We are seeking a global network of artists and non-artists to participate in a project called "59 Days of Independence". For this project, we are celebrating the independence days of 59 countries around the world that once gained freedom from British rule. The most important part of the project is that we are celebrating for countries OTHER than our own.

For example, a man from India organized the "Egyptian Independence Day Dart Tournament" in India on Egypt's independence day. A teacher from the United States hiked to the top of a mountain with her students carrying the flag of Guyana. A group from South Sudan dressed in red, white, and blue, and drank Coca-colas for America's independence day. A poet from Guinea/USA found 49 poets to write 49 haikus inspired by the Gambia and posted them to digital billboards around Minneapolis on the Gambia's independence day.  A group of young boys and girls in Zambia wrote big messages on posters to the King and people of Swaziland and held them up on Swaziland's independence day.

There are only two guidelines for participation:

(1) Select a country OTHER than your own.

(2) E-mail us documentation of your act/event/celebration on or before your selected country's independence day with a brief description of what you did.

We will post your documentation to the "59 Days of Independence" Facebook site and "boost" it to your selected country for thousands of people to see. Already, over a million people have seen the previous posts. You can see past examples of acts/events/celebrations here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/59-Days-of-Independence/317296465078563?ref=bookmarks">https://www.facebook.com/pages/59-Days-of-Independence/317296465078563?ref=bookmarks

You can choose any of the countries (other than your own)  from the following list:

OCTOBER:

     1     Cyprus, Tuvalu, or Nigeria

     3     Iraq

     4     Lesotho

     9     Uganda

     10    * Figi

     24    * Zambia

     27    * St. Vincent & the Grenadines

NOVEMBER:

     1     Antigua & Barbuda

     3     *  Dominica

     30    Barbados

     30     Yemen

DECEMBER:

     2     UAE

     9     Tanzania

     12    Kenya

     16    Bahrain

     18    Qatar

* The countries marked with an asterik (*) are completely open at this time.

Please note that there is no travel involved.  The acts/events can be big or small, ordinary or extraordinary. Our hope is to create a global example of what the world could look like if we belived in "freedom for all, not just for me." 

At the end of the year, we are making a book that includes all of the documentation with histories about each country's unique pathway toward independence before and beyond British colonization. We are also preparing an exhibition of the documentation that will travel internationally, starting in the United States and Kenya.

If you are interested in joining the project, send an email with the following information:

1. What country you have selected

2.  Where you are from (and/or where you are currently living)

3. A brief description of how you are planning to honor the people of your selected country on or before their independence day.

Send emails to hlayton@mail.rochester.edu.

Project Coordinators:

Heather Layton, Senior Lecturer of Art at the University of Rochester

Dr. Brian Bailey, Associate Professor of Education at Nazareth College