GOOD NEWS This Morning, and lots of it!
Article by Future Crunch
photo by Daniel Zetterstrom at Symbiosis Gathering
1. British Columbia protected 85% of one of the world’s largest temperate rainforests, home to the wonderfully named ‘Spirit Bear.’ Reuters
2. In February, Peru and Bolivia signed a $500 million deal to preserve Lake Titicaca. HNGN
3. In March, the US government abandoned its plan for oil and gas drilling in Atlantic waters, reversing its decision from a year ago. Guardian
From Michael Morgenstern and the Bay Area Community, After the Oakland Ghost Ship fire: we created this short video on fire safety for event production. Please watch it — 4 minutes later you’ll be a lot more prepared.
>>> Here’s an important informational from our friends at Fest300. Read it, make a copy and share it with your friends….let Oakland be the last time tragedy strikes unawares….
[This is a repost of two articles – one from Fest300, and the other, a video made by Michael Morgenstern and his notes along with it. I’m posting these two in their entirety because I feel its important that you have the information here, as a resource….crediting the sources.]
Fest300 Article by: Joseph Pred
Published: December 7, 2016
The nation is mourning the loss of all the creative lights who died in the tragic Oakland warehouse fire during an electronic show this past weekend. Art spaces are incredible places for self-expression and connection, and are vital for the creatives in our extended, festival-related community. [Read more…]
By Christian Cortes
Gazing at the colorful streams of people flowing into the festival grounds from the outside world, I can already see it beginning. I feel it in my feet as I push through the heat; it takes form as a bead of sweat rolling down my temples; it reveals itself in the bent wheel of my wagon as I push gear, food and water down the grooved and pitted road toward the campsites. My body is already [Read more…]
The folks at IMGUR put this up last night, and I saved it to cheer you up today ~ a gallery of good memories….after the turn of events, we could use a little good juju……a loving, sad goodbye and a few glorious months left to cherish….
“With it being Election Day. I wanted to reflect on things I really miss from Mr. & Mrs. Obama. True Love. They are a true inspiration of what it means to love someone. Thanks Obama” – Imgur [Read more…]
by Saphir Lewis
If you get to a transformational festival this summer, you’re in for a spectacular time. No matter how high you set your expectations, they’re bound to be topped. Ye old “stage in a meadow” is a thing of the past. Even as the east coast, midwest and deep south join the bandwagon with new events in nearly every state, the basic festival template they are stepping into, is expanding beyond anything we’ve seen before. Every new event hits the floor running, hoping to offer all the trending activities.
The new “Collaborative Village” model has fully taken over the arena….and what do I mean by that? When I got my start as a producer a little while back, festivals were run by one leader or a small group of 3-5 heads who designed the programs and a cheerful team then worked to make that vision a reality.
Today fests are co-created by the attending community. We used to hang some colorful flags and call that decoration. Today teams of enthusiasts spend the better part of a year designing and building immersive experiencial environments to thrill and inspire their community. With hundreds of creative participants involved, the new collaborative model makes the impossible, possible, to where even young new fests can achieve a lot right out of the gate. [Read more…]
Once Upon A Time, not so long ago, fae folk gathered in the deep deep woods to dance around the fire in the late late night – opening their hearts to the forest and the trees, bonding with the earth, connecting with one another and the sacred in all things…..
The gathering grew and then expanded to include stages of amazing music, flow arts, swimming in a sparkling lake….yoga and workshops and kids activities were added, but the sacred fire burned brightly both day and night, as the dancers continued to hold space for deep deep connection to the earth and her forest, her trees and one another….just a little way down the trail from the festival activities. [Read more…]
I never saw it coming.
Something magical happened at Lucidity Festival this time, something unexpected and earth shaking…
Maybe I should have known better, Lucidity has always shown up with cutting edge thought and way ahead of the pack projects. But their pre-fest workshop series, this April, was something else altogether. It blew me out of the water. [Read more…]
photo from The Polish Ambassador
2016 will be remembered as the year that education took root and exploded in flower. Last year, we saw the advent of 3 day permaculture intensives leading into the festivals, climaxing with a community project in the local area the day before gates opened for the main festival. The concept came on quickly and spread like wildfire..
David Casey in purple shirt, with Amigos
30 December – 2 January, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
all photos provided by Cosmic Convergence
There are lots of places to gather on New Year’s Eve with your festie family, but if you’re looking for something extraordinary this year, head to Cosmic Convergence….on the banks of Lake Atitlan in gorgeous Guatemala.
Before you freak out, check it out: Guatemala is closer than Hawaii (you can drive there), easy to travel in and more safe than a lot of third world countries, and packed with English speaking travelers from around the world, as well as some of the most beautiful, gentle-hearted indigenous villagers you’ll find. Atitlan has been a hippie’s winter getaway for half a century, and for good reason. It’s warm and tropical and more colorful than any other destination in the northern hemisphere. The local people are weavers, famous for their rainbow colored tapestries and richly embroidered clothing, you’ll definitely a bundle home with you. It’s close to the USA and a very welcoming place for travelers.
David Casey, co-founder of Cosmic Convergence, is a long time west coast festie and active driver of the transformational festival movement. His vision for New Year’s is to create a gathering that brings people back in touch with the earth and the sacred, in a delightful tropical setting, to honor the changing season and celebrate the harvest. He works closely with local indigenous communities to incorporate rich ceremony alongside pounding beats that keep you dancing all night long – on the beach, beneath the watchful eye of an active volcano.
