Current Projects

BRIDGE
As America's educational emphasis on art and the humanities is revitalized, many artists and musicians come together to create new and thought-provoking ways to invite people to participate in learning. Benefit concerts, individuals' private donations and large-scale projects have been underway to promote their resurgance and recognition, yet there are perhaps none as effective as those which are done at the grass-roots level.

Bringing cultural, historical and social awareness to the public on a basic level sparks an interest in one's own heritage, and makes it possible for us to cherish and respect those past times which brought us to the present. When this interest is combined with the ability to express oneself through art and music, a whole new realm of possibility for appreciating life opens up.

This is part of the mission of the BRIDGE project, to "Empower individuals to explore and express their own voices through the creative arts." Through interactive presentations which both teach and inspire, Bridge artists work together to make hands-on activities a new and effective way for schools to assist then in meeting the family involvement and arts and humanities requirements of Education Yes!.

Founding BRIDGE artists Barbara Cicchelli and Michigan's Troubadour Neil Woodward, work together to bring the BRIDGE project to groups statewide. Woodward was awarded the Creative Artist Grant by the Arts Foundation of Michigan, received nine awards from the Detroit Music Awards, and whose work has been catalogued by the Library of Congress Office of Folklife, State of Michigan Library and the Archives of the State of Michigan. Together, they bring the BRIDGE project to groups of students statewide.

Through concerts, exhibitions, workshops and residencies BRIDGE can bring the joy of art, music and education to your community. A sampling of programs available are "Michigan Through the Eyes of a Song," Ancient Legends As Art, and The Strings Sing. Pricing varies and grants are available to help bring BRIDGE to you.

To find out more about how the Bridge project can be brought to your community, contact Barbara Cicchelli.

Storytellers
Several years ago, Ms. Cicchelli became interested in the present connection to ancient myths, figures and people. From the myths of ancient people, she was inspired to create a project which would challenge others to find their own connection.

Beginning with small figures that represented characters in the legends, she than took on the task of creating large representations to bring to the public. These new creations are impactful, and leave an impression on the viewer that both excites the imagination and inspires individuals to find their own form of self-expression.

In a creative new project called Storytellers, she offers a way for people to find themselves through the creations she made based on Inuit legends, and give in to the idea that there are as many ways to express oneself through art as there are ways to interpret stories from the past.

One figure was created from the legend of Sedna, the Mother of the Sea. Sedna was a beautiful Inuit maiden. She had many suitors in her village but thought none of them were good enough for her. One day a handsome man wearing a mask rowed up in his umiak singing beautiful songs.

Sedna married him and he took her far away to live on a beautiful island, clothed her in beautiful furs and
fed her every delicacy. Whenever he went hunting, he wore a lucky talisman. One day Sedna realized that he had forgotten his talisman and ran after him to give it to him. To her horror, she saw him transform into a
BIRD!!

When she blinked her eyes and looked around her she realized her island was in fact a rocky barren cliff and she had been eating smelly raw fish. She cried and thought of her family. Her father felt her
tears and set out in a boat to rescue her. Sedna and her father were rowing home when her husband found
them. He was furious and his anger caused HUGE waves and a stormy, violent sea. Sedna's father threw her
overboard to appease him.

She sank to the bottom of the sea and transformed into the Mother of the Sea. Each year a shaman goes down to help her comb her hair and she releases all of the creatures of the sea for bountiful fishing and hunting.

Storytellers brings together myths from many diverse cultures.