The Fathering Circle is a grassroots community of Philadelphia fathers which supports and challenges us toward fuller, more nurturing engagement with our children and more equitable relationships with mothers and other parenting partners. In collaboration with Philadelphia Assembled, we welcome you to the Fathering Festival on November 11 and 12, 2017.

The Fathering Festival moves among the Atmospheres of Philadelphia Assembled.
For ourselves and our families, we seek to Reconstruct fatherhood. We are picking up the pieces from our boyhoods and the ways previous generations of men raised us - keeping the adventure, aliveness and physical play, and sorting these out from the lot of conventional male "basic training”, characterized by violence, isolation and domination. Now as fathers, we seek to reconstruct a maleness that allows a full range of human expression, in solidarity with women’s liberation and the ending of sexism.

We are building a community of fathers as a Sanctuary in which we can heal from the negative effects our socialization as males. A sanctuary where we can share together in the joys of fatherhood and support one another through the challenges as we take on more equitable, nurturing roles as parents,

That we may re-define what it means to be a father, moving from the conventional Sovereignty of ownership, domination and distance that has too often typified the male role in child rearing,

To learn tools for building Futures of fatherhoods of deep mutual respect and cooperation, through which all kinds of families can become forces for the liberation for children and parents

We welcome fathers to join us for an introductory evening to the Fathering Circle on Monday, November 20. Please be in contact for more information about that evening, and all of our programs.

Eric Marsh, Sr., Les Rivera, and Billy Yalowitz, for The Fathering Circle

The Fathering Circle
(267) 499-3923
info@thefatherscircle.org
thefatheringcircle.wordpress.com
facebook.com/groups/thefatherscircle/

Schedule of Events

NOTE: Beginning at 11:00am, the Fathering Festival offers Childcare for children 5 and under in the Media Room downstairs, and Arts Workshops for ages 6 -12, continuing until 3:15pm. See schedule of arts workshops and their locations below.

10:30am - Movement/Theater performance, “I See You” in the Sanctuary and Reconstructions Galleries
Choerography by Marion Ramirez
Music/soundscape composed by Loren Gildar,
with spoken stories by Josh Marcus, Eric Marsh, Derrick Dean, and Miguel Horn, and “Listen to Me,” composed and performed by Sara Bela Sassaman Marcus

Stage Crew – Sarah Gregory and Joanna Fitzmorris
Co-conceived by Billy Yalowitz
Sculptural Totems by Joanna Fitzmorris and Sarah Gregory

For the safety of our young performers, please stay on and behind colored tape on the floor, and please stay outside the house. The performance will move between the galleries - follow the woman holding the totem mounted on the bamboo pole.
Performers: Maya Castro, Antonio Arroniz Castro; Ariana Gildar, Loren Gildar; Rio Hicks, Russell Hicks; Sara Bela Sassaman Marcus, Josh Marcus; Amaya Marsh, Aaron Marsh, Eric Marsh, Sr.; Mazarick Rivera, Les Rivera; Peter Remal, Ehren Remal; Isaiah Zlotnik, Noah T. Winer; Zeviah Narva-Yalowitz, Billy Yalowitz
"I see you" opens up individual and collective experiences of letting go of the need to control. The performers journey by observing, listening and matching each other as a way into seeing themselves and holding a safe place where children and fathers alike inspire trust through their touch and movement communication. "I see you" emerges from hours of sharing movement improvisation, games, and stories, during our weekly movement sessions. I was inspired by the collaborative quality of the process and the fathers’ willingness to be present, to be vulnerable, to listen to their children’s expressions, change states, and to allow their bodies and creativity to support their parenting practices. – Marion Ramirez

11:15am - Fathers' Organizations Forum – moderated by Eric Marsh at the Paul Robeson Soapbox Stage

Daddy University – Joel Austin, CEO and President
Daddy University, Inc. is the oldest male parenting company in the United States. We provide information, services, advocacy, products and training and development. Founded in 2004. www.daddyuniv.com

Frontline Dads – Reuben Jones, Executive Director
Frontline Dads provides mentoring, leadership development and comprehensive support to African American men and “at-risk” youth, single fathers, and formerly incarcerated citizens, to empower them to assume leadership positions in their families and communities. www.frontlinedads.org

Fathers Defense – Sharif Green, Co-Owner
A consulting agency that assists parents with child custody, child support and arrears concerns. @Fathersdefense

12:15 – 12:45 – Lunch Break

12:45pm - Fathers & Families Workshop - Parenting as a Force for Liberation:
an introduction to the tools of Re-Evaluation in the Auditorium
Join international parenting educators Fela Barclift and Chuck Esser and members of the Fathering Circle for a workshop on

• Tools designed to assist parents to deepen the warm, loving relationships with their children that we want and children need
• Supporting fathers to build more equitable parenting practices with mothers and other parenting partners, while at the same time putting attention on Women's Liberation and the ending of racism

All parents and primary care-givers, as well as other allies to young people, are welcome.

2:15pm - Listening Circles for Fathers and Mothers - in the Auditorium
Led by members of the Re-Evaluation Counseling delegation to the Fathering Festival, these groups will offer spaces for fathers and mothers to be listened to about parenting successes and struggles, and to learn useful tools for positive parenting.

3:15pm - Film Screening - “The Fathering Circle” In the Auditorium
Directed, Edited, and Camera by Les Rivera
“The Fathering Circle” is an in-progress documentary short, exploring the first year of our work building a community of fathers throughout Philadelphia.
vimeo.com

4:00pm - Spoken Word performances, curated by Eric Marsh in the Café
K.D. Morris
Giovanni Marie
Kirwyn Sutherland
Nina Ball AKA L.Y.R.I.S.P.E.C.T. (Sunday only)
Eric Marsh, Sr.
RealEyes Mi
Perry VisionPoet DiVirgilio
Ambition the Poet

Arts workshops for children ages 6 - 12:

Saturday, November 11
11:15am Visual Arts, with Tim Gibbon, at the Corridor Workspace
12:00pm Storytelling, with Denise Valentine, in the Reconstructions House
12:45pm Movement, with Marion Ramirez, in the Sanctuary Gallery
1:30pm African Drumming with Ira Bond, in the Sovereignty Gallery
2:15pm Visual Arts, with Tim Gibbon, at the Corridor Workspace

Sunday, November 12
11:15am Movement, with Marion Ramirez, in the Sanctuary Gallery
12:00pm Storytelling, with Denise Valentine, in the Reconstructions House
12:45pm World Music, with Jay Sand, at the Paul Robeson Soapbox Stage
1:30pm African Drumming with Ira Bond, in the Sovereignty Gallery
2:15pm Visual Arts, with Elizabeth Aimee, at the Corridor Workspace

Childcare for children 5 and under is provided from 11:15 – 3:15 in the Media Room, on the Lower Level of the Perelman.

Credits:

Fathering Circle Project Photographer – Derrick Dean derrickdeanphotography@gmail.com , derrickdeanphotography.com

Fathering Circle Visual Display – Tim Gibbon
timrgibbon@gmail.com , www.timgibbon.com

The Fathering Circle Leadership Council
Derrick Dean, Loren Gildar, Russell Hicks, Miguel Horn, Eric Marsh, Sr., Les Rivera, Gabriel Rocha, Rayvon Sapp, Noah T. Winer, Billy Yalowitz

Mothers’ Council to the Fathering Circle: Andrea Lawful-Trainer, facilitator.
Tatiana Bacchus, Susanna Gilbert Connie Grier, Lynn Hammond, Sara Narva, Marion Ramirez, Sara Rosenberg

Documentary Film Production – Tatiana Bacchus,Owner/Senior Producer, Teaspoon & Pound Media
At Teaspoon & Pound Media we thrive on creating entertaining and educational content about the human experience. We are intrigued by the nuances of diverse cultures and aim to produce content that gives viewers a fresh perspective.
www.teaspoonandpoundmedia.com

The Fathering Circle expresses our sincere thanks to: Philadelphia Assembled, Jeanne Van Heeswijk Phoebe Bachman, Amanda Sroka, Janneke Absil, Childrens’ Community School, Re-Evaluation Counseling Delegation to the Fathering Festival, Alisha Berry and Camp Sojourner, Andrea Lawful-Trainer and the Mothers’ Council, Sara Narva, Chuck Esser, Damon Reeves, Sophie Don.