studies areas are extended beyond the school grounds to the larger community of skill-servers: and take in vast territory , that can be accessed according to personal study needs. 

   One can also participate in a full accredited university degree program online & with hands-on work-site visits - through Gaia University (gaia.) to become an Animateur = Community Animator, one who engages through a combination of arts , public cultural programs and skills of Ecology. One way to manifest these studies is as a presenter of what were  known in the US last century as Chatauquas, traveling road show educational summer camps & cultural arts presentations for people who sense themselves to be citizens of the yet green Earth.  

  Tutelage & Apprenticeships will be arranged through Gaia university teacher  C.A.Wells. - one of the main torch bearers of All Species events & community creativity programs since 1979  -- as well as other accomplished mentors of arts & sciences. 

        Recipient  of a United Nations  Award for Ecology & Arts Education

        Recipient  of the Roger Tory Peterson Award for excellence in Ecological Education.

"Imagine for a moment if you will, a mere pebble, painted upon with an ancient symbol , belonging to many ancient cultures: a circle with a plus sign in it. In the Hopi culture it's called the Techua Icaatsi symbol meaning "Land and Life in Balance", and imagine that you throw this ancient pebble with this ancient intention of into the Ocean of Life as it is today. What Rings of answer ripple forth from tossing this pebble of intention , of maintaining equilibrium between human life and the plants, animals and elements of earth? Clearly the urge to REPLENISH depleted ecosystems rings out. REDESIGNING also rings forth, redesigning a benevolent use of the technologies within the earth's various habitats stands out. And there the ripple of RE~MEMBER stands tall on the surface of the water. Re-member our larger body the Earth and that we are a part of nature. And emanating from these new 3-Rs; the next rippling rings  the skills and disciplines which have made possible the fulfillment of these good intentions come forth. Lastly a ring for the actual people who are carrying these skills, people who can be brought together to accomplish a curricula for 'ecosensible' education and revitalisation of community.

So a sampling of the chosen curriculum by an individual student , or class might look like this 

Agrarian Cultural Arts 

Species Mask & Costume & Puppet  Making ,

Processional Music,

Harvest Feast Making

Astronomical  Planting Observation  

or

Api Terapia - Traditional Oaxacan campesino bee-sting therapy - ( I testify personally having had a terrible accident and this severe arthritis for 30 years - that after 2 years of  12 -30  half-stings a week I am transformed - I walk with little pain - and am probably 60% improved health - see Apiterapia  

Corn Field - prayer songs of the Americas 

Therapeautic Swimming for accident victims- 

     The teacher CaW had a severe car accident in "81 - resulting in multiple bone fractures & breaks - Having had good work insurance he was able to dedicate himself to healing through many physical therapies.Having swum long distance since youth by the finger lakes- he recognized that swimming done as yoga was as curative as anything &  since then has developed a water stretching , yogic based , dance based   

Country & High Tech Stilt making & dance instruction with groups of kids - For Purposes of Puppet Pageant Theater- Chalo Wells , holder perhaps of  a Guiness record for number of adults & children put up on stilts -  

Teachers & mentors at ASP/Seva - 

 Past & potential? teachers for ASP courses 

   Chris Wells  - one of the torch bearers of all-species theater & public educational programs since  1979 - a Beatheortician of EcoSensible Culture -

   Chalo Wells -#1 son - perhaps has a Guiness record for # of people physically put up on stilts - having been a doing it since 5 - Choreographer , Yogi, Guacho,

   John Mcleod-early childhood education expert, cartoonist,puppet maestro

   Cindy Mcleod- educator , school creator  

   Subhira - musical composer , orchestra leader 

   Tomas Heackl- inventor , Puppet Engineer 

   Chrissie Orr - Scottish Visual Artist 

   Che Luna - Mixtec , Tiger Dance mask maker 

   Harold Littlebird - Santa Domingo Pueblo, Poet , potter

   Martin Prechtel- Author ,

   John Stokes - Tracker 

   David Abram - Magician , Word Slinger 

   Zuleikha - Dance Story teller 

   Angela Marino - Contemporary Festival Scholar - Festive Devils of the Americas 

   Craig & Armando - Metamorfosis 

   B & P Theater - 

   Sean & Jeannie  McLean- Health & Cuisine 

   Ali Sharif - Permaculture/Design

   Robert Bly- Poet, Historian,

   Joan Halifax- Anthropologist, Meditation Teacher,Bon Vivant

   Julia Meeks- Singer, Painter, Mother 

   Maria Schultz- Biologist - Director of Stockholm Resilience Center 

   Tomas Carlson - Halefors - Folk School -  

   Round Mountain - Studio Band - 

   Nanao Sakaki - Vagabond Poet 

   ​