For
Old Times Sake is built around an Appalachian tradition of
storytelling used as a path toward environmental stewardship. Our
oral historian, Anndrena Belcher, says it best in a story from her
childhood:
everything had to rot and go back into the ground.
We peeled the apple peelin's into a coal bucket.
All the peelings filled the bucket,
and then ----
my grandmother sent me and my sister,
our cousins,
out to the apple trees,
to the orchard,
and she told us:
"Place the peelings around the base of the tree
so that the peelings will rot back into the earth.
We're going to
give back
to that old earth and
back
to that tree
part of what we just took away."
Anndrena Belcher's tales are rooted in an Appalachian tradition
centuries old, one that bridges the gap between humans and
nature. Through performances, teacher in-service programs, and
one-on-one workshops with children, Anndrena reintroduces our youth to
the Appalachian land ethic of environmental stewardship.
Her workshops use art as
leadership development, highlighting the
notion that each of us counts in the making of democracy.
Students learn to define themselves through personal oral history, and
in the process of self definition they learn to challenge our current
extractive culture and protect the earth.
Click on the news articles below to read more about For Old Times
Sake's recent work. Or explore Anndrena Belcher's songs and
storytelling through her
website and myspace page.
Anndrena speaks on Appalachian migration
Posted Fri Dec 23 23:47:06 2011
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"Two Gals": A retelling of "Greasybeard"
Posted Wed Dec 14 23:53:02 2011
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In praise of Anndrena Belcher
Posted Thu Nov 17 19:20:37 2011
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Developing a taste for tale-tellin'
Posted Thu Nov 10 23:20:14 2011
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"Your inspiration has been carried through another generation"
Posted Sat Apr 2 20:14:48 2011
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Dungannon students learn new appreciation for mountain traditions
Posted Wed Nov 3 00:00:51 2010
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