Greetings Arts Vote and the Centre for Media and Culture in Education (CMCE):
My name is Mitch Gold.
I am a social artist. I am also a Peacemaker - and I seek advice from the following people whom I consider my friends: the leaders on the planet in this thankless work. Boutros Boutros Ghali, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Rodrigo Carazo Odio, Hazel Henderson, Nina Lynn Meyerhoff, Dr. Charles Mercieca, Dr. Young Seek Choue, Jonathan Granoff, Bawa Jain, Lama Gangchen, Master Hunbatz Men, Patrick Hendriksen, (White Cloud), Leonard Crow Dog, Chief Arvol Looking Horse - and many others that are considered "wise" or learned.
I am also engaged in running for Mayor in the City of Toronto.
As a social artist, I am aware that the Arts community has sent around a Report card for all candidates running for office. I think this is a good thing.
But it is not enough. Not nearly enough!.
I want the Artists of this City to look deeply at the Report Cards being filled in and then decide who to engage with their magnificent talents. This is what social artistry is about. Report Cards are fine, but they merely Report the Past - Let us look to the Future.
Let each of the artists write songs, poetry, create dances, movies, events, pictures, paintings and every kind of social expression on the candidates.
I am writing this letter and inviting the artists to join in this activity. This will democratize the election in a beautiful way. Rather than have the standard - line up the top five people and hear more nothing talking about nothing - lets have the social artists express their understanding of what is happening. Let them go to the coffee houses and talk - let them go to the lounges of theatres - announced - or unannounced and express their artistry. Let the Street corners become daily events for the next thirty plus days and create daily news events expressing the uniqueness of social artistry..
Let us have all artists be part of the election process . Let's do it wisely. (Let's face it - we do not pay scale! :-) ) But after we are elected that will be another story.
Actually - for the artists participating in our campaign we will develop a process for accepting the skill donated as a Campaign contribution that will be eligible for the Rebate program.)
I am sending a copy of this letter to CMCE - the Centre for Media and Culture in Education at OISE and requesting their Advisory Board and steering committee to observe what we are doing as part of their course activity - either as a volunteer activity - by just posting on their bulletin Board what it is we are doing and let's see what happens. This letter is a proposal for their Board to consider a level of Involvement. Either through volunteer observers, reporters, or participants - to write, record, and report on the activity that follows form our exchanges. They could easily do this as an exploratory course. It would not take much to write the outline.
We need new ways to get the message of democracy out to the people and to encourage people to vote and to vote wisely.
Of course I have a bias and I want to make that clear. But this is not just about me. It is about all 45 candidates that have chosen to put their name forth for this election.. Check their report card. Check mine. See what I have done - and watch what we will do!!
Mine is posted at www.homeplanet.org/mayorgold. and I encourage you to "go for the gold" - but I also encourage you to hear what the others that are running have to say. I will post on our site if requested by other candidates - their report cards.
Our full strategy will be to encourage people to vote for Mitch Gold. But lets try and use this purpose for your candidate.
We will offer trainings for people that want to learn more of our platform and want to engage in developing their "song" "dance" "improv" or artistic skill.
Howard Jerome - my interim Campaign Manager has donated his skills for us to have workshops every Thursday Night at #6 St. Joseph Street. We call it Jump Time - following ideas of Master Teacher Jean Houston. Jump Time is NOW and you are welcome to come join us at # 6 every Thursday from 8 PM to 10 PM for Jump Time Training.
All welcome.
In closing, let me ask the Arts Vote People to send this to all their Artists and let me ask the CMCE Center send this to their steering committee and lets see what might happen from this initiative.
Trusting this will assist the democratic process and will be a new unique way to engage Artists and the Citizenry in the Process.
Peace to you all
Mitch Gold
Peacemaker.
