Arthur Hall Collection
Uhrobo Water Spirit Festival
Urhobo Water Spirit Festival costume
drawing by Vernon Forrest, inscribed
Arthur Hall, choreography
Kpe Lee, Steve Feraris et al. music
with students & staff of the School Street School
and Sacred Heart Public School of Lebanon, New Hampshire
Perkins Foss, Producer
Based on the field recordings of Susan and Perkins Foss
of an Uhrobo Water Spirit Festival in the delta region of Nigeria
(Two S-VHS videotapes, 1989, by Bruce Williams and Christopher Foss)
Water Spirit Festivaldocuments a remarkable recreation of an authentic
Uhrobo Water Spirit Festival by three hundred and fifty children, kindergarten
through third grade. The work is a result of the collaboration between art
historian and teacher Perkins Fossand artist in residence Arthur Hall.
One little kindergartner steals the show.
From the Urhobo Association of Michigan, an Affiliate of the Urhobo Association
of North America:
We happened upon a beautiful graphic of an Urhobo Fesitval costume at your website.
As a Nigerian minority ethnic group, it was a bit of a surpise to see such a wonderful
reflection of our group. Now, we understand you have a video of a dance based on the
Water Spirit Festival. This is of special importance to usbecause it appears that you
use many (could it be over 300?) children in the dance. We are currently trying to form
a dance group ofour own children here in the Detroit area. This video may be just the
inspiration we need to get our group off on the right foot.
Urhobo Water Spirit Festival costume drawing
by Vernon Forrest at top is
inscribed to Elizabeth Roberts
as follows:
Mother of us all, Whose spirit you carry,
As the year goes by and many more to come,
May you be blessed for eternal life.
We the offspring
Grow from your feedings of
Unity and Tranquility.Have a Festive
69th birthday,
Vernon
