The yearly cycle has returned us once again to Fall in Southern Arizona, when we begin looking forward to cooler temperatures and the coming of the All Souls Procession Weekend. There’s lots to tell you about, many new and exciting changes, so I’ll get right to it!
• to start with, there are location changes in the works for both the All Souls Procession grand finale and the Procession of Little Angels.
The finale site is still in negotiation, so stay tuned for announcements via www.allsoulsprocession.org; or if you’re a subscriber to the Many Mouths email list, a friend of All Souls Procession Weekend on Facebook or a member of The Mouth group on Facebook, we’ll annouce over those channels as well when everything has been finalized.
The Procession of Little Angels is changing location from our previous host at Jacome Plaza to Armory Park at 220 S. 5th ave, with the park itself directly across from the Children’s Museum on 6th ave. We’re very excited about this location change and feel there is much magic to be had there, and much better parking around the neighborhood as well! It’s interesting to note that with the park bookended by the Children’s Museum to the west and the Senior Center to the east, the whole life-spectrum is represented there! The kid’s Costuming Workshops are also changing location from our previous host at the Sculpture Resource Center to Armory Park Center. Many thanks to our friend and ally Robin Landers of the Dept. of Parks and Recreation for helping us fulfill the vision for this year, and we look forward to many, many more to come there.
• we’re also very pleased to tell you that Bones For Bones, the first major benefit show for All Souls Procession Weekend independently produced by people in the community stepping up to help Many Mouths in the All Souls fundraising effort, will be happening at Armory Park on the night of Friday, October 1st (click here for performer’s line-up and more information). COME OUT AND SUPPORT this event, a good time will be had and money will be raised! We are so grateful to Krishna Bright, Shannon Harrison, and all the fantastic artists and other volunteers donating their energies to this event for their efforts to help cover the projected $60,ooo cost for this year’s All Souls Procession Weekend.
• On the fundraising front, we also have the official Many Mouths One Stomach/Flam Chen co-production “10-in-1 Sideshow” happening at the Hut (305 N. 4th ave) this Saturday, September 25th! Click here for more info on that event, and we hope to see you there!
•We’ve reported to you on our efforts to create a world-class documentary film about All Souls Procession in the Spring news update, and now we invite you to tell the film-maker Gerry Loew your stories, projects and other All Souls related experiences for possible inclusion in the film! We want this documentary to be about everything that goes into the making of All Souls Procession, which ranges from the history of its evolution over the past 21 years to money-raising efforts and logistics with the city to personal experiences, projects and traditions. If you’re interested in participating, just email us at mmos.themouth@gmail.com with the subject heading “All Souls doc” and let us know what you’d like to talk about.
• partnerships are a huge part of the success of any major endeavor and the cornerstone of a solid community, and Procession of Little Angels is forging alliances with two new organizations this year: the Youth Volunteer Corps of the Volunteer Center of Southern Arizona, and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council. Both groups are helping us with the ever-increasing task of preparing for Little Angels during the Costuming Workshops held Sundays and Wednesdays throughout October, and do we ever need and appreciate that help! Previously the work has been handled by individual volunteers coming out to donate their time, energy and love toward the work of whitewashing and cutting wing shapes, lengths of wire and fabric, fabric skull shapes, making sugar skulls, and prepping various reclaimed/recycled materials for use by kids as prop elements at the Little Angels festival. As the festival grows year after year, the demand for help has reached a level where whole groups are needed to step in and lend a hand with the effort. To that end, the Youth Volunteer Corps and Saguaro Girl Scout Council are both giving greatly this year and joining us in the production of a truly magical experience for the community of kids in Tucson and their families. And in the case of the Girl Scouts, we are happy to be able to give back by helping to fulfill various badge requirements for sewing, community service, and ancestry! We thank them all wholeheartedly and look forward to long-lasting partnerships with them and many others.