I returned to university late in life to do my Masters in Environmental Studies because I am passionate about climate change solutions.
I have been using theatre as a tool for community development and social change for over 30 years and am considered (in Canada) a pioneer in this field.
I am the widow of well-known Indigenous artist Harold Rice and raised two children with him. Our "kids" are now 21 and 26 years old.
My family came to Canada from Ireland seven generations ago. I live on my 16 acres, which includes a stand of sugar maples trees that I tap each spring.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

I was planning to attend the UN Climate Change Summit in Santiago Chile, but due to violent unrest and transit infrastructure destruction, it was announced yesterday that the summit will be held in Madrid. So now I'm scrambling to find free accommodation in or near Madrid, (which I'd arranged in Santiago). I'm on a very tight budget, so I'm hoping I can couch surf. I'm very quiet and clean and would barely be at your home, seeing as I will be very involved with fringe events at the summit. I really just need a place to sleep from Dec 1-14.

Intereses

• environment
• agriculture
• theatre
• good food
• indigenous rights
• climate change

Música, películas y libros

Music: Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
Movies: Schindler's List, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Volver
Books: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro

Algo increíble que he hecho

Stopped a massive housing development on my family's farm land, using theatre as a tool for community engagement.

Enseña, aprende, comparte

I have four presentations that I can pull out of my hat, if you have connections to organizations that might be interested:

1. A powerpoint presentation about Project Drawdown (www.drawdown.org), including my reflections and actionable items from Drawdown’s recent conference, which I attended at Penn State University in Pennsylvania, USA. This piece would be suitable for an academic and/or general audience. I can present it theatrically or not. I am presently forming a Drawdown “chapter” here in Canada. There is also a chapter in Europe, based in Germany. https://drawdown.dena.de/home/

2. A 10-minute street theatre performance using a larger-than-life alien puppet (that collapses down to fit in a guitar case). The basic premise is that an alien named Gaia has landed on earth to help humans implement climate change solutions, given that her home planet was able to overcome a similar climate crisis.

3. Indigenous Environmental Justice. I’ve been hired as a Research Assistant on this project at York University and could present on this topic. https://iejproject.info.yorku.ca

4. A powerpoint about my 40 years of experience in Community-Engaged Theatre as a tool for community development and environmental education.

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

If interested, I'm willing to share my experiences at the UN Climate Change Summit in Madrid (as it unfolds, or after the fact).
I am also willing to Couch Surf host in my home near Toronto, Canada.

Países que he visitado

Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States

Países en los que he vivido

Canada