Nova Arts Welcomes Bread and Puppet Theater on April 18

On Tuesday, April 18 at Nova Arts we are welcoming the legendary Bread and Puppet Theater to Keene.

The historical Bread and Puppet Theater was started in 1963 by Peter Schumann in New York City as a non-profit art collective. Re-defining the art of a puppet show, Schumann was able to use his talents as a puppeteer to comment on the political climate in the United States. Throughout the year Bread and Puppet Theater utilizes the art of sculpture, music, dance, and visual art, making performances that appeal to all ages. Since 1974 the Theater group has been located in Glover Vermont, where their property is filled with astonishing sculptures and a museum filled with retired puppets and props. This allows visitors to see many pieces of American Art history.

So with the history and reputation of Bread and Puppet Theater, it's no wonder that it has had such an impact. Broadwayworld.com calls the troupe "...an evening of powerful, engaging, thought-provoking theater." Americantheater.org is truly impressed by Bread and Puppet's political commentary, calling it "...presentational theatre, centered almost exclusively on the experiences of the oppressed, the radicals, and the refugees of the world."

Tuesday April 18, The Bread and Puppet Theater will be performing their current show Inflammatory Earthling Rants (with help from Kropotkin). Earthlings are now aflame and consequently need inflammatory rants, directed against the arsonist: Western Civilization and its incompetent government. The habitual pragmatic communication jargon won't do, so the ranters have to resort to the original language which was tasked to employ the spells, charms, and incantations needed to confront the disaster in order to instigate change--with help from Kropotkin's Mutual Aid ideology.

Once the show has come to an end, the Bread and Puppet Theater will hand out some bread, as it is Schumann's Philosophy that bread and theater go together. Both feed the body and soul in different ways to enrich a person. Art will also be for sale.

Tickets are $15, or pay what you want, and can be purchased online or at the door. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the show will start at 7:00 p.m.!

Nova Arts is supported by and under the fiscal sponsorship of Arts Alive, and is supported by the Putnam Foundation and the Osier Fund. Events take place at 48 Emerald St, within Brewbakers Cafe & Terra Nova Coffee. novaarts.org

"You Are the True Heroes and Champions in Our Community": North Central Massachusetts Legislators Gather with Community Members to Improve the Quality of Life Across the Region

by Nicholas Valdez
April 1, 2023 - On March 24, 2023, North Central Massachusetts legislators met with members of the community to discuss and advocate for better health equity and improvement. The event greeted guests with a breakfast sponsored by the Health Equity Partnership of North Central Mass, and attendees ate and conversed as the reception hall slowly filled with the clamor of lively guests.

Although Congresswoman Lori Trahan and Congressman Jim McGovern were not able to attend the event, event organizers played a video of them thanking everyone for their help and cooperation.

The event proceeded to the constituent presentations, when invited speakers went up to the podium to advocate for topics like mental and behavioral health, education equity, and climate justice.

Mai Du, of the Coalition for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE), attended the event to speak on education equity and to advocate for the passing of the H.542/S.288 bill, also referred to as "An Act to Promote Racially Inclusive Curriculum in Schools."

According to the CARE coalition, the bill would "ensure that instruction in K-12 education shall include the teaching of accurate histories, writings, and contributions of racial and ethnic groups that have been historically underrepresented or marginalized."

"If you think in terms of 10 years, plant a tree. If you think in terms of 100 years, teach children," said Mai Du.

During an interview after the event, Du also went into detail about how teacher diversity is important, but representation is just not enough.

"There's a lot of talk about diversity and how diversity is great, but when diversity is tokenized [...] then change, systemic change, is not going to be realized," said Du. "There's not enough inclusive curriculum, inclusive content. Diverse students, BIPOC students, students of color, they're not seeing themselves in the curriculum."

Mai Du explained how when students are unable to see themselves in school and in the content that they are being taught, students may begin to feel like they are not validated, and this problem isn't rooted in the diversity of teachers or staff, the problem is rooted in the content being taught and the heroes being idolized.

Ladda "Bug" Kosaketh, another constituent speaker, shifted the topic of conversation when they took to the stage to talk about climate justice and the "importance of access to outdoor spaces for the youth in the area."

Kosaketh attended the event on behalf of Just Understand My Potential (JUMP), a youth development nonprofit, mostly focused on outdoor education and outdoor experiences. "We're more focused on youth development, and we see that the outdoors is a great place for personal growth to happen, but we want to meet the kids where they're at," said Kosaketh.

According to Kosaketh, there's an importance in serving and reaching out to vulnerable communities and kids with adverse childhood experiences. Reaching out to ensure that these children know that they are seen and not just somebody to be given up one is an important message that Kosaketh wanted to convey.

"You have potential, even though other people might not believe in you," said Kosaketh.

Kosaketh ended their speech by imparting their love for the land and how their interactions with nature have helped them grow in character. To help the youth become "stewards of the land," Kosaketh hopes that children everywhere put themselves in a position that allows them to learn from their natural environment.

"I feel like because nature doesn't speak in the same language we do, there's just so much curiosity and mystery around it," said Kosaketh. "I just feel like people don't really get excited about helping something unless they have a connection with it. So that's why I try to focus on helping people connect with nature. And people are most open when they're children."

After the constituent presentations and testimonies, Representatives Natalie Higgins, Meghan Kilcoyne, Michael Kushmerek, Margaret Scarsdale, and Senator Jamie Eldridge were invited gathered on stage to take turns speaking and thanking event organizers and constituents for their hard work.

Kushmerek recounted aspects of his life story and hard times growing up and relying on food stamps and welfare to get by.

"Some of my early memories are of being in a food pantry and remembering just the smiling volunteers who were giving us bags of food," said Kushmerek. "I didn't quite know what was going on at the time, but I can appreciate it now with each food insecurity organization that I visit, just seeing the volunteers who are doing it not because they have to, but because they want to."

A tone of gratitude and momentum governed the speeches of the entire morning. All who gathered for the legislative conference understood the importance of connections, advocacy, and perseverance.

"I am so delighted to be joining so many of you doing such amazing work in our communities each and every day," said Representative Michael Kushmerek. "You are the true heroes and champions in our community, so I thank you for everything that you do for each and every one of our communities and constituents."

Leading Tourism Organizations in Central Massachusetts Awarded $1 Million Grant to Enhance Tourism Opportunities

Travel and Tourism Season Extension grant to support marketing projects that promote travel and tourism during "shoulder season"

Central Mass. - Three leading tourism organizations in Central Massachusetts today announced they will receive a combined $1 million Travel and Tourism Season Extension (TTSE) Grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT). Discover Central Massachusetts, in partnership with MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau and Visit North Central Massachusetts, announced the grant during a special event at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

The grant, which is funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Agency, will be provided over two years to support the partnership of the three organizations.

"These Travel and Tourism Season Extension grants support regional marketing projects that promote travel and tourism attractions between the months of November through April, known as the 'shoulder season,'" said Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism Executive Director Keiko Matsudo Orrall. "We have an amazing state to showcase, and these funds will enhance tourism recovery during this important part of the year."

"This is a great opportunity for all of our organizations to come together and share our collective attractions with leisure travelers, sports families, groups and convention attendees, among many others," said Monique Messier, President, Discover Central Massachusetts. "By making this a collaborative effort with the MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau and Visit North Central Massachusetts, we can unify our position as an attractive and competitive destination not just in Massachusetts but throughout New England and on the East Coast."

Target cities include Boston, Mass., Providence, R.I., Manchester, N.H., New York City and surrounding suburbs, and Canada, with outcomes of increased tourism revenue, website traffic, newsletter subscriptions, and a larger social media following expected.

"The project is consistent with economic development goals in our region as we continue to recover from losses in visitor spending, tourism payroll and tax dollars which occurred during the pandemic," said Roy Nascimento, President and CEO, Visit North Central Massachusetts. "This is an exciting opportunity to enhance our existing efforts and grow our tourism industry for the benefit of our businesses and communities."

The campaign will connect experiences and opportunities across more than 80 cities and towns represented by the three destination marketing organizations.

"This collaboration expands the impact of our national and international campaigns far beyond what any of us could do working alone," said Erin Lynch, Executive Director, MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau. "These partnerships weave together a story showcasing the tremendous assets and opportunities for exploration within our regions, driving a significant boost for our local economies."

North Central Massachusetts announces three-year strategic plan

Plan aligns with One North Central Regional Economic Development Plan focused on regional prosperity, market opportunities

North Central Mass. - The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce today announced a new strategic plan designed to build upon the considerable momentum generated through the keen vision and steady execution of their prior plan announced in 2018.

"Our new strategic plan capitalizes upon the successes experienced over the past four years while also acknowledging a significant number of emerging opportunities and challenges currently facing our region," said Roy Nascimento, President and CEO, North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. "At the same time, it incorporates many of the invaluable recommendations of One North Central, our comprehensive regional economic development plan commissioned by the Chamber in concert with our local partners and unveiled in 2021."

The 2023-2025 plan includes five goals focusing on specific areas with accountable metrics and targets:

Goal 1: Strengthen the regional economy and improve the overall business climate;

Goal 2: Promote the region as an ideal place to live, work, visit and invest;

Goal 3: Partner with educational, business and non-profit communities to address the region's growing workforce development needs;

Goal 4: Deepen the region's understanding of complex issues, identify collaborative solutions and advocate to key decision makers and stakeholders;

Goal 5: Position the Chamber for long-term sustainability and success.

The strategic plan, which was approved by the Chamber Board and its affiliate Boards from North Central Massachusetts Development Corporation and Visit North Central Massachusetts, was prepared via a comprehensive process that included input from members, the Boards, staff and other stakeholders. The new strategic plan complements the One North Central plan while aligning with the Chamber's advocacy agenda.

"We made great strides in achieving key goals set forth in our previous plan," said Nascimento. "From launching a localized online jobs resource and a Latinx business initiative to better engage and support Latinx small businesses to securing nearly four million dollars in state, federal and private funding to supporting lending efforts and regional economic development, we are pleased with our work and look forward to continuing the momentum over the next three years." Members can view the new strategic plan by visiting www.northcentralmass.com.

Programs and projects will be undertaken with care and consideration of actual resources of the Chamber and its members. The plan is also a fluid document of which the Chamber will update as needed to reflect the changing world.