Creative Forum

Carnival Forum Website (archive.org)

Paticipants

This just a rough idea. so many people have said they’d probably
do X,Y,Z and being self organising we’re happy to let it role.

Friday:

• D.Form feat. Absract - Hip hop crew
• Paradox
• Chalk For Peace
• UnitedDiversity www.uniteddiversity.com

• The Judge

• The Open Co-Op

• London Rising Tide

• Revolutionation www.globalizer.org

• Media Crew

Saturday:

• The Insecurity Guards

• Dance for Peace

• Clear Air Turbulance (street
  theatre)

• Cardboard Citizens

• Saddam and the Look-a-Likes

• Phoenix Carnival Group

• Paradox

• Chalk for Peace

• United Diversity
  www.uniteddiversity.com
  

• The Open Co-Op

• Media Crew

Sunday:

As for Friday and Saturday, but
also…

• Stilt walkers

• Jugglers

• Sound systems

• Rhythms of Resistance
  www.rhythmsofresistance.co.uk

• Samba dancers

• Rinky-Dink

• Curly Tony’s Soap Box Trike

++++++more and more+++++++

Carnival Forum Website (archive.org)

A Call To “Creative” Action On The 17th Of October During The ESF 2004 Demonstration:

“all people have the ability to create the world they want in this sense we are all creative beings”

Introduction:

The European Social Forum will be in London from October 14th to 17th 2004.

10s of thousands of people will manifest on the streets of London on Sunday the 17th under the banner “another world is possible”. And no doubt thier’ll be an amazing array of different attitudes and ideologies. Not to mention the variety of styles of workshops and seminars etc for networking, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter linking for effective and enhanced action for creating the world we want.

The idea:

During the demonstration march we intend to embrace all these differences through a street carnival mixed with open space discussion circles. Complimenting the diversity of forums

By taking the discussions to the streets in a volatile mixture of revolution, creativity, and conflict, using music and rhythm to transform our surroundings, reclaim space and take forum out of the box, to a form of exchange that embodies the spirit of carnival which in turn embodies the movements principals of diversity, creativity, decentralisation, self organising, sharing, spontaneity, ground level direct action, face to face contact, collective decision making and personal freedom.

Injecting pleasure into politics and focusing on creating the world we want, revolution becomes irresistible.

The Two Key Elements Of This Proposal Are:

1. Open space discussion circles on street corners interspersed with and inspired by;
2. Carnival, cabaret, circus, performances etc

Mix Discussion, Workshops And Carnival Performances Etc?:

For practicalities sake it’s difficult to have all the discussions and music ruining concurrently and so we’ll have a part of the day dedicated to discussion and another part of the day dedicated to carnival. although the two inevitably overlap and intertwine. (view ExampleProgram ).

The idea of meeting in the streets to discuss relevant issues is nothing new and neither is mixing pleasure with politcs. Infact the question should really be why separate everything into little boxes. The fragmentation of life’s connected pieces is half the problem

It’s Just A Bit Of Colour:

We’re not just an adding colour and festivities to the serious exchange inside the forum but a serious political space in itself. many people are politically engaged but have never entered a traditional seminar or plenary.

In taking the discussions to the streets we hope to engage the so called every day people, who wouldn’t have gone to the ESF. as it’s in the streets it’s free and truly inclusive.

(this next paragraph is an adaptation from the book http://www.weareeverywhere.org/ , chapter on carnival)

In it’s taking democracy to the streets, reclaiming spaces, it’s embrace of spontaneity in decision making and governance, it’s attempts to pervert a standard A to B march turning it into it a peoples assembly of ground level democracy…..

In that carnival demands that there’s no spectators, that there’s interaction and flexibility, face to face contact, a feeling of collective ownership, it denies the existence of experts or rather insists everyone is one, that each posses something unique and essential and success depends on freeing that in us all.

At Carnival we learn to work and play together while revelling in ones freedom in a volatile mixture of revolution, creativity, and conflict, using music and rhythm to transform our surroundings. it teaches you to have fun, to experiment with the unknown and not take yourself too seriously.

Who wants the tedium of traditional demonstration and protest, moaning of campaigners, verbose ralleys and dull speeches. Instead the CF aspires to a form of change that embodies the movements principals of inclusively, diversity, creativity, decentralisation, horizontal, and direct action. It embraces unpredictability, subservient to spontaneity, any individual can shape her environment, transform into another being for an hour or a day, creating a new world. Leaders appear and then disappear into the crowd with a direct democracy develops on the ground level where everyone can get involved, each has the responsibility of being part of a community

Spontaneous, unpredictable and irresistible, politics leaves the space of boredom and bureaucracy, participation becomes joyful and not a sacrifice, then the process of changing the world becomes dangerously infectious.

Add A Discussion, Workshop And Carnival Performance:

We do not have an agenda, we are not asking people to perform “for us”. rather this is a self-organising initiative where you can determine what type of performance, workshop or discussion is the right type. this is simply a framework a (an open platform) for people to meet and self organise together. The main aim is that during the ESF there’ll be a lot of people doing an amazing mix o skills sharing and exchanges, and we’re interested in bringing together a diverse group and turning the march from a traditional A to B demonstration into a truly inclusive political space that says much more than the verbose speeches.

This is only possible if you engage. What can you do? how can you add? Do you have discussions, workshops and/or performances that can be transferred on to the streets? There is no space for spectators.

Where And When Will It Happen?:

Where? Central London. In the heart of the ESF demonstration. To find out exact the location and get the last minute up dates choose one of the options below.

When? Sunday 17th of October. The exact time will be publicised on this site after September 15th. view an ExampleProgram.

In keeping with the spontaneous nature of carnival we will only be announcing the location on the day of the demonstration an hour before the start of the Carnival. This will also allow us to be prepared in case of serious weather problems.

How to find the location:

* Mobile phone text flash mob - keep up to date by receiving texts. send your mobile number and email address to forumofhope@care2.com

* Radio - check back on this web site for radio station details

* http://www.europeancreativeforum.org/ check the web site 60mins before the publicised start of the carnival

* join the mailing list http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/creativeforum/

* join the email discussion group by sending an email to forumofhope@care2.com

* listen for the noise and look for the festivities in the demonstration.

What Format For Discussions ?:

The discussions will use a street version of open space technology

An overview can be found at http://wiki.uniteddiversity.com/openspace or http://www.openspaceworld.org/wiki/wiki/wiki.cgi?AboutOpenSpace

People will congregate as part of the main demonstration at the pre publicised cross roads (see WhereAndWhen for more details), where they’ll see someone holding a placards with the words PEACE or SUSTAINABILITY or any themes for discussion that you chose.

This is where gets interesting we’ll be using a street version of Open Space Technology, there’s no agenda (see above link for open space organisational technique) and anyone can call a discussion group. each person wishing to call a group has 2mins to describe his/her discussion topic to the crowd. They then right a key word on a placard provided. people then follow their preferred discussion group. There will be many discussions simultaneously and the groups will be in a single slot of 45mins to 1hour. the amount of groups will depend on the amount of people taking part.

There will be someone at each crossroads who will introduce the Open Space methodology. if you’d like to help with “introduction/facilitation” please send an email to forumofhope@care2.comll use a street version of open space technology

Discussion Themes:

Themes will be following the ESF chosen themes but are not limited to;

Peace; democracy; neo-liberalism, the economy and work; sustainability; discrimination;

It’s important to note that all forms of language are welcomed as discussion mediums especially , talking, music, poetry, theatre, performance, mime, action etc

(it’s important to note anyone can create a theme inside or outside of the ESF themes. just bring your own sign/placard (limited amount of placards will be provided))

What Type Of Workshops?:

There’s really no boundaries here only an overall focus on “creating the world we want”. people may get involved in skills sharing and tutorials. it may be interesting to go beyond discussions and into activities where people can have a go. it would be nice if some of the performers can teach tecniques so that when we return to the carnival focused part of the day all can get involved.

Carnival Caberet Circus Performers

There are no boundries only that it the performances be street adaptable and mobile. eg.. musicians, dancers, poets, actors, rappers, jugglers etc etc

Direct Actions

As part of the skills sharing on creative direct actions, people can inform others (if appropriate) of their action at the meeting time (see ExampleProgram ) and then do the action followed by calling a discussion group/skills sharing relevant to the action (just a suggestion).

Outline Example Of A Possible Program:

Depending on ESF programy

Sunday 17th

12am - meet at x st and y rd.

1pm - kick off - carnival, circus, cabaret, direct actions, creative forums.

3.30pm - democracy circles on street corners

5pm - carnival and direct actions etc continues

The program can be decided anytime before October. as well be using flash mob style announcements people will find out the details at the last minute.

See also:

Pedipeace

Soho Summit