FLOATING THE IDEA OF A POP-UP FESTIVAL ON PAROS (or anywhere else)
Last autumn, a conversation with my good friend Matt Coldrick culminated in our agreeing "Wouldn't it be good if Paros had a Winter Festival?"
This got us talking and sparks ignited. So we decided to float this idea out into the ether and see where it went and who picks up on it...
In December 2023 we said "Our idea is that we would invite people to open their homes over a period of eleven days as winter comes in. Each offering would be entirely community based and also reflect an increasing awareness of and interest in subject matter such as health, wellbeing, local heritage, music or conversation. Each gathering would bring together friends old and new around quality home-cooked food and some key interests that may also be likely to attract visitors to the island out of season, whilst also appealing to islanders who might be bored with what's on offer in terms of winter entertainment options."
As each participating person confirms their interest and their date/s, we combine the events into a calendar which becomes a unique and original winter festival, staged in peoples' home (or nearby venues)
This year we are thinking of inviting Paros folks to do their own event as part of a ‘prototype’ later in November, with a Beacon lighting ceremony on Friday 15th (full moon) as the spark to initiate further emergent possibilities across the island.
Here's the gen:
We all invite people to do at-home style ‘pop up’ events in their home or village / town. These might be talks or how-to sessions, making, arts and crafts, music performance, wellbeing or exercise sessions, fireside meditations, peace vigils, guided walks, writing sessions, visits to places of architectural or historical interest, film nights, fireside meditations, workshops, cookery sessions, gardening and permaculture, quiz nights or anything that takes your fancy.
Think of it as inviting friends round, even if they are friends you may not have met yet...
If you’d like to offer something, please email me pete.lawrence@campfireconvention.com and will will add it to the calendar. If we get enough response the first (prototype) Home Cooking Paros Winter Festival will be born this year...
Όσο ζεις, λάμψε ! Με χάρη (“While you live, shine!”)
φιλοξενία (phílos, "friend" and xenos, "a stranger") – properly, warmth (friendliness) shown to strangers; (figuratively) the readiness to share hospitality (generosity) by entertaining in one's home, etc.
Keep it Lit!
Pete Lawrence, September 2024