Visions of the Evolution I
Donation protected
I deeply believe this project, Visions of the Evolution: In Search of a New Humanity, will change the trajectory of American history.
What is Visions of the Evolution? A multidimensional literary and performance project that interrogates the role of our individual and collective healing journeys in assembling more just and hopeful futures, situating newfound senses of humility, empathy, unconditional love and personal and collective responsibility as the foundation of rebuilding ourselves and this country in its entirety.
The project consists of author Cherise Morris' forthcoming book, Visions of the Evolution: In Search of a New Humanity, and a 12-part series of "devised ritual-performances,” created from writings from the accompanying essay collection. The first iteration of the ritual-performance series, Visions of the Evolution: Revelation I, will be held in Detroit, MI, on the evening of June 15, 2019.
Who am I? I'm a writer. I'm a healer. I'm a learner. I'm a daughter. I'm a sister. I'm a dreamer. I'm a believer. I believe in magick and miracles. I believe in the power we all have to change ourselves for the better, and thus our lives for the better. I believe we can heal the hurts of our pasts and in that, find our greatest freedom. I hold on to my belief in the possibility of a free world, a loving world, a world that is not defined by systems of hierarchy, hatred, violence and disposability. I believe that our humanity has a greater potential than the limits these broken societies have placed upon it. I believe that we can come together and transform this whole world as we know it, if we work hard enough, dream big enough and love strong enough.
What are the project's goals? In the past decade, conversations around intergenerational trauma have come into the mainstream, but there are still very few, definitive ideas of what our healing might look and feel like in practice. This project exists as 1) an experiment to make longform nonfiction writing more accessible to broader and more diverse audiences. The public ritual-performance will merge literature with visual and performative representations, sonic resonance, music and spatial design to engage audience members through collective participation in spiritual rites, storytelling, collaborative reimagining and sensory immersion and 2) a grand experiment in how folks can reclaim the public space, as a site where so much of our intergenerational and personal trauma is reinforced, in service of our healing and build a moment, a movement and a vibe where ~125 lovers, friends and strangers can come together, feel held in all our most beautiful and vulnerable complexities to move towards healing and freedom in community with each other.
What will the funding be used for?
- to pay the four black women artists who I have asked to be part of the performance ensemble industry rates for their physical, creative, spiritual and emotional labor;
- to pay a local set designer;
-to pay an artist who is designing the event materials;
- to covering miscellaneous fees such as printing and publicity costs, set design materials, and costuming.
What's the impact?
Your contributions will
1. pay black women
2. contribute directly to the healing journeys of countless people, thus contributing to the healing of everyone in those people's lives (remember this event is part one of what I hope becomes 12 part series that travels across the US)
3. contribute to the raising of the universal vibration and consciousness
I have been trying to find the funding necessary to bring this immense vision to fruition for months now. And time and time again, I have been met by funding institutions with statements like "This idea is so inspiring. I really wish we could support, but it falls outside our funding parameters." These people and institutions, while "inspired," don't believe in the potential of this dream enough to support it. As a freelance essayist, I understand this sort of polite dismissal well. But I am no less confident in the potential of this project and am determined to make this vision a reality. As we watch such horrors unfold around the world every day, hope-filled projects like this are more important than ever. I am supremely grateful for any contributions and support in bringing this immense dream to fruition.
We are living on the precipice of the end of the world as we know and this book and ritual-performance project exists as a space of sorting out the imagining, which leads to the creation, of a brave, bold new world beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. May we all find the courage and love to step forthrightly into our healing work, and may we all be blessed.
What is Visions of the Evolution? A multidimensional literary and performance project that interrogates the role of our individual and collective healing journeys in assembling more just and hopeful futures, situating newfound senses of humility, empathy, unconditional love and personal and collective responsibility as the foundation of rebuilding ourselves and this country in its entirety.
The project consists of author Cherise Morris' forthcoming book, Visions of the Evolution: In Search of a New Humanity, and a 12-part series of "devised ritual-performances,” created from writings from the accompanying essay collection. The first iteration of the ritual-performance series, Visions of the Evolution: Revelation I, will be held in Detroit, MI, on the evening of June 15, 2019.
Who am I? I'm a writer. I'm a healer. I'm a learner. I'm a daughter. I'm a sister. I'm a dreamer. I'm a believer. I believe in magick and miracles. I believe in the power we all have to change ourselves for the better, and thus our lives for the better. I believe we can heal the hurts of our pasts and in that, find our greatest freedom. I hold on to my belief in the possibility of a free world, a loving world, a world that is not defined by systems of hierarchy, hatred, violence and disposability. I believe that our humanity has a greater potential than the limits these broken societies have placed upon it. I believe that we can come together and transform this whole world as we know it, if we work hard enough, dream big enough and love strong enough.
What are the project's goals? In the past decade, conversations around intergenerational trauma have come into the mainstream, but there are still very few, definitive ideas of what our healing might look and feel like in practice. This project exists as 1) an experiment to make longform nonfiction writing more accessible to broader and more diverse audiences. The public ritual-performance will merge literature with visual and performative representations, sonic resonance, music and spatial design to engage audience members through collective participation in spiritual rites, storytelling, collaborative reimagining and sensory immersion and 2) a grand experiment in how folks can reclaim the public space, as a site where so much of our intergenerational and personal trauma is reinforced, in service of our healing and build a moment, a movement and a vibe where ~125 lovers, friends and strangers can come together, feel held in all our most beautiful and vulnerable complexities to move towards healing and freedom in community with each other.
What will the funding be used for?
- to pay the four black women artists who I have asked to be part of the performance ensemble industry rates for their physical, creative, spiritual and emotional labor;
- to pay a local set designer;
-to pay an artist who is designing the event materials;
- to covering miscellaneous fees such as printing and publicity costs, set design materials, and costuming.
What's the impact?
Your contributions will
1. pay black women
2. contribute directly to the healing journeys of countless people, thus contributing to the healing of everyone in those people's lives (remember this event is part one of what I hope becomes 12 part series that travels across the US)
3. contribute to the raising of the universal vibration and consciousness
I have been trying to find the funding necessary to bring this immense vision to fruition for months now. And time and time again, I have been met by funding institutions with statements like "This idea is so inspiring. I really wish we could support, but it falls outside our funding parameters." These people and institutions, while "inspired," don't believe in the potential of this dream enough to support it. As a freelance essayist, I understand this sort of polite dismissal well. But I am no less confident in the potential of this project and am determined to make this vision a reality. As we watch such horrors unfold around the world every day, hope-filled projects like this are more important than ever. I am supremely grateful for any contributions and support in bringing this immense dream to fruition.
We are living on the precipice of the end of the world as we know and this book and ritual-performance project exists as a space of sorting out the imagining, which leads to the creation, of a brave, bold new world beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. May we all find the courage and love to step forthrightly into our healing work, and may we all be blessed.
Organizer
Cherise Morris
Organizer
Detroit, MI
