Festivals galore in 2013!
28/08/2012
The Revd Canon David Goodacre writes:
The North East region is to host a series of festivals next year. Two of the festivals are a direct response to the return of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the region.
The Gospels are to be housed in the University Library on Palace Green outside Durham Cathedral from July until October next year. A whole range of events is being organized throughout the region, including in Newcastle and on Holy Island. Details are to be found on the website, www.lindisfarnegospels.com.
A second festival in direct response to the presence of the Gospels is the Festival of the North East. Inspired by Kathryn Tickell, the Northumbrian Piper and Folk Music Consultant at the Sage, this is to be June next year. Again, there are to be a great many cultural events, again all round the region. See www.thesagegateshead.org.
A third is the British Science Association Festival, which next year will be in Newcastle from September 7th to the 12th. Details about this are on www.britishscienceassociation.org.
Last there is to be the Great North Festival (website in preparation – see the facebook page, Great-North-Festival – current details from david.goodacre29@sky.com). This initiative is being led by a company – four directors, Bob Langley, Paul Southgate, Gordon Morris and David Goodacre – formed to promote a series of events to address those, especially the young, who lack any real sense of hope for the future.
The festival will celebrate innovation in order to encourage hope. Funding permitting, the major event will be an expo to celebrate and display North Eastern creativity and innovation to run alongside the British Science Festival in Leazes Park.
A second strand is to initiate debates in different parts of the region. What are the spiritual resources of today and how might they be drawn upon? What do we need for cultural renewal? What are the common values we need to make a compassionate society? What sort of community do we want? How might we live in an equal and sustainable way? And so on.
Lastly there are to be projects, especially among young people. How do they see the future? How do they want to see the region develop? What kind of society and economy would they like to create? A group of young people, who are not in employment, education or training, is to be invited to make a film of the festival, of the process, of the innovations that are shaping the world of tomorrow. It will be shown at the end of the festival in a week of hope (between Christ the King and Advent Sunday) which will reflect on the significance of the year’s festivals – and what they have to say about the future.
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