Children’s Choir

Joe Schafer

The Children’s Choir meets 12:45 to 1:30 in the church sanctuary. School aged Children 6th grade and under are welcome to drop by to join and share their voices with the SI community

SI Choir

Hal Walker and Vanessa Vesely

SI choir is back and promising another year of musical fun and adventure. This once a year magical experience is not your average church choir. All are welcome. “Unleash the Magic and the Voice!

Participants should bring: A Black 3 ring binder.

Music director at the UU Church of Kent, Hal Walker returns to Summer Institute for his 22st year of music leadership. Hal’s true passion is melody, harmony, rhythm and building community through music. Vanessa Vesely is the accompanist at the Kent Church.

Duct Tape

Sara Beech

At Duct Tape workshop, you will be creating your masterpieces out of all kinds of color and patterns. Most of the workshop is on construction of wallets, pull string backpacks, beach bags, and many more items. Duct Tape is not just a tool in your toolbox anymore.

Participants may wish to bring two rolls of tape in different colors or patterns if they wish to make a grocery bag. Basic colors and patterns available for participant use.

Sara has been creating and fabricating all kinds of pieces out of Duct Tape for years as well as a vast knowledge on how to construct many things.

Body Art

Deb Cannon

Join us as we find ways to decorate ourselves! In every culture there have been explorations into how our appearances define us as well as the desire to change that appearance. Come play with different mediums, from hair dye to henna to tattoos and nail polish. It’s a wonderful way to relax on a summer afternoon.

Deb Cannon loves combining her love of art and her love of play to lead this workshop. It only gets better each year, as more people bring their talents and ideas to the space.

Volleyball: Community, Science and Art

John McCrystal

Fun, good sportsmanship, safety and community are all goals of this afternoon gathering. Two indoor courts will be set up for each weekday afternoon. The workshop will occur during the early afternoon and be available for those in middle school and older. John began playing volleyball in his early twenties and has played in a competitive coed league for over 35 years with his beautiful wife Suzan and more recently his son Connor. Each day will begin with introductions and warm up drills working on setting and passing technique. Everyone’s volleyball skill level will improve during the week and a fun time is a sure thing.

Participants should bring: Indoor court/tennis shoes (playing barefoot is not an option) and a refillable water bottle.

John McCrystal and his family have been attending SI since 1986. He was involved in the youth program for over a dozen years. As the Youth Program leader for two years he introduced the Youth Panel that is still in place and provides well rounded input from and learning by the youth. He was recently the Board President of First Church Columbus where in the past he has taught Sunday school, been on two search committees in addition to many other committees.

Art in the Afternoon

Natalie Isvarin-Love

Let’s make art together, with a focus on upcycling (using items that might otherwise end up in a landfill). We will play with fabric, beads, papers, markers, rubber stamps, wine corks and fun stuff I find at the Upcycle Parts Shop in Cleveland. I will provide ideas and examples of crafts but your own imagination and creations are encouraged. Each day there will be a focus craft along with a project that can be added onto daily that can culminate in a piece of art by the end of the week.

Natalie, a member of First Unitarian Church of Cleveland in Shaker Heights, is a fiber artist who has been quilting and creating her own fabric for over 30 years. She also likes to dabble in paper arts, watercolor and assemblage. She has the most fun when creating with her two very artistic teenagers.

Rocks of Love

Denise Deschenes

Spread the Love: decorate rocks to hide, give away or keep for yourself! We will have instructions and samples for dot painting, like making dot mandalas. Or, just paint the rocks however your SI spirit moves you! All materials will be provided. Relax, be creative and have fun!

Denise learned how to dot paint last summer at SI and has been busy painting rocks since then. She has been crafting and collage making since childhood. She previously ran a collage making morning workshop at SI.

True Songs and Tales of the Great Not-So-White Way – The American Musical Theatre

Bruce Kent

In 1866, The Black Crook premiered on Broadway, ushering in a new form of entertainment, a musical. In the next century and a half, the musical would evolve, echoing the social changes and adjustments of the time, until a rap musical about the American Revolution seems perfectly natural. Through Original Cast Recordings and other versions of the music, as well as clips from film versions and tapes of Broadway performances, we will look at these shows, from Showboat through the forthcoming Pretty Woman, enjoy the music, and discuss what brought us to this point.

Bruce Kent has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from State University of New York College at Cortland, and a Masters’ from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In the decades since, he has continued his study of musical theatre by attending whenever he could, and working on productions in various aspects, including directing and writing. Having attended SI since 2002, he has served mainly as editor of the week’s newsletter, and has spent the last three years on the SIPC.

The Healing Drum

Rebekah Benner

Share your voice and spirit through the heartbeat of the drum. Drum rhythms and songs, drum circle facilitation techniques, and shamanic journey drumming for personal introspection and self-healing. All experience levels. You must bring a pedestal type drum, i.e, ashiko, djembe.

MUST bring a pedestal type drum such as an ashiko or djembe.

Rebekah has been facilitating drum circles for over 25 years, for area communities, outreach shelters and health agencies. She is founder of Terra Amma Spiritual Center, and uses crystal singing bowls in weekly sound vibrational healing sessions. She is also a member of the Ethical Metalsmith Guilde and creates adornments from recycled metals, fair trade beads and gems.

Permaculture Primer

David Paul

Permaculture: A sustainable way to design your home, yard and more. I will give a basic over view of Permaculture design including, what it is, the principles, why and how. You will be able to use these tools to look at assess and make your own basic designs! If possible we will all complete a sample design by the end of the week. It may only be the design of your own garden, so don’t be intimidated.

Participants are encouraged to bring materials to take notes, if desired.

David grew up gardening; learned to forage food for survivalism and naturalism.