This summer I was privileged to attend
three very different festivals and I ask what I can take from them back into
everyday life.
Primadonna – a literature festival,
with the emphasis on women.
Edinburgh Fringe – a massive festival
comprised of over 3k shows in a huge variety of venues.
GreenbeltFestival - arts, faith, activism. In a world on fire, we’re somewhere to believe
in.
There’s a glorious ‘festival’ way of
being - which elements will enhance my everyday
life?
Trying new things
Because
a festival is time-limited, it helps make your mind up. This kind of thinking found me trying out a
women’s urinal for the first time, and (less bizarrely) a workshop on cyanotype
printing.
Fresh air
Wouldn’t
work life be less fraught if one had to potter across a grassy field to get to
every meeting? I need to incorporate
more little strolls into my working life.
Chat
At each
of the festivals, the best thing was people – the friends/family we went with
and the strangers with whom we chatted while queueing for the loo/ bar/ show. I definitely want to spend more time idly passing
the time of day with friends, old and brand new.
What won’t I miss?
You’d
expect me to say the toilets – but the ‘mobile thrones’ at Primadonna and the
composting loos at Greenbelt were fab.
I guess
I might say ‘burning the candle at both ends’ but in fact a level of tiredness
softens me up and readies me for revelations both intellectual and emotional –
festivals make me cry…and that’s not a bad thing.
Picture by Pascoe Harvey - me at Edinburgh with the wonderful Katy Berry
No comments:
Post a Comment