#58 A personal invitation
#58 A personal invitation
Two years ago, Michael P. Edson challenged Meta Knol, Erik Boekesteijn, and myself to imagine a new socially engaged cultural initiative in The Netherlands. Inspired by the Museum for the United Nations, UN Live, it ought to combine imagination and creativity with positive activism. We founded the initiative — Stichting 2030 (the 2030 foundation) — on this basis. Next Thursday, we’re launching our most significant event to date: Festival 2030, a festival that celebrates the contributions people and organizations make to achieving a greener, more equitable, and sustainable world.
As a reader of these regular, irregular updates, you will recognize and appreciate many of the themes and ambitions of the festival. The festival is deeply rooted in the community empowerment practice that has been at the core of so much of my work over the past decades. It is a hands-on exploration of the role of the arts and culture in sustainable development. And we have tried to make it as open and eclectic as possible. We collaborate with over 80 partners, ranging from Leiden University to local SMEs and from artists to neighborhood coaches (and so much more). There will be lots of workshops and lectures and meetups, but also co-creation sessions, dinners, and I will do my first Instagram Live (about sustainable fashion).
I shouldn’t sell the bear’s skin too early (or at all). Most of the festival is still future potential. After all, we’re still in pandemic mode. While we planned for every eventuality, Corona has been rather creative in its disruptive potential. That said, I’d like to warmly invite you to the festival. And with 100s of events, mainly in Dutch, allow me to make this invitation a bit more specific.
Dear reader, if you happen to be in Leiden in the coming months, please feel welcome to:
1/ Walk De Tegentijd (Time to turn) with me. This art project we made together with Merlijn Twaalfhoven and his Turn Club invites people to take responsibility for future generations. It is a walk through town and through deep time. On 2 and 21 September, I’ll be your guide, but there are guided tours a few times each week, all of which you can book here.
2/ Help us invent local solutions to the climate crisis. Together with het Klimaatmuseum, on 15, 16, 17, and 18 September, we’ll turn local climate challenges into ideas for solutions, which we’ll auction off on the 22nd.
3/ For cultural and art professionals and those working on the SDGs, we’ve set up an expert track about the role of art and culture in making the world a better place. Five meetings (2, 8, 15 (two meetings) and 22 September) explore different practices and solutions, every time from an exciting angle.
4/ Let me know which day you’d be able to join, and I will make a personal program from the 100s of activities that are happening. Also, if you want to be specific, let me know the SDG you care most about or like to learn more about, and I’ll keep that in mind.
5/ If you’re abroad, help us create a bit of online buzz. We’re @stichting2030 on Instagram and Twitter and use the hashtag #festival2030. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for joining us!
Obviously, I will continue to write about this for a few weeks. After that, it’s back to books and podcasts and culture and creativity at large. Thanks a lot for staying with me, and I hope to see you in September!
All the best,
— Jasper
