How to celebrate Leonard's 80th birthday

[anneporter]

How about a tribute plaque/ sculpture/ bench or similar on Hydra? ( not at the family house, of course, since that would be an invasion of privacy)

[cohenadmirer]

The 70th Birthday limited edition Finnish stamp was a great idea .
Is there any chance of Canada Post doing something similar??

Could anyone to do with 'culture' in the Canadian government be contacted about this to ask whether they might do something to commemorate this significant birthday of someone who could legitimately be called a Canadian 'national treasure?'

Do we know whether any broadcasting organisations ( eg CBC / BBC )are planning anything anyway ? There are precedents .....http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011mdc2
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter ... 87348.html

A concert is a great idea, though, as has been pointed out, very hard to organise . I don't think we need lots of big stars . Some or all of the current band (perhaps including Dino ), the webb sisters , sharon , julie , Adam and Perla could deliver a ' divine ' concert. It wouldn't be crucial that any concert was on Leonard's exact birthday

Another plaque ( or something similar) certainly , but where to put it ?????? Perhaps something commemorative in the ' parc du portugal'- or as suggested above Hydra.

And of course a massive ' e-card' signed not just by forum members but lots of other people of note if that can be organised

Anyway just some quick thoughts , and perhaps best of all a new album and DVD with ' mega sales ', and a decision about a 2015 tour with sold out venues !

[rike]

So many great ideas. I especially like Mutti's
" a grove of trees planted in Israel in honour of Leonard's 80th birthday. Everyone who wants to, contributes by buying a tree or more."

Just another thought, since LC belongs to more than one city or country or community:

How about a "clean a park" or clean the lake" or "clean the beach" or, for Montreal, "clean a part of the harbor' day on September 21, 2014 -- in various cities, world wide, where some local fans can initiate and organize (with the help of already existing environmental groups -- or without).

I was thinking of the harbor in Montreal-- a park in a less-than-fashionable area of Los Angeles -- the waterfront/park/lake/etc in Helsinki, Tel Aviv, New York, Berlin, Hydra, St. Petersburg, Vienna... endless possibilities.

I know that all the creative people on this site will come up with something wonderful, as they did before.

[mnkyface]

As far as anyone else, I'm thinking about what I personally would like and be able to participate in. Perhaps, I'm not alone and together we'll do something interesting and pleasant.

I always wanted to ask Jarkko what The Leonard Cohen Video Contest was like. It sounds good enough - and even better and more suitable if we replace "contest" with "festival". Not a competition, but a celebration.

If one search through YouTube, it will become clear that many people around the world are making LC-related videos. Mostly covers (and sometimes it's not Hallelujah!), but also amateur clips and even tribute songs. After all, Leonard Cohen is a star and we know that.

I love this idea! My preference would be to exclude cover performances and just focus on the creative editing/tribute videos.

[rpan]

I like the idea of a feature or fountain or something in the Parc du Portugal as suggested already.

Or, a nice plaque actually on the house there, which could be easier to sort out in the time frame as the only person who would need to agree would be him!

[lightasabreeze]

What about something - like- Canada setting up a school of poetry and music in his honour. The Leonatd Cohen School of Music and Poetry, which we could maybe help start and contribute to. I suppose that would be far too expensive though.

[holydove]

I like the idea of something in the Parc du Portugal, & there is a gazebo in that park, which I think might be a perfect place for something commemorative, like a plaque. If I remember correctly, the gazebo might need some restoration work, & perhaps we could contribute to that too (unless that's already been done, but that's doubtful - it's been a few years since I was there). There are also benches in that park, which could also nicely accommodate something commemorative. (There is already a big fountain there, so I don't think it would be feasible to build another one - it's a small park).

A video of tributes by forum members is a good idea, but I'm afraid the shyness factor would exclude some people, so I don't know. . .

I also like the idea of a giant e-card (thanks, David).

[UrPal]

Whatever else happens, someone needs to organise the nurse with a packet of cigarettes!

A leaning tower of cigarettes.....erected at Parc du Portugal Drive.

That's a joke of course, and an adapted one at that. As you can tell, I'm short on ideas but long on enthusiasm.

[LisaLCFan]

What about something - like- Canada setting up a school of poetry and music in his honour. The Leonatd Cohen School of Music and Poetry, which we could maybe help start and contribute to. I suppose that would be far too expensive though.

I think this idea is lovely, but perhaps not practical.

How about this: in cooperation with the English Department/Faculty of Arts at McGill University, a scholarship could be set up in Leonard's name for students who want to major in English, with an emphasis on poetry (maybe awarding one scholarship per year, for a certain dollar amount). Students could apply for "The Leonard Cohen Scholarship" by submitting a poem, and the English Department could determine how it would be judged. Maybe Leonard himself would agree to be a judge? If this were set up, then people could donate to The Leonard Cohen Scholarship, through McGill University (this is quite common at Universities, to have a scholarship in someone's name, that people can donate directly to).

[Mollydog]

I'm not sure whether Leonard, being the humble man that he is, would like any sort of plaque near his home. Of course, I could be completely wrong about that!

When Leonard accepted the Glenn Gould Prize two years ago he donated the prize money to the Canada Council for the Arts. He said:

The truth is without the help and encouragement of the Canada Council, I would never have written The Favourite Game or The Spice Box of Earth. I am profoundly grateful."

How about a donation to the Canada Council in honour of his birthday? It is obviously dear to his heart.

Mary

[imaginary friend]

Some lovely ideas have been put forward here!

Another thought, further to Lightasabreeze and LisaLCFAn's ideas:

Didn't Leonard use a Canada Council Grant to live on Hydra and write BL? Canada Council already does wonders for the arts, but wouldn't it be special to convince them to set up a special poetry/fiction one-time award this year, in honour of LC's 80th? Perhaps partnering with Forum members to do so…? An award that would be open to non-Canadians as well.

[imaginary friend]

Oops! Sorry Mollydog, I just saw that you already put forward a Canada Council idea. But I like the idea of CC creating a special LC award in collaboration with the Forum, rather than donating to CC.

How lovely, if over time, the recipient of the LC Award grows to become a beacon of the arts, as Leonard has. Goosebumps.

[lizzytysh]

Love the idea of something permanent on Hydra, per Anne's suggested possibilities.

[sturgess66]

Further to the thoughts of Lightasabreeze, LisaLCFAn, Mollydog and imaginary friend - here is a link to The Canada Council regarding "Donor Information" -

http://canadacouncil.ca/council/prizes/ ... nformation

And here is a link to The Canada Council showing various prizes, awards, currently in place, that are set up in the name of the donor (two pages).

http://canadacouncil.ca/en/council/priz ... ize?page=1

Some are awarded annually, some biennially, etc. and it looks like the donor can stipulate various details - amount, frequency, eligibility, etc.

Example -

Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestra Conducting

This annual award, worth $1,000, is given to an emerging Canadian orchestra conductor, selected from among the resident or staff conductors of Canadian orchestras, as nominated by a peer assessment committee in the Grants to Professional Musicians program.

Linda

[mutti]

What an excellent idea re the Canadian Council of the Arts Lightasabreeze, LisaLCFAn, Mollydog and imaginary friend and Linda.