THE LIFE CRAFTS CAMP 20TH AUGUST - 1ST SEPTEMBER
We want everyone to be aware that we are the Magic Hat! what we all
put in provides for all our needs, so we give all the money, time, loving
energy we can manage
When we create our magic village in the field we assemble it together, do
all the jobs ourselves for life support in the natural world. We bring warm
bedding and waterproof clothing, tents and living spaces of our own. We bring
our own plates, cups, cutlery and water containers. If we want Magic Hat meals
we cook them ourselves. We all do what we can to set up the camp and keep
it running and take it down without paid workers. Dogs can be brought on site
if a £10 deposit is paid (returnable if the dog is always kept on a lead,
and owners clean up all dog mess). Trading only on Saturdays! Loud music late
at night upsets neighbours and is not on. Nevertheless we honour our musicians.
We also show love and respect for our children by working to give them good
space to play safely. We organise our own free educational workshops sourcing
the inexhaustible creativity of the circle
We need love. We need to participate with good energy
and respect for each other. We do not need alcohol abuse, canned
amplified music, drug abuse or any other abusive behaviour. If the circle
is to survive, we must respect each other's health, safety and well being.
Let's enjoy being together in nature! Let's leave city hassles behind us,
when we enter the circle of rainbow magic!
MUSIC, ARTS, CRAFTS, SKILLS : our concept for this camp is based on the idea that for most of human existence all types of music and arts (not just skills and crafts) have been fully integrated into the life of the community, and not set apart as 'Arts' with a capital 'A' (such as a gig or a concert where you go off somewhere to see an outside performer play (work?)
Music has many roles: as a healing force, as a means of what they nowadays call 'team-building', as work songs to accompany threshing grain, digging, rowing; to invigorate dance, as a source of courage and strength for hunts and battles; as a supreme way for emotional and spiritual expression. Dance, the spoken and written word, martial arts, and the visual arts all have similar complex functions in the community: painting (and sculpture etc) help to set our ideas out before us, in a way the confronts us with our own thought processes, conceptualisation, and symbols, that helps us to better understand ourselves, to focus and meditate on the important, to learn to see better.
So, during this ten day camp, we are planning a diverse but interlinking range of activities and workshops
As well as our famous cabaret shows, the rehearsals for which are often a performance workshop in their own right - we are planning nightly events in the performance cafe tent and by firesides with the innovation for this year
SHOCK HORROR - AMPLIFICATION in the saturday cabarets.. But this will be wind and solar powered, perhaps the bicycle repair workshop can also come up with pedal powered generators a la Rinky Dink - and the amplification will be designed for clarity, not loudness, and positioned to ensure that the sound at the back is the same volume as in the front row.
By the way if you can get hold of any wind generator or solar panel gear it would be great to have extra capacity for lights and amps, and as backup in case of break down.
SOUND HEALING including toning, vocalisation, and instruments
MUSIC FOR MEDITATION: song, vocalisation, sacred instruments, and temple music
MAKE OR REPAIR WYOUR OWN DRUM: Bring materials if you can (calf or goatskins, a Djembe, conga, bongo shell with tom skins, etc
PERCUSSION CIRCLE: we plan full-on loud afternoon drumming circles, and also want to encourage sensitive fingertip light playing at quiet campfire sessions, and kids music groups
HOW TO ACCOMPANY SONGS AND MELODIC INSTRUMENTS: a special workshop for Djembe players. To be led by both drum teachers and by singer/guitarists. So, you've learnt to play African Ensemble Drumming, AKA 'a drum circle' - but how do you accompany a guitar or an unplugged style group, doing rock, pop and folk songs, or instruments?
DANCE AND MUSIC: a chance for Drummers, guitarists, singers and dancers to learn to perform together (we need more dance leaders in various styles - modern, ethnic, folk, sacred etc)
DANCE - various styles
POETRY, WRITING AND READING
LIFE DRAWING Bring materials if possible, or perhaps we could make our own charcoal
PAINT THE CAMP. Our huge container, the Kids Bus, the loos and lots and lots of site signs and notice boards need painting. Bring brushes and paints
JEDI WARRIOR TRAINING FOR KIDS: we hope to have a repeat and development of Max and Lisa's remarkable set of exercises to tune the mind and body, sharpen sense and perceptions, and to build oneself up as a spiritual warrior
YOGA, TAI CHI, CAPOEIRA, OTHER MOVEMENT STYLES AND MARTIAL ARTS
We are gathering ideas for SKILLS and CRAFTS workshops, which may depend on the availability of leaders and materials. So far:-
WILD AND FREE FOOD: how to identify and prepare wild traditional foods from field and forest. An essential survival skill that will also enrich your experiences out in the countryside and nourish your body and soul
SEWING
HOW TO SAFETY CHECK, TUNE, AND REPAIR YOUR BIKE Please bring your bike, spares parts and tools to share around. An experienced bike shop mechanic is available, with some of t he more specialised tools
Other workshops ideas: - how to tune, repair and prepare you car for the MOT, Map reading, compass, navigation; Bike riding, advanced skills, negotiating potholes, logs and jumps on BMX or mountain bike, metalwork?
It will be obvious to you that we've left something really important off this list.
So, we invite you to come and lead that workshop, or to hook us up with someone else who wants to, this camp is a great opportunity for many more of us to contribute.
Since many workshops (as will as the camp infrastructure) need STUFF - materials, musical instruments, paints, are art supplies, brushes, rope, string, candles, boards, hammers, nails, and other tools - and don't forget the gaffa tape - we invite any of you who need to clear out their shelf / go to car boot sales or surplus supply sources / are good at blagging freebies for a non-profit event, to help out. Check out the wishlist on our website; call or email if you can help us on this important practical side.
At a non-commercial, unfunded event like this we are our own site crew. Remember that message from the great free festivals back in the seventies - BRING WHAT YOU EXPECT TO FIND
Richard Thandoy - 6 January 2004
www.rainbowcircle.co.uk