Written by Grace Lee, Edited by Roshween Riar
Result Report of Team Play with Dream’s 4th Global Warming Project, UBUNTU “I Am because We Are”, International Online Exhibition/Concert 2021 – collaborated with Kinabalu International School
UBUNTU means “I Am because We Are” in the African Bantu Tribe language. And there’s a little story behind why we, Team Play with Dream, have ended up choosing this beautiful word as our main theme of our exhibition/concert.
A few years ago, we heard a splendid story about the word “UBUNTU” from our director Lee Vidan. It was a story about how an anthropologist who was travelling Africa suggested a game to children in one tribe saying that the fastest runner who can get to the tree in the village will get all the snacks that he brought. After he shouted go, surprisingly, the next thing the anthropologist saw wasn’t a fight between the children to get to the tree first, but an unbelievable scene where they started to hold hands with each other and sing while reaching towards the tree. After the man had distributed the snacks equally, the man asked a child how he didn’t run alone. The boy simply replied “UBUNTU” and added “How can I be happy when my friends are sad? That’s not good, they are my friends!” and the boy smiled widely. And after hearing this wonderful story, we immediately ended up choosing UBUNTU as our main slogan.
UBUNTU “I Am because We Are” Exhibition/Concert is one part of our team’s Global Warming Projects which started in 2016. We are a small group of passionate international students from Korea and we focus our aims on spreading awareness of climate change (specifically global warming) by using the power of music and art that we dearly love and which we think is the most peaceful and beautiful tool for earthman to find sustainable solutions for the future. These exhibitions/concerts have gathered more than 400 friends and artists from 7 different countries, 6 different schools and 2 other environmental organizations together.
Team Play with Dream – By getting much support and love from 8 professional participants and 80 artists/supporters from 7 different countries, our 4th UBUNTU Exhibition and Concert had made its peaceful end. And I would like to thank all our participants and our beautiful friends who have been with us this year again. Even though we are undergoing difficult times, our team was very fortunate to receive a total donation of RM6000 ($1440 USD) from this year’s project through attention and love from many friends who had gathered their hearts together.
As mentioned in my previous newsletter, we have delivered our friends’ hearts to the recent flood victims in KK and they are now in the process of restoring their broken homes. The remaining donations will be delivered to the Eco Committee of Kinabalu International School.
There was an article released by Greenpeace Korea this morning, and there was this quote that caught my attention: “a hundred imperfect practitioners who sustain their little practices every single day is better than one perfect environmental activist.” I strongly agree with this. The most vital action an individual can do, is not simply ignoring and leaving the current catastrophes for others to solve, but to earnestly practice what we can do every single day, making our action sustainable for the future.
Hosting the exhibition would not have been made possible without any help from others, and for that, I would like to say a big thank you to our KIS community for supporting our team and our UBUNTU friends. I wish that the warm interest and beautiful hearts of yours, who made our dreams a reality, will be echoed and returned to you.
I wish to see how the handful of seeds that we sprinkled in the air together this year, will face the wind and bloom into beautiful flowers all around the world. If you would like to see our team’s past/ongoing events (Grand Art Tours, Plogging, Beach Clean Up, Street Performances etc.), please have a visit to our Instagram page @play.withdream
I hope to see our wonderful community again at the (hopefully) offline exhibition next year.
UBUNTU!
I Am because We Are!
Yours Sincerely,
Grace Lee (Year 10)
Artistic Director of Team Play with Dream
