In this edition of WYSO Weekend you’ll hear the latest from WYSO’s newest arts series Culture Couch. Coming up later in the program Community Voices, and we’ll hear about a series of events coming up in Dayton centered around ‘peace.’ And WYSO Music Director Niki Dakota stops by to tell us about Sunday night's WYSO Community Concert. See full program details below.
- On Saturday, in Dayton the local Gay, Lesbien & Straight Education Network—or GLSEN—held their 2nd annual rally against bullying. The group is doing a lot to help LGBT youth in the Miami Valley. Kevin Mabrey serves on the GLSEN board and filled us in on some other events coming up.
- What happens when a choir director and 100 singers focus on climate change? This weekend, the World House Choir will present Missa Gaia: A Celebration of Mother Earth by Paul Winter. The music is both meditative and a call to action. For Culture Couch, WYSO Community Voices producer, Debra Oswald sat in on a rehearsal and brings us two artists, in their own voices.
- On Miami Valley StoryCorps we bring you conversations between local people who went to the StoryCorps booth in Dayton. Today we hear Cecelia Long interview her friend and neighbor Mary Ellington about her history in Dayton and efforts to preserve the Wright-Dunbar neighborhood.
- Inside an unassuming building complex in Centerville, 10 or more volunteers move between rows and rows of shelves filled with children’s clothing, books, and toys. At first glance it looks a little chaotic but it soon becomes clear that what’s taking place here is anything but chaotic. The volunteers at Hannah’s Treasure Chest know what their doing— help families and children whose lives have been turned upside down, for many different reasons. To find out more about how Hannah’s is providing that help, I sat down with Executive Director Sarah Williams.
- WYSO Music Director, Niki Dakota gives us details on the WYSO Community Concert taking place at Riverscape MetroPark.
- Saturday began an almost month-long series of events centered around peace. More than 70 independent organizations are participating in this annual event that has grown over the years—especially here in Dayton—a city that’s now synonymous with the idea of peace. The Peace Dayton Collaborative and a new organization, Five Rivers Chautauqua: Mending the Sacred Hoop are organizing this years events which will run through Sept. 29th. To find out some details on the events taking place, I spoke with Irene Bedard. She’s a Film and television actor, and independent film producer. Among her credit—she was the lead voice in the Disney animated film “Pocahontas.” Bedard is an native Alaskan now living in Yellow Springs.
