GIVE ME SHELTER
What do we need to survive? Where do these things come from? How are they made?
Mondays 9:30am - 3:30pm | Ages 8 and up | September - December 2014
Our off-site location was in Catskill, at the Anbach Farm and the Catskill Mill.
Look around you. What do we need to survive? Where do these things come from? How are they made? Starting with our own lives, we’ll explore what we need in order to live. We’ll discuss the differences between needs (what you must have to survive), wants (the things that bring you comfort once your basic needs are met), and desires (the things that are not necessary for daily living, but you really want them anyway!) We’ll ask: what does it mean to survive? What role does community play in our survival? What about freedom, respect, and cooperation?
We will make lists of what we need, and then figure out how to make them.
Clothes for my body, shoes for my feet. Fire to keep me warm and cook food. An axe to chop wood, and an oven to bake in. A home to keep me warm and dry. A bed and pillow to rest my head. Music to dance to, and people to dance with.
What's on your list? What do you want to make? Based on the Anbach Farm and at the Catskill Mill, we will have both an indoor and outdoor studio, with a woodshop, a textile arts studio, and land for making, building and inquiry. We’ll look at the animals around us and the shelters they build, and different cultures around the globe, comparing our lists with those from other places and times. We’ll explore fire and how it helps us survive, building a cob oven, gathering wood, and cooking. We’ll look into the natural history of the land we’re on, and the tools that people have used throughout history. How do we take care of ourselves in winter? What have people worn, and what shelters have they built? What does survival mean for us, today, and in our communities?
Over the course of ten weeks, we’ll work together to create our own personal and group kits for survival. This workshop will culminate with an overnight campout and bonfire, as we put our kits to use.