The Joan of Arts Fête Sunday, January 3rd
at The Bienville House Hotel 320 Decatur Street, NOLA, 70130
at The Bienville House Hotel 320 Decatur Street, NOLA, 70130
A pre-parade all day fest about all things Joan of Arc!
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Panel discussions, conversations, workshops & member info—FREE!!!
***There will be a SILENT AUCTION at the Fete including amazing medieval-inspired artwork, Joan of Arc jewelry, books & related ephemera. All proceeds from the silent auction will be given to our krewe charity, Metro Battered Women’s Shelter. Come and bid throughout the day!***
5:30-6:30 p.m. Krewe Dinner Party at Iris Restaurant—$50 for Krewe members & friends. French meal & wine BYO wine. Reservations required by 12/31/09 @ stjoankrewe@yahoo.com.
7:00-9:00 p.m. Jeanne d’Arc Cabaret & Krewe Party—Open to the Public, free to Krewe members--$10 minimum donation @ the door!
All day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Krewe Countdown: LAST CHANCE TO JOIN! Meet members of the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc, sign up to walk with us, get your Joan swag and costume assistance! All day at the Bienville House Hotel at the Membership Table in the Vieux Carre Room!
CONVERSATIONS & WORKSHOPS:
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Power French Workshop conducted by members of our local French cultural & educational center Alliance Francaise. Start the day off learning a few key French phrases, as well as some fun Joan of Arc related phrases to use during the parade. Meet Alliance Francaise members firsthand to learn more about this worldwide network’s local branch and how you can get involved.
11:15-12:15 Joan as Muse: A discussion of Joan’s inspirational influences and portrayals in various art forms, from the visual arts to the performing arts and film. Panelists include Janet Shea, local award-winning actress and the Assistant Department Chair in Theatre Arts at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and Thais St. Julien, co-director, Musica Da Camera. NOCCA theater students who are currently studying and performing George Bernard Shaw’s SAINT JOAN will also join the conversation.
12 noon to 4:00 p.m. ALL DAY PARADE PREPARATION WORKSHOP in BIENVILLE HOUSE BOARD ROOM:
Make it Medieval: Costumes and More! Local costume designer Antoinette de Alteriis and other local designers and seamstresses assist last minute parade walkers with costumes. Those curious about joining and walking with us will have a chance to get inspired and learn some tricks about turning their current closet and/or recently bought thrift store clothes into medieval wearables. Also ongoing in this workshop room will be opportunities to assist with making throws and posters and other Krewe swag.
*** Participants need to bring some of their own costume materials. Email stjoankrewe@yahoo.com with any questions. We will send you a list of materials we’ll have available. Be brave! Come ready to be measured and make a costume in 4 hours or less! ****
12:30-1:30 Medieval Culture: The Times in Which Joan Lived: We know Joan was unusual, but what about her also made her “an average medieval girl”? What is the historical & cultural context in which she became Joan of Arc? Leading us in discussion is Dr. John T. Sebastian, Director of Medieval Studies at Loyola University, with Thais St. Julien, founding director of Musica Da Camera’s women’s chorus Vox Feminae, offering insights regarding her extensive research of women’s roles during the Middle Ages.
1:45-2:45 p.m. What Joan Means: Who She Was Then, What She Represents Now. Joan is viewed, used, admired, and beloved differently by different populations. While considered a feminist icon by some in the United States (although she was in fact more a woman of her times than we may admit), in France, she is utilized as a nationalist symbol and has been used by both sides of the political arena for centuries. Catholics finally named her a Saint 500 years after her death, and artists and writers endlessly evoke her in their work and obsessively study her. This discussion includes insights by New York-based writer and scholar Kathleen Kelly and New Orleans musician and French native Raphael Bas, both admirers of Joan, for different reasons.
3:00-4:00 Prophecy and Pilgrimage: Joan and the Bible. The test of a true prophet of God, according to the Bible, was 100% accuracy in all predictions. The penalty for making even one mistake was death. That’s a high standard to keep! Joan of Arc’s many detailed prophecies were famous even in her own day—but did she meet the Biblical standards of a true prophet of God? Author and composer Chris Snidow explores this fascinating aspect of Joan’s legacy. He and his French wife Catherine will also make a presentation about the Joan of Arc pilgrimages they lead to France annually.
4:15-5:15 p.m. Joan’s Canonization: It’s About Time! Sister Rita, OSC, of the local Poor Clares Monastery explains in laymen terms the processes we’ve all heard but don’t quite understand…just how does someone become a Saint? And why did it take so long for Joan to be named one? In conversation with author and musician Brian Morgan, OCDS, a formerly strictly-cloistered monk and now a Tertiary in the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
4:30-6:00 Songwriting Workshop. Led by local singer/songwriter Paul Sanchez, this workshop challenges local musicians to pen a spontaneous song about Joan and be ready to present it “American Idol” style at the Jeanne d’Arc Cabaret & Krewe Party that same evening! Bring your instrument and your creative energy to channel Joan, New Orleans style! Songwriters must commit to presenting their work to us!
7:00-9:00 Jeanne d’Arc Cabaret and Krewe Party : Musical Performances by New Orleans’ very own Musica da Camera, the oldest surviving early music organization in the country; singer/songwriter Paul Sanchez and members of his Joan of Arc songwriting workshop present their newly written odes; NYC writer and performer Kathleen Kelly presents pieces from her Off-Off Broadway play about Joan of Arc; NOCCA students present scenes from George Bernard Shaw’s SAINT JOAN! More entertainment to be announced! Drinks for sale and champagne toast to the Krewe! Help us get our groove on before the parade!
Celebrate our second year and Joan’s 598th birthday with us!
