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https://www.positive.news/environment/the-island-festival-putting-nature-before-acts/>
"As rising costs put pressure on the summer festival circuit, one island is
testing a different model: no single main stage, no huge ticket price and no
big-name headliners, but more than 100 community-led events spread across
beaches, libraries, woodlands, nature reserves, arts centres and village
spaces.
The Isle of Wight Biosphere Festival returns from 27 June to 5 July, with a
nine-day programme celebrating the island’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve. Now in its third year, the festival is built around grassroots
participation, with local groups, artists, wildlife organisations, heritage
sites, climate projects, allotments, libraries and community spaces putting on
their own events under one island-wide banner.
“At the beginning, the main goal was to celebrate and raise awareness of the
fact that we’d been awarded Biosphere Reserve status by UNESCO,” said festival
producer Martha Henson. “It’s such a special accolade, we are one of only seven
in the UK, but many people here didn’t know we had it or what it meant.”
That status recognises the relationship between people, wildlife and landscape,
as well as efforts to live more sustainably. But Henson said the festival soon
became about more than the designation itself.
“One of the greatest strengths we have on the island is the community whose
work led to us getting that status, whether in conservation, sustainable
businesses, the creative arts, education or any number of other related areas,”
she said. “It’s really grown into a celebration and showcase of that too.”
The result is closer to a living map of local action than a conventional
festival. This year’s programme includes guided walks, beach cleans,
storytelling, ocean yoga, art installations, wildlife talks, film screenings,
craft workshops, dance, family bike rides and nature-based learning, with most
events free or low-cost.
Visitors can learn about marine conservation over tapas, explore historic
landscapes at Brading Roman Villa, take part in wild fermentation workshops,
try ocean flow yoga by the sea, or attend a UV night walk looking at the world
through the eyes of insects.
Its organisers hope the model can offer a more accessible alternative to
commercial festivals, especially for people who want something smaller, slower
and more rooted in place."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
