Up with People
Up with People (UWP) is an education organization whose stated mission is to bridge cultural barriers and create global understanding through service and a musical show. The UWP headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, USA, with satellite offices in Belgium and Mexico.
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History [edit]
The roots of Up with People can be found in the Sing Out shows of Moral Re-Armament (MRA) in the mid-1960s. Previously, throughout its existence, MRA had staged dramatic performances with music to put forth its message which consisted of its four tenets of "love, honesty, purity and unselfishness". With the Sing Out shows, the dramatic elements were removed. Later, Up With People was separated from MRA under the leadership of J. Blanton Belk in 1968.
UWP semester [edit]
Each group, called a cast, after training in Denver, travels to nearly 20 communities across two or three continents, per semester, spending about one week in each community. Each week, they live with a local host family, participate in service projects, learn about different cultures through educational workshops, and perform in Up with People’s musical stage production. Programs begin in January or July of each year.
Criticism: Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up with People Story [edit]
The documentary film Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up with People Story [1][2] premiered at the 2009 Slamdance Film Festival. It is an unofficial documentary history of the organization. The film was directed by Lee Storey who is married to early alumnus William Storey.
The film documents the troupe's history from its origins in the late 1950s within Moral Re-Armament and the Sing-Out groups, through its successful years of the 1980s and subsequent decline.
The film states that the troupe, funded by corporate entities including Halliburton, General Motors, Exxon, and Searle, was intended to counter the hippie subculture. The film also claims that the musical group emphasized extreme right wing politics, and alleges that troupe rules included aspects of a religious cult, including arranged marriages.[3]
Reviews have noted that, while a critique of the organization, the film has also shown respect for those who were involved and demonstrated their good intentions.[4]
The film had also been at issue in an IRS court case over whether an unprofitable independent film is a business venture versus a hobby. Ultimately, it was determined to be a business venture.[5]
References [edit]
- ^ Storey, Lee. Smile 'Til It Hurts: The Up with People Story. Storey Vision Productions, 2009.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1329440/
- ^ http://www.smiletilithurts.com/index.html
- ^ http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-07-28/film/docuweeks-allows-screentime-for-mdash-gasp-mdash-complex-women/
- ^ Documentary filmmaking is not a hobby: Lee Storey's court victory vs. IRS reassures community
