Meet Carla!

This year CIAMO is excited to have as Peace Corps Response Music Teacher, singer-songwriter Carla Seidl.  She teaches basic music at CIAMO as well as guitar and dance. She also plans to develop an interdisciplinary project at the center as part of her studies at Goddard College.

CiamoReport: Where are you from in the states?

Carla: I grew up on Long Island, about an hour from New York City. I have since lived, worked, and studied in Massachusetts, Iowa, Chile, Maine, Azerbaijan, and Togo.

CiamoReport: What is your background in the creative arts?

Carla: Singing and writing have always been important pursuits for me. Adding in foreign languages, storytelling, anthropology, and dance, I created my own major as an undergraduate called Expression and Culture Studies. Afterwards, I studied documentary radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and started working independently as a singer-songwriter, writer, and documentary radio producer. I am currently pursuing an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Goddard College, so working among the myriad arts happenings at CIAMO is an especially good place for me at this time in my life.

CiamoReport: What inspired you to apply for your PCR post?

Carla: While working as a Girls' Education and Empowerment volunteer in Togo, I became very involved with a local cultural center and in collaborating musically with local artists. Perhaps the highlight of my service in Azerbaijan, too, was the work I did in the domains of music, dance, and theater with local students. So, shifting to work at a music and arts education center such as CIAMO was a natural fit.

CiamoReport: What are your initial impressions of CIAMO?

Carla: I like the way CIAMO stretches kids' imaginations and creative problem solving skills. I also think that the interest of this organization in furthering collaboration across discliplines is very important. CIAMO's goal of involving local artists and transitioning into a community-directed enterprise will be key to its future sustainability.

Happy Birthday CIAMO!

CIAMO is getting ready to celebrate its 1st anniversary! It has been a crazy year and we made a lot of progress! Now we’re starting a new school year with three new volunteers, six Beninese teachers , and an incredible office staff. As a team we’re making new and exciting musical and artistic opportunities happen every day.

So we’re sure you’ve been wondering “What can I give CIAMO for its birthday?” Well – how bout you give students guitar lessons? Or buy art supplies? All you have to is make a donation, and you can help CIAMO to be successful for another year.

While supplies last, we’re giving autographed copies of Herbie Hancock’s latest CD, The Imagine Project, to anyone who gives more than $100! Click here to participate. 

Who are you?

Recently we asked our students and all of you to send us your self portraits. Here's the results!




Do you want to help? You can make a tax-deductible on our Crowdrise page.  Like us on Facebook or follow us on twitter. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

So long summer!

Our classes for the holidays came to an end at CIAMO with a recital and exposition on the 7th of September.  We're now on pause until the new school year at the beginning of October. Here are a few photos from the "spectacle":

Mask-making Workshops. . .

During Festival Carnival Kaleta, CIAMO hosted mask-making workshops for students at Ecole Ganvè and for a group of children from the Orphanage Aide et Solidarité. The workshops took place on the mornings of the 17th, 18th, and 19th. We invited around 90 students from the classes of CE2, CM1, and CM2 (Roughly 4th, 5th, and 6th grade) and 61 children from the orphanage.

They worked with local artists, Pascal AVOKPO and Alexi CODJIA COSSI, to create the mask form using cardboard. A face shape is cut and then the bottom is folded to give the chin a curve. Rubber bands are stapled to the mask and the eyes are cut out. Time for paint!

The students moved into the next classroom, where they gave their masks a base coat. Once it was dry, they finished up their masks using a variety of shapes and colors – representing both people and animals.

The children from the orphanage actually spent a good part of Saturday at CIAMO. They arrived in the morning and participated in the mask-making workshops with CM2 students until about 1:00. After taking a short rest, they visited the Office of Tourism to see a new mural that depicts the history of Ouidah. Later in the afternoon we invited several percussionists to come and sing Kaleta songs with the Children. They took turns coming to the stage to dance and lead the songs.

There’s no question the children loved these activities. One afternoon after the workshops, I was passing by the stage at Fort Français, and what did I see – 3 of my girl students dancing on the stage while wearing their masks. There wasn’t anything in particular going on at that time, they were loving their masks and showing them off to Ouidah.

John Mark Feilmeyer
PCRV, Artistic Director and Music Teacher

A Few Kaleta Videos. . .

I'll try to write more about the huge success of our Kaleta workshops. In the mean time, here are some videos I thought everyone might enjoy.

John Mark