Indy Convergence
Artists at Work
Haiti

This year we are expanding and holding the first annual Indy Convergence in Haiti. Open to previous participants of The Indy Convergence- we are partnering with a music school in Haiti called Saka-La-Ka-Wel. We will do what we do best-  bring together a carefully chosen group of local and outside artists to collaborate, teach and learn from one another.

PLEASE NOTE: This unique opportunity is open to Previous Indy Convergence Participants only. If you would like to apply for Indy Convergence that is held in Indianapolis please visit our participant and application pages.Keep in mind we are planning for our relationship with the school in Haiti to be one that is long lasting and hold annual Convergences at the Saka-La-Ka-Wel locale

Just as in Indianapolis, artists will be involved in a single umbrella project, one or more side-projects that are genre specific, and lead a workshop in an area of their expertise–which is free and open to all in the community. Participants will be selected based on their compatibility with the projects and resources available within the pool of applicants. Indy Convergence will house all non-local artists at the Saka-La-Ka-Wel  locale and provide three meals a day. Materials will be provided to all artists both local and non-local for all side projects and workshops.

QUESTIONS?

Email Robert@indyconvergence.org with questions.  One of our participants will also be heading out early to help the staff at Saka-La-Ka-Wei prepare for their first Convergence.

KEEP UP WITH INDY CONVERGENCE HAITI

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Hey Everyone! We made it. This is the first time we’ve been able to get internet. Things here are going great. With Desiree’s expert teaching and translation skills Michael and Caitline just finished choreographing a dance with some girls that live in the neighborhood. They’ll be balancing water buckets on their heads the whole time- [...]

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Robert’s back in the states for six weeks before we all head back to Haiti for the first Indy Convergence-Haiti! Here are a few photos. Keep checking back for more. Now that he’s home, we have tons of footage and photos of Saka-La-Ka-Wel, the students, artwork and beauty of Jacmel.          

Set from 2008 Set from 2008

We are starting to work on what will be a show during the official Indy Convergence-Haiti project in April. We’re looking to create a set that is similar to our first Convergence in 2008 that featured a newspaper landscape. The theme in Haiti is going to be something like “Garbage comes to life”. We are [...]

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In the last few days our work and ideas have really come to life at Saka-La-Ka-Wel. Not only is it a school for music, but will house a restaurant, modest hotel and public courtyard. People are beginning to see S.K.L.W. as resource in the community for everything from art classes to coordinating taxi service and [...]

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In short, Tasty the goat was very very tasty. I’ll save the details of my first experience eating an animal I bought alive- but it was pretty gruesome at first.  However, I made a delicious orange reduction sauce for him and we all feasted last night at Kitchen ala Robert!

Sunshine after the rain Sunshine after the rain

First day of hard sun in a few days. It’s been raining pretty hard lately. Everything pretty much shuts down in the rain and we have been getting a little stir crazy. We’ve busied ourselves with dominoes and poker, and have made a pretty nice poker set out of bottle caps. Today, we are heading [...]

Robert on Hike Robert on Hike

We have finally crossed a language threshold and are comfortable wandering around on our own, bargaining with vendors and making small talk. Our freedom really came once I was able to get the hand of riding the motorcycle again in the city and on the less maintained roads near Saka-La-Ka-Wel. This all came to a [...]

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Taught a vocal music class today at Jacmel Expression with Desiree and Gabe. Both Gabe and I realized today that we need to give into the fact that we have unwittingly become full time teachers in a just a few days. Tonight we built lesson plans in theater, guitar and kenpo. Improvements to the locale continue. Gabe [...]

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I’m still texting small reports. Hopefully I will find internet connection soon. What first started out as Gabe and I working out has become a class we are teaching every day. The result is Gabe and I have to practice our Kenpo on the roof or everyone begins to gather and ask us to teach. [...]

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Safe and sound at the locale in Jacmel, Haiti. Our host thought we were arriving on Saturday so we had to find our way on our own. We took a taxi to a bus from the airport to get to Jamel. But- we made it! The bus ride was four hours and literally filled to [...]