Connection Fest
December 2020
What was Connection Fest?
Connection Fest grew out of an idea I had for something else. I decided to run with it because I wanted to do something, more so after going into the second lockdown in early November 20. It was to be a month-long festival exploring connection and what it means to us; something positive and uplifting to put our energies into at a difficult time.
Who ran the festival?
The festival belonged to everyone who wanted to take part; I just co-ordinated it. There weren’t any headline acts - every contribution mattered and had equal value. It was about people doing what fitted with them and where they were in their lives at that time. If they planned something and it didn’t happen, that was okay. This wasn’t a nice, neatly-packaged festival – it was messy around the edges.
A light in the winter
The programme
The programme evolved throughout December, with around 80 free events by the time we reached New Year’s Eve. There were Twitter conversations, virtual gatherings, social media posts, blogs and articles, poems and songs. Thank you to everyone who took part, especially the Camerados who supported the festival and helped make it happen.
Here's the programme. I’ve highlighted activities you can still read, watch and enjoy!
What next?
Connection Fest was an amazing experience - the way it evolved, the conversations it sparked. I think it really touched something in people - a need maybe to connect at the end of an extraordinary year and reflect on the shared experience.
It had such a positive impact on my own wellbeing. I connected with more people in that month than I had since the beginning of the pandemic. It was incredibly nourishing and made me feel more hopeful about 2021.
Connection Fest was a festival of beginnings – of ideas and conversations rippling out. It set me off on an exploration of connection and who knows where that might lead...
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Camerados is an international movement of people who believe in looking out for each other.
You can find out more here.
