Festival Spotlight: Earthdance 2012

.:: 2012 EVENT OVERVIEW ::.
—————————————————————

Each year Our Earthdance has taken on a different flavour – both as a result of the global theme passed down to us from Earthdance.org, and also as a result of our internal wish for diversity of entertainment, of location, and of sophistication!

This year our team is late in the creating, so we have partnered with our friends at the ONE WAVE FESTIVAL to share a fun & meaningful day at Centennial Square for family & friends to come together and celebrate what globally represents the world’s largest music festival for peace!

The square will be a buzz with performances by Victoria’s Poet Laureate Janet Marie Rogers, Juniper Tree storytelling, and Esquimalt Nation Dancers! A ONE WAVE Village of artists and community groups will host Indigenous arts, face-painting, community art projects, performances and more. Be sure to check out the World Fisheries Trust’s seaquarium, where you can meet and greet sea creatures! From 3-8 PM, local musicians will take the stage and share some tunes. Don’t forget your dancing shoes!

This free, all-ages daytime event in Centennial Square will runfrom noon-8pm, and the Earthdance specific 18+ dance party ($15) in the evening at Sunset Room will run from 9pm-4am. We hope you will join us for both!

For the daytime event, come with some food & drink for yourself & friends and we will do the same! Bring much water. Also, weather varies – so be prepared for hot during the afternoon and COOL after the spiral dance – though not immediately ;)

Thanks for your years of support of Earthdance on Vancouver Island, and we look forward to once again spiraling with you this coming weekend. Bless!!

.:: DAYTIME PROGRAMME ::.
—————————————————————
12:00 – Welcome
12:15 – Lilias Dance Group
12:45 – Janet Marie Rogers Poetry
1:00 – Juniper Trees Storytelling
1:45 – Esquimalt Nation Dancers
2:15 – Martin Valdez Drumming Demo
3:00 – OCM – Our Culture Matters
3:30 – Torrey Archer
4pm GLOBAL PRAYER FOR PEACE
4:15-5pm Spiral Dance
4:30 – Pigeon Park
5:45 – Compassion Gorilla
7:00 – The Party on High Street

EARTHDANCE 2012 AFTERPARTY DETAILS:
https://www.facebook.com/events/432598663441951/

.:: DREAMCO KIDS ZONE ::.
—————————————————————
This year our good friends at DreamCO are overing the kids zone, which will run from noon-4pm at the square. Specific details on entertainment & offerings are coming soon!

.:: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ::.
—————————————————————
We will need some help setting up & tearing down at the square – please drop us a line if you are able to contribute in that way and we can give you more details. Thanks much!

.:: GLOBAL PRAYER FOR PEACE ::.
—————————————————————
The highlight of the annual multi-location Earthdance Festival is a simultaneous link up, when every event across the world plays the Prayer for Peace at the exact same moment – morning in the Australian rainforest, afternoon in California, midnight in London, and sunrise over the Himalayas – the Prayer for Peace is a profound and powerful moment that unifies our intentions for World Peace on all levels.

“We are one global family
All colors, All races
One world united.
We dance for peace and the healing of our planet Earth
Peace for all nations.
Peace for our communities.
And peace within ourselves.
As we join all dance floors across the world,
let us connect heart to heart.
Through our diversity we recognize Unity.
Through our compassion we recognize Peace.
Our love is the power to transform our world
Let us send it out
NOW…”

.:: OUR CO-CREATORS ::.
—————————————————————
Earthdance International
http://earthdance.org/

Earthdance Vancouver Island
http://earthdancevi.com/

Sunset Labs
http://sunsetlabs.ca/

Urbanheart
http://urbanheart.ca/

DreamCO
http://www.thedreamcollective.ca/

Starseed Collective
http://www.starseedcollective.com/

Church of Reggae Yoga
https://www.facebook.com/ChurchofReggaeYoga

Festival Spotlight: Tribal Convergence

Tribal Convergence: “Solutions”

This is an invitation to co-create a weeklong model of the new paradigm lifestyle that we want live sustainably together. In the first four days, Monday to Thursday, we gather our collective wisdom and best practices around the co-housing culture in an effort to create better living spaces for each other and ourselves. Themes explored are: operations, conflict resolution, enlightened sexuality and right relationship, mediated through a process called ‘council’. Council is community-centered approach to dialogue based on four principles: speaking from the heart, listening from the heart, confidentiality and leanness of speech.

In the next three days, Friday to Sunday, we experience building a garden and co-creating culture on land close to the city, leaving a garden as a gift to the tenants of the land. This fulfills the growing necessity for communities to start working by growing food together and nourishing our souls in a beautiful natural environment.

We have a maximum capacity of 120 and register on first come first serve basis. Please register in advance if you want to share the journey ♥ Here is the registration link:

http://www.tcsolutions.org/registration.html

———————————————–
Event Info:

———————————————–
Schedule:

Monday, Sep 10th – Chapel Arts, Vancouver
◦ 5pm – 6:30pm: Registration and potluck dinner
◦ 7pm – 8pm: Opening Circle
◦ 8pm onwards: Relational development and community bonding in a facilitated cuddle party + Music Jam
◦ All day: Tribal kin from other cities arrive at Vancouver tribe community houses.

Tuesday, Sep 11th – Chapel Arts, Vancouver
◦ 5pm – 6:30pm: Potluck dinner
◦ 7pm – 9:30pm: Council Urban Village Building
◦ 10pm – 12am: Sobey Wan Kanobi (SobeyOne) Spins a set!

Wednesday, Sep 12th – Chapel Arts, Vancouver
◦ 5pm – 6:30pm: Potluck dinner
◦ 7pm – 9:30pm: Council enlightened sexuality and right relationships
◦ 10pm – 11pm: Facilitated contact improv
◦ 11pm – 12am: Mazeguider (Jeet-Kei) spins a labyrinth of sounds

Thursday, Sep 13th – Chapel Arts, Vancouver
◦ 5pm – 6:30pm: Potluck dinner
◦ 7pm – 9pm: Council on community house operation and conflict resolution
◦ 9pm – 12am: Intentional Dance Journey to Live world music with the Naad Collective & DJ set by Elemental Rhythm

Friday, Sep 14th – Squamish Valley Campground
◦ 10am – 12am: Arrival and registration
◦ 12am – 2pm: Lunch
◦ 4pm – 6 pm: Opening circle
◦ 6pm – 8pm: Dinner
◦ 8pm – 10pm: Storytelling and Poetry by the fire
◦ 10pm onwards: Fire-side group improv Music Jam

Saturday, Sep 15th – Squamish Valley Campground
◦ 7:30 am – 8:30 am: Breakfast
◦ 9:00am – 12 pm: Permaculture & collective gardening
◦ 12 pm – 1 pm: Lunch
◦ 1pm – 3pm: Collective Gardening
◦ 6pm – 8pm: Dinner
◦ 8pm – 10pm: Shine your light – Community talent cabaret
◦ 10pm onwards: Music and Dance

Sunday, Sep 16th – Squamish Valley Campground
◦ 8am – 10am: Breakfast
◦ 11am – 12pm: Closing circle
◦ 12pm – 2pm: Lunch and farewell

———————————————-
Food:

◦ City Module: Potluck dinner Tuesday to Thursday at Chapel Arts. We will provide some fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese and chai.
◦ Land Module: Communal meals from Thursday noon to Sunday breakfast at Squamish Valley Campground. Food is vegetarian and nut free.

———————————————-
Accommodation:

◦ City Module: Vancouver tribe hosts tribal kin from other cities. We collect billeting information during online registration and organize the billeting.
◦ Land Module: We camp at Squamish Valley Campground.

———————————————-
Transportation

◦ Individual responsibility (We do a carpool match for transportation to land on Tuesday eve).

———————————————–
Directions:

◦ Chapel Arts: 304 Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver, BC
◦ Squamish Valley Campground:
Follow Hwy. 99 (N) past Brackendale
Turn Left onto Squamish Valley Road at Alice Lake intersection
Stay on Squamish Valley Road
Hang left immediately after the first bridge, drive for 14Km
You will see the Squamish Valley Campground sign on your left

———————————————–
Registration:

The cost of the event is $100. This covers all the activities mentioned above including venues, meals and events for the entire week. To register, follow the link below:

http://www.tcsolutions.org/registration.html

———————————————–
To learn more about other Tribal convergence events, visit:

http://tribalconvergence.com/?page_id=9

Festival Spotlight: Bhakti Fest

Bhakti Fest West
SEPTEMBER 6-9, 2012 JOSHUA TREE RETREAT CENTER
JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA

Our Vision

Bhakti Fest is a festival which celebrates the devotional path that has its roots in yoga, kirtan, and meditation. It embraces ancient and modern sacred wisdom and traditional and non-traditional spiritual practices. The festival is a vehicle for the evolution of human consciousness through a heart-centered revolution. Bhakti Fest builds a community of people drawn to follow the path of the heart – a devotional, prayerful, loving, healthful, respectful family. All the artists, presenters, and vendors embody, practice, and share the spirit of Bhakti through a variety of ways, including:

Continuous Kirtan
Yoga Classes
Meditations and Prayer
Teachings and Workshops
Fire Ceremonies (Pujas)
Hanuman Chalisas
Eco-Friendly, Holistic Marketplace
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Vegan Cuisine
Wellness Sanctuary

Bhakti Fest encourages the spirit of service and offers a work exchange program. The festival donates monies to a variety of non-profit oganizations which provide housing, food, education, medical, and environmental beautification programs around the world.

Bhakti Fest Official Website
Bhakti Fest Official YouTube

Festival Spotlight: The Big Time Out

When it comes to Vancouver Island festivals, there’s a few that really stand out – and The Big Time Out is most certainly amongst them! The Big Time Out = 8 Musical Venues in 1 Village – August 18 and 19 – packed with cutting edge artists, breathtaking circus arts and a huge amount of dancing!

This weekend The Big Time Out returns to the musical mecca of Cumberland, BC, August 18th and 19th with a stellar line-up including Black Mountain, Elliott BROOD, Australia’s Aurora Jane, and Bahamas. These and more are set to a stunning backdrop of projections and installations, circus arts, fire spinning belly dancers, and massive inflatables. New for 2012 – explore the quirky Village vibe through street level activities and live music in your favorite local venues. Early Advance Tickets available till July 12th.

visit: www.thebigtimeout.com NOW for tickets!
Early Advance Tickets available till July 12th
a ‘Wild Bunch Productions’ presentation.

Festival Spotlight: Bass Coast

Bass Coast Festival is easily my favorite festival that I’ve never been to. When it first came to life and introduced itself to the world, it was just so obvious there was something different about it, and many friends noticed this too.

There’s lots of reasons it might show up this way – there’s an amazing team full of powerful west coast women at the helm.. there’s the breathtaking Squamish Valley waterfront location.. there’s a super juicy music lineup second to none for a festival of its size.. there’s a huge roster of awesome conversations & workshops built into the flow.. it would be easy to see how these ingredients might come together to create something really magical. Yet, the ingredients themselves really fall short of explaining how this particular event stands apart. I think the answer lies in the vision that Bass Coast has set for itself, which they share as follows:

To contemplate, to educate, to innovate and to CREATE. This is our festival. This is our coast. This is our Culture. Bass Coast’s primary vision is to support the local electronic underground arts community on the west coast of BC by providing an event with international recognition. We are very proud to be BCer’s with the name BASS COAST having the initials of the land and environment we are deeply connected to. The love of Bass electronic music and creative innovation in all forms is at the core of the experience we are passionate about providing.
The arts culture that surrounds the music is a rich creative community of artists, scientists, designers, yogi’s, environmentalists, freedom fighters, business minds, intellectuals, partiers, poets and dancers. We believe that the Bass Coast community is a supportive environment where we hope to inspire each participant to find deeper layers of themselves. Bass Coast has no corporate sponsorship. Our stages have been built from re-claimed, re-used and recycled materials every year – as are almost all the items you’ll discover at Bass Coast.
To contemplate, to educate, to innovate and to CREATE. This is our festival. This is our coast. This is our Culture.

Once again this year I’m not going to make it – but many people who plan better than I do will be there to take it all in – and to those I say congratulations, it is without exception my friends have come back rubbing my nose in their most amazing Bass Coast adventures. Still unsure? Check this great 2012 lineup vid by Syd Woodward of GetGroundedTV!:





DATES: Aug 3-6 2012
LOCATION: Squamish Valley Campground (one hour from Vancouver, towards Whistler BC)
TICKETS: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/224148
WEBSITE: http://www.basscoast.ca/

Festival Spotlight: Intention 13

INTENTION SUMMER CAMP 13.5
Fri July 20 to Mon July 23, 2012 | Crystal Creek | Only $60.00 for the whole weekend!!!

INTENTION is a time for us gather, celebrate, dance and come together as a community. It is an opportunity to practice the universal art of community, deepen our ability to cooperate, open our hearts, and harness the gifts we each bring.

WE ARE Co-CREATING a village of all ages – we will convene to celebrate, share workshops, perform, dance, play, heal, decorate, rejuvenate, share meals and have fun. Intention is a time and space for being authentically ourselves in a dynamic and inspirational community setting.

Summer Intention 13.5 will be held on private land on the Sunshine Coast. Intention is a co-created event and everyone attending pays $60.00 We only ask for what it costs Tribal Harmonix to put on the event and our doing our very best to keep it as low as possible. We are serving FOOD on Saturday and Sunday, bring fruit and veggies to contribute to the community kitchen.

DJ’s include: Akhentek (Entheos Gathering) | Nils (Beats Without Borders) | Nagdeo | Stargirl | little.fiery.one | Energy Turtle | Skyfox …and… Fish’s band “Inject” (http://inject.org) playing live improvised techno/house/breaks/dnb/downtempo.

ONLINE REGISTRATION is NOW AVAILABLE.
https://sites.google.com/site/summerintention13/registration

DJ’s and LIVE MUSIC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The DJ and Music Pod for Summer Camp is OPEN!!! If you are a DJ and are coming to Intention, we will find a spot on the schedule for you!

MUSIC in many forms!!
Dancing to electronic music – and special evenings/nights of acoustic jamming around the fire. If you play any instrument that you would enjoy bringing, please feel free to do so.

WORKSHOPS and CREATIVE MAGIC :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Empower, inspire and create healing/spaces – Intention is a great opportunity for you to share your skills, magic and love with the community, whether you are new or experienced at workshops.

::CONTACT INTENTION 13.5

1. Check out the website for info:

https://sites.google.com/site/summerintention13/

2. Questions, concerns, requests, love letters ♥.. OR post/comment here, we will do our best to communicate fluidly!
Lisa and Josie: tribalharmonix@gmail.com

pit pitt pitter patter
can you hear the drum heart beat
into the forest we go
where the people dance with their feet
and they love all through the winter

the seeds planted eventually sprouted
the bees worked hastily and so -
with spring it was the blooming of burgeons
then flowered another Intention!

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/summerintention13/home
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/325547780861745/
Facebook group for Tribal Harmonix: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tribalharmonix/
Tribal Harmonix: http://www.tribalharmonix.org
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TribalHarmonix

Festival Spotlight: Shambhala

Shambhala Music Festival | August 8th-13th, 2012

Shambhala Music Festival is easily one of the most amazing, fantastic, sophisticated, diverse, fulfilling, depleting, enriching, collaborative and inspiring gatherings one might ever hope to attend. As with, I expect, any gathering of this size – there are things that are predictable and things that aren’t. On the side of predictable – while, there’s a bunch of different stages to get your dance on, and you can easily find a zone that fits your inner groove – at any moment you can go hard, be social, drift away or disappear entirely. There’s tons of amazing vendors to peruse, plenty of which are amazing BC craftspeople & artists sharing their magic with us! Be sure to explore them – and if you feel so inclined, ask if they need an iced tea or something – many get stuck to their tents for far too long! Also predictable – wind, rain, sun, mud, dust, heat & cold. Be prepared for all of them!

As for the unpredictable, well, there’s no point in trying to make something up to communicate the sorts of scenarios that may arise.. but in my years I’ve had a lightning bolt hit my friend’s car, there was the naked man climbing the speaker tower during Bassnectar’s set in the Village, the adventure with a friend to photo shoot every stage in 30 minutes, there was the not-so-great green river incident, amazing unexpected rendezvous & hangouts with Luciterra, DubFX, Gaudi, Mr.Rogers, Beardyman… and obviously, tons of surprise performances that just blow your mind.

Ultimately, Shambhala may say it best: ‘This is Canada’s premiere Electronic Music Festival. Cutting edge Talent, Lights and Sound come together in Paradise to give life to a non -sponsored family run anomaly. Seeing it for yourself is the only way to understand exactly what is Shambhala.’

Through the last couple years I have had the pleasure of being part of the Shambhala Media Team, and have captured a number of amazing performances there. Until your next visit to Shambhala, here’s some links to some of my Youtube videos to tide you over!!

For the Love of Water (green river incident, Shambhala 2010)
Lynx Beatbox (Living Room, Shambhala 2010)
Gaudi Grooves (Living Room, Shambhala 2010)
Beardyman Invades The Funginears (Living Room, Shambhala 2010)

And one of my favorites…

Festival Spotlight: Ska Fest

Victoria’s Annual Ska Festival is the largest and longest running festival of its kind in in North America and has become one of Canada’s most anticipated music festivals. The festival represents the growing participation and interest in ska music, its related genres and sub-cultures by hundreds of thousands of people in Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Lower Mainland British Columbia and the rest of the world. Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island have always remained open to ska but in the last ten years those in the scene have realized that Vancouver Island is one of the few Skankster’s Paradises on earth. Ska bands from all over the world now know about Victoria’s ska scene because it is so tight and supportive of the genre. Vancouver Islanders realize the variety ska music offers in terms of genres. They also know the vibe of being at a ska event is second to none.

VICTORIA’S 12TH ANNUAL SKA FESTIVAL a.k.a “Festival of the People” will once again mark the biggest milestone in Victoria’s ever emerging ska scene. It is no wonder this year’s edition (like the past eleven) has triggered requests from every continent around the world (with over 300 submissions) that are itching to come to our Skankster’s Paradise. We welcome you and the rest of the world with open arms to celebrate our 12th straight year with us! We’ll see you there!

The Victoria BC Ska Society is a newly formed non-profit organization that is comprised of a handful of organizers, volunteers and Board of Directors whose main goal is to keep Victoria’s Annual Ska Festival improving and evolving year after year as well as preserving the profile of ska and its related genres throughout the year in our region. All those involved in the Society have a burning passion for supporting the ska and reggae scene throughout Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of BC as well as Canada and the rest of the world.

Additional Links: Facebook | Website

Festival Spotlight: Diversity

Diversity Festival celebrates diversity in people, music, and arts during the weekend of July 6, 7, 8, 2012 on Texada Island, B.C. The event will be held at the Shingle Beach Campsite and will serve as a fundraiser to cover maintenance and development costs associated with Shingle Beach Campsite.

Being one of many free use Forest Recreation Campsites, which is no longer funded through the Ministry of Forests, Diversity Festival and Shingle Beach Campsite have aligned with the intention that it remains a free use campsite. Drawn from both inside and outside the community, artists, composers, bands, performers and participants from across the continent and beyond will converge for a weekend celebration of creative culture.

Diversity Festival offers 2 stages again this year. Our Diversity Stage (Upper Main Stage in the meadow) and the Beach Stage, which overlooks our famous BC coastline. The Diversity Stage features many live musical acts, bands, and workshops. Nestled in a beautiful grassy meadow surrounded by many eclectic vendors and our ever changing art tent. The Beach stage is where you will find mainly electronic music, featuring many talented Djs, an interactive dance portal, and a killer view of the ocean.

The name says it all. A place where you can be you. Diversity Festival!

Official Website | Facebook Page

Festival Spotlight: Photosynthesis

One of the festivals that might go overlooked – unless you’ve been there – is Photosynthesis. Set in the midst of the 44-square-mile Makah Indian Reservation, just south of Cape Flattery, is Hobuck Beach Resort. The 17 acre resort is located in Neah Bay, fronting Hobuck Beach at the very northwestern tip of the continental United States in Washington State.

Framed on either side by rocky bluffs, the protected cove and calm waters off of Hobuck Beach attract an assortment of wildlife, as well Kayakers and surfers. At night the dramatic sunset vistas over the churning water and rock structures further out in Makah Bay are a sight to behold!

Photosynthesis team has this to say about their festival!:

Our goal is to combine people from all walks in life, and all tastes in music. We seek a sustainable community fueled by intimacy and ingenuity. We hope to provide a platform where everyone can learn, share and grow. We know how strong we are together, and we wish to use that strength to cultivate unconditional love, compassion, acceptance, and creativity. We wish to expose the beauty in all things and all dreams. Together we create intent from desire, deed from intent, and destiny from deed.

Collective Flow was harnessed on a brisk mountain top morning in June.
There people came to laugh and love whilst they danced, light bathed in the moon.
Connections we bread, heart shifts ensued,
and Collective Flow Productions found its groove…

Collective Flow Productions is proud to bring you another great festival of non stop inspiration. This year we are very honored to be welcome back to Hobuck Beach Resort, Neah Bay WA by our brothers and sisters of the Makah Tribe. The beachfront property that makes up the Hoebuck Beach Resort is a very sacred place to the Makah people. For thousands of years it has been used for ceremony and community gatherings. What an honor it is to co-create another gathering.

What can you expct? 3 days of music on three stages. (get Monday off now, you”ll be glad you did). A KV2 sound from Starborne Sound, circus performances, a ritual theater, pop N lock performances, healing workshops, renewable energy education, music production education, and art from all cultures!