The Idealist.org Podcasts Idealist.org

En una calle arbolada de Buenos Aires se encuentra un descolorido edificio con un extenso mural de graffiti sobre la figura del incomparable Carlos Gardel. En su interior, un teatro que siempre permanece a oscuras. Es el llamado ‘Teatro Ciego,’ el primer y único teatro donde ambos, artistas videntes e no videntes, actúan totalmente sin luz.

Nuestro último podcast nos trae a Ceci Gil Mariño y su experiencia con la representación de La Isla Desierta en completa oscuridad. Descubriremos por qué es rociada con pefume de jazmín, cómo es para los actores no tener que hacer uso de la expresión facial y cómo este teatro representa una apuesta innovadora al promover el empleo para personas con discapacidad visual.

Una gran idea que merece ser difundida. ¡Comprúebalo! 

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Ceci Gil Mariño co-productora con Celeste Hamilton Dennis quieren agradecer a Martín Celis, Craig Dennis, Terry Dennis y Jason Kirtland por prestarnos sus voces. Janet Bollero, Rachel McRoberts, Deborah Brody, Emily Burnett y Lindsay Rihala por su impagable asistencia con la traducción. Pía Sicardi por la originalidad de su música. Julia Smith y Hannah Kane por el proceso de edición. Douglas Coulter por sus increíbles habilidades con la producción y lo más importante, agradecer al los componentes de Teatro Ciego, por permitirnos ‘encender’ una luz en su mundo de oscuridad.

On a tree-lined street in Buenos Aires is a faded building with a large graffiti mural of tango great Carlos Gardel on its walls. Inside is a theatre that is always kept dark. This is Teatro Ciego, the world's first and only theatre where both blind and seeing artists perform exclusively without light.

Our latest podcast features Celeste Hamilton Dennis as she experiences the play La Isla Desierta in total darkness. We hear why she gets sprayed with jasmine perfume, what it's like for the actors to not use facial expressions - and how this theatre is innovative in providing employment for the disabled. 

It's an idea worth spreading. Come hear for yourself. 

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Celeste Hamilton Dennis and co-producer Ceci Gil Mariño would like to thank Martín Celis, Craig Dennis, Terry Dennis and Jason Kirtland for lending us their voices; Janet Bollero, Rachel McRoberts, Deborah Brody, Emily Burnett and Lindsay Rihala for their invaluable translation assistance; Pía Sicardi for her original music; Julia Smith and Hannah Kane for their editing prowess; Douglas Coulter for his mad production skills; and most importantly, the cast of Teatro Ciego for letting us shine a light on their world.

In this episode we feature one of the winners of the 2009 Purpose Prize. The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators in their encore careers who are creating new ways to solve tough social problems. The Prize is an initiative of Civic Ventures' Encore Careers campaign which aims to engage millions of experienced adults in work that makes a difference in their communities and the world.



In this interview we hear from Connie Siskowski who started The Caregiving Youth Project, which provides support groups, classes and resources for youth who are the primary caregivers for ill or disabled family members.



If you'd like more information on encore careers or mid-career transitions, go to idealist.org/midcareer

In this episode we feature one of the winners of the 2009 Purpose Prize. The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators in their encore careers who are creating new ways to solve tough social problems. The Prize is an initiative of Civic Ventures' Encore Careers campaign which aims to engage millions of experienced adults in work that makes a difference in their communities and the world.



In this interview we hear from Judith Broder who, in her late 60's, created The Soliders Project which provides free psychological support to returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.



If you'd like more information on encore careers or mid-career transitions, go to idealist.org/midcareer

On the outskirts of Buenos Aires tucked away from
the ubiquitous tango clubs and steakhouses, is Hospital Borda, the
largest and oldest mental hospital in Argentina. But this isn't your
typical psychiatric ward. In the middle of its courtyard stands a small,
bustling building full of recording equipment and unbridled energy,
where each Saturday patients gear up to take the mic. This is Radio La
Colifata, the first radio show in the world to be broadcast out of a
mental hospital.


Our latest podcast follows Idealist staff
member Celeste Hamilton, a transplanted New Yorker and Cecilia Gil Mariño,
a native Argentinean, as they give us an intimate glimpse as to
why everyone from taxi drivers to famous musicians can't get enough of
Radio La Colifata. We hear from staff and patients, or colifatos
as they like to be called, about how it all began, why it's lasted
almost two decades-- and why this innovative form of public therapy has spawned 40
similar radio stations all over the world.



Special thanks to Victoria Bembibre and Martín Waserman for help with
initial reporting;  C. Andrea Sottosanto and Josefina Murphy for
transcription and translation assistance; Carolina Villanueva, Martin
Celis, Rodrigo Tabernero and Verónica Carmona Barrenechea for lending
us their voices; and Cheba Massolo, Agri, and Julio y Agosto for
sharing their music. But most of all, mil gracias to the Radio La
Colifata staff and colifatos for inviting Idealist into their world.


Radio La Colifata: En Vivo desde
Argentina 


En uno de los barrios menos
transitados de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, lejos de los lugares favoritos
de paseo de los porteños, se encuentra el Hospital Borda, uno de los
más grandes y antiguos hospitales neuropsiquiátricos de la Argentina.
Pero este no es un típico hospital psiquiátrico. En uno de sus jardines,
podemos encontrar una descascarada sala de cemento donde si damos la
vuelta, vemos un hermoso mural y si entramos, podemos encontrar equipos
para grabar, cables, en síntesis: una radio, donde los pacientes van
tomando de a turnos el micrófono para realizar el programa. Ésta es
la Radio La Colifata, la primera radio en el mundo realizada por pacientes
psiquiátricos y transmitida desde el hospital mismo.  







Nuestro último podcast sigue
la historia de dos miembros del staff de Idealistas, Celeste Hamilton
de Nueva York y Ceci Gil Mariño de Argentina. Ellas nos dan una mirada
íntima acerca de cómo fueron descubriendo este mundo y por qué, desde
un chofer de un taxi hasta un músico famoso participan de La Colifata.
Escucharemos a los coordinadores de la radio y a los pacientes, o
colifatos, como todos prefieren llamarse, que nos contarán cómo
nació esta idea, por qué sigue vigente y por qué esta innovadora
forma de terapia pública y colectiva ha inspirado a más de 40 radios
similares en el mundo. 






Un agradecimiento muy especial
a Victoria Bembibre y Martín Waserman por ayudarnos con las entrevistas
iniciales; C. Andrea Sottosanto y Josefina Murphy por la transcripción
y asistencia en la traducción al inglés; Carolina Villanueva, Martín
Celis, Rodrigo Tabernero y Verónica Carmona Barrenechea por prestarnos
sus voces para su versión en inglés; y Cheba Massolo, Agri, y Julio
& Agosto por compartir con nosotros su música. Pero, por sobre
todo, mil gracias a la Radio La Colifata y los colifatos por invitar
a las chicas de Idealistas a ser parte de su mundo.



Haz clic acá para escuchar este episodio en español.

From our team in Portland, Oregon:

Last November, we blogged about a mentorship program taking place in our office where four of the women on our staff would be mentoring a small group of teenage girls. Coordinated by Girls, Inc. of NW Oregon, the Associates Mentoring Program provides opportunities for busy professional women to join forces with girls in crafting a project to explore different career paths, develop new skills, get to know one another, and have fun in the process.

Seven months and a ton of work later, we’re proud to show off the fruits of their labor: a new podcast!  “Past, Present, and Future…The Voices of Girls and Women” explores the diverse and shared perceptions of women and girls, the stories they tell, and the common themes they share. A team of three girls and four Idealists met every other week to create this new podcast, determining the theme, crafting six questions to ask each person, interviewing 17 women and girls who ranged in age from 14 to 61, and doing lots and lots of editing (with the guidance and assistance of our own Amy Potthast, host of The New Service podcasts). The end result? A twenty minute window into unique dreams and goals, stories of perseverance and ambition, and shared hopes and ideals of girls and women today.



Special thanks to rock stars Christa, Polina, and Galyna, Girls Inc of NW Oregon, and the many fascinating girls and women who participated in our project!