Our vision:

Golden Sun Foundation for World Culture is dedicated to fostering an enlightened society through sustaining and promoting cultural traditions and providing the opportunities for an exchange of ideas and experiences between the keepers of these traditions, contemporary artists and the public. A nonprofit cultural organization located in Boulder, Colorado, the foundation collaborates with artists, performers, and other cultural organizations on varied projects including performances, films, publications, recordings, exhibitions and educational programs.

 

March 1, 2008

Dear Friends,

Two large-scale projects are now in active development: a multimedia theater performance based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead and a cultural and film festival in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

The major news this past year has been the progress in producing Liberation: The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Last September, we produced a work-in-progress performance at the Asia Society in NYC, who generously co-sponsored the event. Philip Glass along with Dhondup Namgyal Khorko composed some initial musical sketches that were performed by Tibetan musicians. Actors read the text elegantly adapted by Douglas Penick as innovative computer generated images and traditional Tibetan art was projected. The Tibetan images were hand painted by Romio Shrestha The new media images were produced by the Integrated Digital Media Institute of Polytechnic University under the direction of Carl Skelton, with additional digital art by Boulder’s John Vega. This was a strong start, but now we have a long ways to go to bring this project to fruition as a full-scale stage production.

For the next phase, Philip Glass has agreed to compose an original 75 minute score for an ensemble of 10 Western and Tibetan musicians, and our team of new media artist are ready to start developing extensive imagery. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche has agreed to be our dharma advisor. He is one of the foremost scholars and teachers of his generation in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. We have been contacted by producers and presenters in Europe and China who have expressed interest in bringing the show to Milan, Paris, Moscow, London, Shanghai and Hong Kong. We are also in touch with potential private funders for development expenses

Additionally, the Golden Sun Foundation is joining forces with the Royal Government of Bhutan and the International Buddhist Film Festival in producing a World Cultural and Film Festival in Bhutan. Assessment and planning will commence this spring with meetings in Bhutan. Partnering with the Royal Government of Bhutan, the foundation is planning this festival in 2009. The goal of the festival is to promote an appreciation of the collective humanity of our planet by sharing the richness and diversity of world culture as expressed through the art of film, music and performance. What better place to host such an event than the Kingdom of Bhutan, whose guiding principals have been founded in the teachings of Buddha, and its ongoing dedication to the happiness of its subjects.

We hope that you can help in making these projects possible. We are currently seeking major funding for development of the TBOD show and the Bhutan festival, but in order to do so, we need to raise $12,000 immediately to cover the costs of for web development, creating a  DVD/video trailer, a quality proposal, travel expenses and basic administrative costs (phone, internet, etc.). We hope you share our enthusiasm for these two remarkable projects and can help us bring them to fruition.

All donations are, of course, tax deductible. You can donate via our paypal account using any major credit card or your paypal account. Our paypal account name is: goldensun@windhorse.com or you can use this direct link: PAYPAL

If you prefer, you can mail in your donation to:
Golden Sun Foundation for World Culture
935A 12th Street
Boulder, CO 80302

Many thanks for your continued interest and support. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and cheerful new year. Keep your eye out for future updates

Warm wishes,


Kenneth Green
Executive Director
Producer
December 9, 2007

MORE ON LIBERATION: THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD

AND ENJOY A FEW IMAGES

For further information please contact:

Golden Sun Foundation for World Culture
935A 12th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302
goldensun@windhorse.com

 

Since its establishment in 2003, the Foundation has produced events and programs bridging traditional and contemporary cultures providing opportunities for established and emerging artists to collaborate on performances, audio and video recordings, and have the opportunity for cross-generational dialogue. The foundation is particularly interested in encouraging projects that converge artist and performers working in new media and emergent technologies with the traditional arts. It is the intent of the foundation to reach as large of audiences in order to expose the public to the rich legacy of world culture and its relevance with modern artists and performers.