Text Trailer A Piece for You
(Short Version)
Hello and thank you for taking a minute or two to watch this presentation.
I am Thomas Lehmen and I travel around the world with an artistic project. It is called: "A Piece for You".
The idea of this project is to work with presents, gifts.
All around the world I have stations like theatres or social organisations, where I work with groups of actors, dancers, amateurs and professionals, - and very often people are participating, who are not familiar with the stage and the arts at all.
In the basic structure I ask all participants to choose one person from the outside and make a short performative present for that person.
This sounds easy and in fact the idea is very simple, but if you take a minute to think about it, for whom would you make a present and what would you give to that person, you might get into a lot of thinking.
But what happens most of the time is, that the first idea is right and good.
It can be a song, a dance or reading a poem, making a 5 minute theatre piece with the whole group, where all the things happen, which this person likes, ..., the possibilities are unlimited, and each present is totally different from all others. Why is that so? Because each person is unique, each encounter is a new creation between people.
I started this project in Germany in March 2013 and travelled to date through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldavia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazachstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, USA and Canada.
My preferred vehicle is the Motorcycle. Rather than flying over the parts of the earth in between my stations, I want to be in contact with it and see the continous changes of landscapes, nature, athmosphers, people and meet those.
The unplanned meetings with people on the road are actually in an artistic sense very interesting.
Of course, not everything is always easy.
The challenges to overcome differences and misunderstandings are sometimes very high, but the higher the barrier the greater the pleasure if we understand each other afterwards. Actually I find more and more proof, that the differences are what makes life and art happening.
Without difference the world would be just boring.
In the near future I will work in Mexico and the plan is to ride with this project through Central and Latin America near the end of 2015 and the first half of 2016.
When the project has been travelling through the whole world it is planned to make a film from all the material and write a book.
But since I am on the road a couple of years now, my savings are gone, and I have to spend constantly more money than I can get in.
Thats why I like to ask you for support for this global project.
There are several ways to do so:
1. Forward this information to anyone you like
2. Have a look at my 50/50 donation system
From each direct donation to my paypal account I give 50% to people, who need support. For example $50 includes one tank full of fuel for me and at the same time real good food for a homeless person for two days. http://apieceforyou.com/5050-donation.html
3. Buy a route or station, which I ride on my travels
You will get a certificate of ownership of the art which happens on a certain route, and you will receive later the second part of this artwork. That second part is always worked out in different formats and brings you as an owner in relation with the occurances, people, road, and my thoughts on your route.
Link: http://apieceforyou.com/sale-of-routes-and-stations/
4. Participate via Crowdfunding
To make sure the project can go on until April 2016 the sum of $8.000 is missing. If you calculate ongoing fixed costs, plus the fuel, lodging, food, ferrys, parts for the bike, etc., it may not even be enough ... .
Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2031774548/a-piece-for-you-world-wide-art-project-of-presents
http://apieceforyou.com/crowdfunding.html
5. Write to me and give any suggestion!
Ok, thank you very much for listening and watching. All the Informtion you will find also on the website of "A Piece for You"
http://apieceforyou.com
You always can contact me for any questions and suggestions.
Specially for Central and Latin America, if someone wants to participte practically in the project, you are very welcome, I would like to get in contact with you.
Please write to: thomaslehmen@thomaslehmen.de
Thank You!