Upcoming Events

Friday February 24 - Sunday February 26, 2012
Begin! Begin again...
a workshop with Michael Lipson, Ph.D.

February 12, 2012
Fire and Rose,
a mystery of Love, in poetry and song

April 15, 2012
The Gospel of John
Performed by David Anderson, Laurie Portocarrero,
and Glen Anderson

Dear Friend of the Novalis Project,

I take great pleasure in inviting you to attend a very special event at Novalis Hall during Holy Week, April 17-22, 2011. Please read the brochure I have attached for further details. The Isenheim Altar has provided our German facilitators, Michael Schubert and Karin Jarman, with inspiration and guidance for their work together in Europe and the forthcoming seminar/ workshop marks their first transatlantic crossing.

No prior knowledge of the altarpiece is necessary for anyone interested in attending this workshop. All that is needed is your willingness to engage mind, heart and hands in the deeply meditative exercise in consciousness that this great work of art engenders. Michael Schubert writes: "The spiritual wisdom which people of our time are longing for is contained in a concentrated form within the Isenheim Altarpiece."

The Altar is housed in a small museum in Colmar, Alsace, reputedly the second most frequently visited museum in France after the Louvre. Michael Schubert's series of life-sized reproductions of the altar panels will form a dramatic and inspiring backdrop when he assembles them in Novalis Hall for Holy Week-the first installation of its kind in North America! Painted almost 500 years ago, when hospitals were more like hospices for the poor, the altarpiece was mounted in the chapel of a monastery as a thing of beauty in itself and a source of active therapy, hope and consolation for dying patients in the care of compassionate monks.

There is a heavenly logic at play in the Isenheim Altar. Its unique arrangement of colour speaks a language of its own that stimulates feeling, giving viewers inner direction in the realm in which confusion often reigns. The play of light and dark that presents as living colour in these paintings brings the subtle movement of a rainbow to mind. "Although the soul is imprisoned in flesh, humanity will not be forgotten." wrote Dr. Margarethe Hauschka in Fundamentals of Artistic Therapy. "A Christ-prophecy is hidden in this simple sentence-that at some future time the inner rainbow will also resurrect, as is indicated in the aura of the Resurrected One in the picture of the Isenheim Altar.”

I invite your participation in the spirit of that prophecy, and hope to hear from you soon.

With warmest wishes for 2011,

- Treasa O'Driscoll, Project Coordinator

Friday, Feb. 24 - Sunday Feb. 26, 2012

**NOVALIS SPECIAL EVENT**

Begin! Begin again...
a workshop with Michael Lipson, Ph.D.

Just as winter awakens into Spring, a natural process of dying and becoming can be reflected in the changing conditions of our lives. The ability to begin anew is the innate human capacity we can consciously exercise in any given situation. We are empowered to embrace each turning point in life as an opportunity to begin anew. And every moment can be a turning point.

In this weekend's workshop Michael Lipson will lead us in an exploration of the ever-new quality of beginning, a group process that includes practical exercises and meditations. We will see how an orientation toward endless beginning is the cure for "burnout" of all kinds and for the inertia that permeates our emotional and practical problems.  Beginnings are only starting points so we must accustom ourselves to the practice of beginning not once, but over and over again. If you are in transition, or should be in transition, then this workshop is for you!

INTRODUCTORY TALK by Dr. Lipson
Location: Hesperus Village, New Dining Room.
Cost: $20

WORKSHOP:
Saturday, Feb. 25, 9.30am-5.30pm/Sunday, Feb. 26, 9.30-3pm:
Location: Camphill Sophia Creek, 87 Toronto Street, Barrie Workshop admission: $150 (includes introductory talk, 2 lunches and snacks)

Michael Lipson, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist practicing in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. His work combines the insights of Rudolf Steiner with those of Zen Buddhism. He teaches meditation widely and writes on issues of consciousness, human development and meditative practice.

To register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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February 12, 2012, 2:30-5:00pm

Location: Hesperus Village, Hesperus Road, Thornhill ON
Admission: $20.00 (Includes refreshments)

Fire and Rose,
a mystery of Love, in poetry and song

“Her presentation is pure ritual. Treasa O’Driscoll takes the audience on a journey into another world where people undergo a transformation.”
- Robert Sardello, author, Freeing the Soul from Fear

The rose is an eternal image of beauty and love, representative of an open heart. Fire is associated with inspiration, revelation and the descent of the Holy Spirit. T.S. Eliot predicted that all would be well when the fire and the rose are one. Drawing on her memorized repertoire of poems and songs, Treasa leads the audience in a meditative reflection on the theme. (Bring pen and paper)

Treasa O’Driscoll lives in Barrie and coordinates the Novalis Project. She is the author of, Celtic Woman, a memoir of life’s poetic journey (www.bluebutterflybooks.ca)

Celtic Woman is a magnificent chronicle of an individual's journey toward the process not only of self-healing, but of understanding and growing with the world around her…. There is a spirit of inquiry in this book that moves throughout these pages, animating every word and infusing the text with an energy that guides the will to love above the trials and tribulations of the world, and there it illumines as a beacon...
- Bruce Meyer, author, The Golden Thread.

Celtic Woman, is a rich feast of a book, part travelogue, part romance, part meditation -- and all of it poetry!  Like the best of memoir, it manages to touch on the most personal, intimate themes of a human life and at the same time to render them universal.  Readers will want to shout both Bravo! and Encore!
- Michael Lipson, author, Stairway of Surprise.

Please register at the Hesperus office
or call Marta at 905-764-0840

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
by John the Evangelist

Performed by David Anderson, Laurie Portocarrero, and Glen Williamson
Directed by Adrian Locher assisted by Benedicta Bertau.

Sunday, April 13, 2012

Location: Novalis Hall at 3:00pm
7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario

Admission: $25 including refreshments

Three actors bring the drama and poetry of the Gospel to life with stunning simplicity and imagination, using only two chairs, a table and a few cloths.

“Meditative and almost balletic… beautifully stylised and executed…excellent. “(4 stars)
- The Herald, Edinburgh Fringe, 2002

“An exceptional piece of stagecraft… No matter what your religious belief—or lack of it— The Gospel of John is an extraordinary evening of theatre. You'll find yourself thinking about it, even discussing it with others, for days afterwards. What could be more rewarding?
- The Independent

“A terrific story with plot twists and turns that are classic. Riveting... Dynamic... A wonder..Brilliant.... the play has resonance and strength… triumphs and mysteries.”
- Pete Bergman, Berkshire Bright Focus.

“…a spiritual experience charged with passion and power.”
- The Stroud News and Journal

For reservations or registrations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Sunday April 17 at 1:00pm

Location: The Christian Community Church,
901 Rutherford Road, Vaughn

The Isenheim Altar
**INTRODUCTORY LECTURE**
An artistic approach to the mystery of Easter
by Michael Schubert and Karin Jarman

Admission: $10.00 (No Charge for seminar participants)

Lunch: $10.00 (Served at 12 Noon for anyone wishing to
view life-sized reproductions of the Alterpiece
or socialize before the lecture)

(Click to Download Introduction Flyer)

(Click to Download Complete Seminar Brochure and Order Form)

Holy Week, 17th-22nd April 2011
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841, 4th line, Angus, Ontario, Canada.

The Isenheim Altar
**HOLY WEEK SEMINAR**
An artistic approach to the mystery of Easter

The journey through the images of this work of art is in itself
a deeply meditative path with which to accompany the mood of this week as an inner preparation for Easter.

The Course
The painter Matthias Grünewald was a contemporary of Albrecht Dürer but not nearly so well known. The historical aspect of his life is steeped in mystery with few documented facts. It reveals however a genius on the level of Leonardo da Vinci. His artistic output was modest and yet the works he produced were of great significance. His most outstanding achievement is the Isenheim Altar which is situated today in a museum in Colmar in France. The luminosity of colour in this piece is unsurpassed and shows a mastery of technique and craftsmanship in preparing pigments, which even today cannot be entirely explained.

The Isenheim Altar was painted for the specific purpose of healing. It was commissioned by a physician, the abbot Guido Guersi, in order to assist him in the work of his hospice which specialised in the treatment of skin diseases such as syphilis, leprosy and especially St. Anthony’s fire, an affliction caused by ergot poisoning. Patients suffering these diseases were social outcasts because of the fear of contagion. The images form part of a large winged altar which describes the journey of healing more powerfully than any words can convey and it carries a deeply Christian message. It remains hugely relevant for our time too, as we grapple with such new illnesses as cancer, HIV and AIDS.

During this seminar we will walk this healing journey together, decode the messages of the paintings and experience their depth through our own artistic renderings and exercises in observation. The art sessions with Karin will help participants form their own personal relationship with this very powerful work of art and make it accessible to their own experience.

The Tutors

Karin Jarman is an art therapist at St. Luke's Medical Centre in Stroud, England.

“I have lived and worked with the Isenheim Altar since I first encountered the original in Colmar, France, over 30 years ago. It has accompanied me from the start of my journey as an art therapist and has continued to be a source of tremendous inspiration and guidance for healing work. I would not have wanted to have been without it. Although it was painted more
than 500 years ago, its relevance today is as strong as ever. I feel very privileged to work on this course in partnership with Michael whose depth of insight surpasses anything I had studied previously.”

Michael Schubert is an author and a teacher of children and adults.

“I was born in 1940 in Berlin. I studied Sports, Art, Craft, History, Geography and German. I have been a teacher, starting out as a class teacher in Germany and then spending five years at a German School in
Johannesburg (South Africa). In 1972 I began teaching at Waldorf Schools. I was one of the founders of the ‘Michael Gemeinschaft, Schweigmatt’, and the ‘Kaspar-Hauser School’ - a boarding school in the Black Forest and the ‘Freie Waldorfschule Schopfheim’. I lectured at various teacher training seminars in Germany and Russia. Since 1975, I have been doing research on Mathias Grünewald and the Isenheim altar piece. I have published several dramas, a book about Queen Ishtar and recently ‘Der Isenheimer
Altar: Geschichte-Deutung-Hintergründe’ (Publ. Urachhous, Stuttgart).”

The Details
The course begins on Palm Sunday, April 17th
at 7.30pm, with an introductory talk. It runs
9.30am to 5.00pm, Monday to Thursday, and
9.30am to 3.00pm on Good Friday, April 22nd.

The Cost
Course Fee: $500 inclusive of all art materials, 5 lunches and other refreshments.

(Click to Download Introduction Flyer)

(Click to Download Complete Seminar Brochure and Order Form)

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Tuesday Afternoons, May 3 - June 28
from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: 87 Toronto Street in Downtown Barrie
Cost: $125 (10 sessions including all materials)

Art Classes
Painting, Sculpture, Drawing

Allow the artist in you to come forth this Spring! Let your creativity flow and exercise your imagination in a play of light and dark and the colour that arises, led by inspired teacher, Lori Cockburn. No prior experience is needed as you engage heart and hands in the transformative activity of art-making.

Lori Cockburn has a diploma in Dance and Art from Ryerson University. Her interest in exploring the expressive, creative and healing potential of movement and other art forms is central to her life. A graduate of the Arscura School for Living Art, Lori is devoted to applying all she has learned for the purpose of awakening the imagination as a force of insight and healing in the souls of her students. Every participant in this painting course will delight in Lori’s practical approach to learning, her sensory acuity and loving service to the spirit of Art.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Sunday May 8, 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario.
Admission: $10

Around the World
with Flute & Percussion
A dynamic presentation by
John & Kathleen Rudolph

Come and enjoy this enlivening and instructive event! Instruments provided for audience participation! Children of all ages welcome!

John Rudolph was appointed principal percussionist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1997. He teaches at the Faculty of Music at U. of T., the Glenn Gould Professional School and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Kathleen Rudolph is much in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician and teacher. After 17 years with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Rudolph was appointed coordinator with the wind division of the Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Liszt, one of the most awe-inspiring figures in all musical history. Luiz de Moura Castro, one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the music of Liszt, returns to Novalis Hall to present this special commemorative concert. Not to be missed!

"Master of masters… the complete control of sonorities and colours that you can extract from the instrument with technique, heart and thought, leaves me elevated in spirit… "
- Pierre Challier, foremost French music critic

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz de Moura Castro began to study the piano at age 5 with one of the greatest pedagogues in Brazil and made his professional debut aged only nine. Renowned as a concert pianist, professor of music and adjudicator, he has performed in concerts and music festivals in the United States, South America, Europe, Russia, Korea, China and Japan. He lectures and concertizes annually on four continents in addition to teaching graduate courses in universities in the US and South America. He is included in Benjamin Saver’s book “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA” Vol.1. Ritmo Magazine counted his Piano de Cuba CD among the top ten recordings of 2000, declaring it:

…marvellous music translated into sound by a great pianist…
Imaginative, ingenuous, original!

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Rena Amiralieva was born into an acclaimed musical family in Baku, Azerbajan and was a seasoned performer by age 10. Subsequently garnering academic accolades and winning prestigious prizes in Russia and Europe, she emigrated to Canada twenty years ago. She has delighted audiences at summer festivals in Ontario with her “polished and brilliant playing” and her recent recitals at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts and Glen Gould Studio have established her as a concert pianist of rare accomplishment and repertoire. Rena has a keen sense of the elemental forces of fire, air, earth and water that attend all summer growth, forces that inform the music she chooses for this special programme that includes Liszt piano solos and choreographed interpretations by her fellow artist, Dianne, of the natural patterns and rhythms inherent in the music of Debussy that Rena plays.

Dianne Chapitis is a performance artist, choreographer and practitioner of the Mitzvah technique-an art of body alignment that informs her approach to dance and deepens her sensitivity to the movement and rhythm inherent in music. Her dancing incorporates patterns and activity seen in nature, a practice grounded in an honours degree in Kinesiology (University of Waterloo) ballet, modern dance, mitzvah technique, music and physics. She has performed in the Guelph Jazz Festival, the Distillery Jazz Festival in Toronto, a celebration of John Coltrane music in Syracuse NY, with classical musician Guy Few in Waterloo and Stratford musician, Loreena McKennett. In 2009 she created a dance solo for the University of Guelph choral concert, “Force of Nature”. She is also a member of this choir. Currently teaching in the opera department at the University of Toronto, Dianne maintains a private coaching practice and travels regularly to teach at the Juilliard School in New York.

Private Mitzvah Technique sessions with Dianne are available by appointment on Monday and Tuesday, June, 27/28.

For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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For Register please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Tuesday Afternoons, April 13 - May 18, 2010
from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: 87 Toronto Street in downtown Barrie,

Entering the Colour Stream
An introductory Watercolour Painting Course with Lori Cockburn

(No previous painting experience necessary)

Awaken your imagination and renew your spirit in a warm community setting as Lori leads you into the wonder of colour that comes to light in the flowering of Spring and Summer gardens.

Lori Cockburn has a diploma in Dance and Art from Ryerson University. Her interest in exploring the expressive, creative and healing potential of movement and other art forms gradually became a driving force in her life. A desire for further study led her to enroll in the Arscura School for Living Art. Now at the point of graduating from Arscura, Lori is devoted to applying all she has learned for the purpose of awakening the imagination and healing the soul. Painting and movement are a daily meditative practice for her and the source of her infectious joy in living. Every participant in this painting course, presented by the Novalis Project, will delight in Lori’s practical approach to learning, her deep insight, awakened imagination and loving service to the spirit of Art.

Cost for 6 session and all materials: $70

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Location: 87 Toronto Street, Barrie

Abeona Family Network presents:
The Three R's of Home life -
Rhythm, Routine, and Relationships 
a lively evening workshop for parents of young children

When adults and children fail to live their daily lives at a pace that can be 'digested and savoured', effects of stress, over-exertion and ill-health will often start to surface. Good rhythm and routine, on the other hand, lay the ground for habits that serve the best interests of all concerned, resulting in healthy relationships between family members that are based in heart centred and enduring bonds of love. 

Gene Campbell, has taught at the elementary level in public and Waldorf schools for 30 years. She is the founder of Chiron, a movement rooted in principles of Waldorf education and catering to the needs of the home-schooling community. Based in Ontario, Gene leads Chiron inspired conferences, summer intensives and workshops throughout North America. She is widely sought after as counsellor and mentor by numerous young parents who delight in her originality, wit and eloquence. A gifted teacher and wise elder, her insightful and practical advice arises out of a profound understanding and respect for the natural developmental patterns of childhood.

Cost: $15- single admission. $25 for couples

Please register before April 20th by calling 1-705-722-5408
or email treasaodriscoll@sympatico.ca

Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 11:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

The Novalis Projects invites you to attend
Music for Farms 
A Novalis Anniversary Celebration

The whole day programme includes a eurythmy performance/workshop by acclaimed eurythmist, Dorothea Mier, accompanied by virtuoso violinist Emmanuel Vukovich. A light lunch will be followed by a tour of Rosefields, Camphill's bio-dynamic garden and its surrounding trails before returning to the hall for the Agri-Cultural Rite of Spring concert(see attached poster). We will honour the birthday of Novalis with cake and good cheer after the concert.

The precise schedule runs as follows:

11.00am sharp:
Performance and Workshop

The Music of Bach - Performance/Workshop
A concert featuring virtuoso violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich, pianist/composer, John McDowell and celebrated cellist, Julia MacLaine (Details)

12.15pm:
Hearty soup, rolls, coffee and cookies will be served.

1.30-2.30pm:
Visit Rosefields garden and/or walk trails.

3.00pm:
Concert in Novalis Hall followed by refreshments.

Agri-Cultural Rite of Spring 
A concert featuring virtuoso violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich, pianist/composer, John McDowell and celebrated cellist, Julia MacLaine (Details Below)

Donation for the whole or partial programme:

Whole day programme:
$35 single admission, $60 only for families.

Morning eurythmy workshop and lunch:
$15 single, families $30

Afternoon concert only:
$20 single admission, concessions for families on request.

Please RSVP before April 20, 2010

Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 11:00am
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

The Music of Bach
a performance/workshop 
featuring
Eurythmist, Dorothea Mier, and Violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich

Eurythmy was developed by Rudolf Steiner in the early part of the twentieth century. He believed that all art is the revelation of concealed laws of nature and gave the world this art of movement as a means of bringing expressive elements in music and poetry into visible form through the finely tuned instrument of the human body. This collaboration between Dorothea Mier and Emmanuel Vukovich is a wonder in itself arising as it does out of their individual dedication to the music of Bach. They will share the process of their working together in the course of this performance. Come prepared to be touched in a part of the soul where you have never been touched before!

Dorothea Mier attended Waldorf Schools in England in her formative years. Having graduated from Michael Hall School, she studied piano at the Birmingham School of Music. Residing in Dornach, Switzerland, from 1955-1980, she worked as a member of the Goetheanum Stage Group and was renowned as a teacher of eurythmy. She became the director of the Spring Valley Eurythmy School in New York State in 1980, a position she held for over twenty years. Now retired, she is free to conduct workshops worldwide.

Of Croatian and German descent and a native of Calgary, Emmanuel Vukovitch graduated from McGill University in 2007 in music and environmental studies. He was leader of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet which won several national and international awards. Awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship in 2005, he became the first recipient of McGill University's Schulich School of Music Golden Violin Award in 2006. Emmanuel co-founded Music for Farms in 2008, a movement he promotes in his concerts for Community Supported Agriculture farms in Quebec, Ontario and in New York State and in his daily working life as a biodynamic farmer in Quebec.

The performance will be followed by a light lunch.

Cost:

Performance and Light Lunch:
$15 single admission
$30 families

Performance only:
$10 single, $20 families

Part of Music for Farms - A Novalis Anniversary Celebration

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

Agri-Cultural Rite of Spring 
A concert featuring virtuoso violinist, Emmanuel Vukovich, pianist/composer, John McDowell and celebrated cellist, Julia MacLaine

Emmanuel and John, who practice music and farming side by side, have formed an international initiative, Music for Farms, which works to revive and sustain local organic agriculture and farming communities through the arts. Julia MacLaine joins them for this special concert at Novalis Hall. The programme includes the music of Bach and several original works in contemporary and classical idioms, such as their own acclaimed composition based on the Parcival legend. African drum rhythms are also employed to great effect by this exciting Trio whose creative arrangements reflect a weaving of eastern and western traditions.

Juilliard and McGill trained Emmanuel Vukovich is the recipient of Canada's first Golden Violin Award, as well as the Canada Council for the Arts Orford String Quartet scholarship. His twin passions of farming and music are brought to expression in this artistic Rite of Spring. John McDowell is best known as composer of the score to Oscar winning Born into Brothels. He has toured with platinum selling rock/world music band Rusted Root and his internationally acclaimed band Mamma Tongue. Julia MacLaine has been consistently singled out by critics for her rich tone, sweet throbbing vibrato and superb musicianship. Her performances at Carnegie Hall, in Europe, North and South America and Iceland have established her as one of today's prominent cellists.

Part of Music for Farms - A Novalis Anniversary Celebration

Tickets:$20

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Sunday, May 30, 2010 at 3:00pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus, Ontario

Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company presents
Evoking the Duende

The 'duende' works on the body of the dancer like the wind works on sand.... Lorca

Flamenco, originating in Northern India as a passionate mode of expression for travelling gypsies, is an enduring Spanish art form that speaks directly to the heart. Schooled in this complex form from childhood, Esmeralda Enrique epitomizes the individuality, clarity and sincerity of the true artist in her character and in her work. The innovative company she created is a driving force on the Canadian dance landscape. Esmeralda herself is a much loved and charismatic member of the Toronto dance community, a distinguished teacher and choreographer of international renown. Early booking is advised for this exciting ensemble's performance at Novalis Hall. Please reserve before May 20.

Click Here to read "A passion for Life" and learn more about the Duende and Esmarelda at Novalis Hall

Tickets:$30

For Reservations please call 1-705-722-5408,
or e-mail rsvp@novalisproject.com

Saturday-Sunday, March 27-28, 2010
Location: 87 Toronto Street, Barrie

Towards a Culture of Peace: 
with Michael Lipson, PhD

Our world is governed by inner and outer hostilities.  Today, the world's precious resources of water, oil, air and arable land are only growing scarcer -- giving more cause for conflict.
Unless…Unless we develop a consciousness of peace and mutual gift-giving. Peace, however, depends not only on concord between humans, or between humans and the kingdoms of nature.  It requires concord between human beings and the heavens.  

Let us spend a weekend discovering the deep well-spring of generosity we can access within. Let us go beyond resources-to the very Source itself. The way is through group discussion and group meditation.  Using words, we can access the place before words, where we are truly at one.

Saturday, March 27 from 9:3am - 5:30 pm
Sunday, March 28 from 9:30am - 3:00pm

Michael Lipson, PhD, is the author of The Stairway of Surprise, and the translator of many works by Rudolf Steiner and Georg Kuehlewind. A Clinical Psychologist in independent practice in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, he teaches meditation internationally.

Cost: Complete Event $150
(includes Saturday and Sunday lunches and snacks)

Please register before March 10th by calling 1-705-722-5408
or email treasaodriscoll@sympatico.ca

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The Novalis Project presents a workshop with Michael Lipson, Ph.D

Sat.-Sun., March 1st-2nd
Location: at Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus, Ont.
Sat. March 1st: 2.30 pm-8.30 pm,
Sun. March 2nd: 9.30am-3.00pm
COST: $150 (including 1 dinner, 1 lunch and snacks)

Within You
And Among You
Inner work and the elements of human encounter

When spiritual work becomes sufficiently intense, inner life is communal life. This sense is captured in Luke 17:21, which is ambiguous in the original Greek:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within/among you.

The path of meditation is above all a path of interpersonal encounter, for it involves meeting the chosen theme and, ultimately, the Will from which the theme arose. Meditation worthy of the name does not take us away from each other, but leads us into play and collaboration that derives from a common creative source. Our themes for this weekend will be taken from the Gospel of John. John asks us to dissolve the husk of habit that separates us from one another and from the spirit. We will consider whether we live in a world of things or of beings, what it means to speak of the Light of the world, and whether we truly want to be whole.

This weekend workshop will invite participants to become increasingly present both to meditative themes and to each other. It will include exercises in which we encounter 'the other' as a source of meaning and love and that help us to see how we hide ourselves from divinity in all its aspects.

Michael Lipson, PhD, is the author of The Stairway of Surprise, a re-working of Rudolf Steiner's Six "Supplementary" Exercises, as well as the translator of many works by R. Steiner and by Georg Kuehlewind. A Clinical Psychologist in independent practice in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, he teaches meditation internationally.

TO REGISTER: CALL 1-705-722-5408 OR EMAIL treasa@novalisproject.com

Presenting an Earth Day Concert with Mary Anderson and friends

The Haunting Magic
of the Celtic Harp

Sunday April 22 at 3pm
Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th Line, Angus, Ontario
Admission: $20 including refreshments

"One of Canada's finest harpists."
- Ottawa Folklore Center

"Simply a superb musician with a growing
reputation for excellence"
- Kitchener Waterloo Record

"Enough exuberance to set your feet to
dance and your heart to dream .."
- Folkharp Journal

Mary Anderson began her career as a harpist studying at the Royal Conservatory of music. Mary has evolved a style that encompasses traditional, jazz, classical, contemporary and popular sounds. Her playing has been called "aggressive", "refreshing", and "spirited", and she has been dubbed one of Canada's finest folk harpers.

Special Guest Rev. Bonnie Kelly will present
Maude’s Newfoundland Memories
The character of Maude is a composite of the many wonderful Newfoundland women that Rev. Kelly lived and worked with in her native Newfoundland when she served a United Church parish there. Maude has been shaped by a vibrant, happy community life and by the wild waves of the sea. Come and listen to her tales... She's sure to give you a laugh!

Please reserve by calling 1-705-722-5408
rsvp@novalisproject.com
Mailing address: Novalis Project, 92 Mary Street, Barrie, ONL4N ITI

A Watercolour Painting Course with Donald Hall,
art professor and water colour artist from Bolzano, Italy

The Mystic Mastery of Raphael

Saturday-Sunday, March 24-25, 2007

Raphael exalted the art of painting to an expression of the divine and revealed the spiritual dimensions of colour and form. We can discover the true purpose of art in the study of his work, which has endured the test of time as a source of beauty and transformation in human hearts. Drawing on Goethe’s classic theory, participants will create colour combinations that give entry to the secret world of Raphael’s creations. The hidden power of the good, the beautiful and the true to which the work of this painter attests will reveal themselves in these exercises. The course will also include short talks on the history of art as it relates to Raphael. As a painter working in Italy, Donald presents an informed perspective on the classical tradition and its relevance to modern art.

Mornings: 9.30-12.00am:
Learn to see colour and find the right technique. Explore a living process to raise consciousness and feeling with the guidance of a superb teacher.

Afternoons: 2.00-4.30pm:
Make colour sketches and light/dark charcoal drawings to express the formal nature of objects and their relationship to one another.
Please bring dry watercolours or a set of Pelikan watercolour cakes and brushes-suggested sizes small, three quarters and one inch. An easel can be provided if you do not have your own. Course suited to beginners and practiced painters alike.

Course fee including paper, lunches and snacks: $225
(a non refundable deposit of $35 is due before March 10)

Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 4th line, Angus.

Please reserve by calling 1-705-722-5408
rsvp@novalisproject.com
Mailing address: Novalis Project, 92 Mary Street, Barrie, ONL4N ITI

“A mood of contentment prevailed during Donald Hall's opening talk and seemed to increase as participants applied themselves to his clearly articulated exercises and discourses on the history, meaning and purpose of art, delivered between painting sessions when we clustered in rapt attention around him.”
- Lilipoh Magazine, Fall 2006

Spring 2006 | HOME

Friday-Sunday, March 17-19, 2006

Watercolour Painting Workshop & Lecture
From Michelangelo's David
to Picasso's Minotaur
with Donald Hall, Art Professor and water colour artist from Bolzano, Italy

“In painting with Donald Hall and hearing his unique insights on the great masterpieces I have discovered anew my own connection with painting. I recommend the following to workshop participants regardless of the level of their expertise: Be open to your own creativity and to the lawfulness of colour… Avoid getting trapped in a style or in the pursuit of a perfect image…
In the joy of the effort you may discover that something new will begin to live in you.” - Denis Schneider, art teacher

Location: MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie.
Cost: $215 (includes Saturday lunch at the Radio Café)

Saturday - Sunday, May 6-7, 2006

Right Speech: the art of shared humanity,
with Dr. Michael Lipson, clinical psychologist.

Location: Cornerstone, 78 Toronto St., Barrie

Evening Lecture: Sat, May 6, 7:30-9:00pm
In this evening's lecture, we will consider the practice of Right Speech. This is our most fundamental practice as humans in community and central to the eightfold path of the Buddha. The lecture stands by itself, but serves also as the introduction to Saturday's workshop. It is appropriate for teachers, counselors, and in fact everyone who speaks!

Workshop: Sunday, May 7, 9:30-4:30pm
This workshop will actively involve participants in exercises of Right Speech as discussed in Friday's lecture. The emphasis is on the power of meaning that precedes speech, or what Steiner called "the undifferentiated word-power". We will practice, in pairs and as a group, finding the kairos or right time to speak, and so bring focus and intuition to our interactions. Participants are asked to ponder, in advance, the first 14 verses of the Gospel of John.

Cost: Complete Event $100 (including snacks only)
Lecture only: $20

Sunday, June 4, 3:00pm

Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company
presents
A Passion for Life

Esmeralda Enrique grew up in the Flamenco tradition which has its roots in Northern India, a dance form adapted by traveling gypsies which gradually became a popular feature of Spanish culture. Since emigrating to Canada in 1982, Ms. Enrique has created a dance company renowned for its innovation, versatility and excellence. Esmeralda herself is a much loved, warm and charismatic member of the Toronto dance community, named most fascinating choreographer in 1995 and most popular teacher in 1997. She drew a full audience to Novalis Hall in a 2004 concert. Early booking is advised for the return of this exciting ensemble on June 4, 2006.

Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 line 4, Angus Ontario
Tickets: $25

Saturday, June 17, 3:00pm , 2006

The Scott Marshall Jazz Trio

Enjoy a state of the art jazz performance on saxophone, grand piano and acoustic bass. This concert is a feature of the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival.

Location: Novalis Hall, 7841 line 4, Angus Ontario
Tickets: $10

"When I stood in front of the audience after the last note had sounded into the silence I saw a sea of happy faces. People had become more themselves. A threefoldness had worked its magic integration… Dr. Fabian summed it up well: "The nerve system (sax), rhythmic system (bass) and metabolic system (piano) were working perfectly together!" - The Seasonal