Spring 2008- Newsletter

Welcome to the Canvas Update
Bringing you all the latest news from CCT Chiang Mai

The mission of Cultural Canvas Thailand is to generate awareness and volunteer support of the current social issues facing Chiang Mai, Thailand. We promote equality, community interaction, and social change through volunteer services and artistic outreach in conjunction with local organizations. Cultural Canvas Thailand provides service and supplies to projects in the following areas:

• HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention
• Burmese Refugee Aid and Education
• Women’s Empowerment
• Hill Tribe Aid and Education

CCT Welcomes Four Ambitious Volunteers
This month has been an exciting one with the arrival of four new volunteers Katrina, Jo, Constance and Jessica, all of whom have quickly settled into their placements and are already achieving great things.
Jo Rochford is working at the Burmese Migrant Learner Centre teaching English two days per week, while also advising staff members on the setting up of the centre’s new primary level education program. She is also instructing at Freedom House, a school for Burmese refugees.
Katrina Light is the newest face at Empower, a women’s organization, where she will be teaching English conversation and working with the Empower team partaking in various awareness-raising outreach programs. 
The hill tribe girls who attend the Chiang Mai Buddhakasetra Foundation are in for a real treat with Constance Castrence who will be teaching English through yoga, art and music.
Finally Jessica Tirado is assisting the team at the Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) in a research project about children involved in armed conflict that will be submitted to the UN upon completion. 

CCT Home-Base Relocates to Wualai
The CCT home-base has moved to a prime location on Wualai Road in the heart of the Silver District. The house is within walking distance to the popular Chiang Mai Gate Market. Wualai is also the location for the Saturday walking street, a colorful and diverse market that draws hundreds of visitors each week. P’ Hawm, our trusted mae ban or house mother, has also made the move and is taking great care of our volunteer team.

Canvas Program Launches with a Photography Project at Freedom House
CCT is please to launch its first Canvas Art Project with the kind support of Lomo Photography. Lomo has donated twenty cameras and the expertise of four lomographers to assist us on the project with children and adults at Freedom House, a school for Burmese refugees. The project will take place in three sessions in which the students, many of whom have never taken a picture, will learn about cameras and photography. The project will culminate with the students taking the cameras home to capture their living situation, which is dire. The students of Freedom House live in abhorrent conditions in construction camps where they are paid pennies for hours of gruelling work. The first exhibition, which will take place on March 23 at Three Kings Monument during the Sunday Market, will be a chance to see these photographs in a breath-taking Lomowall. Then, on March 28, the wall will move to the Chiang Mai University Art Museum, where it will be on display for a month.

CCT Welcomes Art Director
We are pleased to announce a new addition to the CCT staff. Emily Scott will be joining us as CCT Canvas Director. Emily, a well-known artist and Chiang Mai resident, will be working within our partner organizations to set up fun and therapeutic art projects, promoting self expression and offering participants a chance to make their voices heard through various artistic media.

Your Support Helps CCT Thrive
On behalf of all the CCT staff, volunteers and partner organizations we would like to convey our sincere thanks to all those who contributed to our transportation fund by donating through the mail, Facebook and our website. A very special thanks goes to the teachers and students of Scoil Bhride, from Kilcullen in County Kildare, Ireland who ran a fantastic fundraising cake sale which raised €1,400, of which 60% will be used for CCT program development and 40% will be donated to our partner organizations.

Thank you for your kind support!

AID - EDUCATE - EMPOWER