South African Community Revitalisation with Eating and Dance
Harvest Festival Carnival
EMAIL festival@sacred.org.za
This annual event would be for the people and their friends. It includes anyone, no matter what age, class or culture, who wants to be part of it. The children dance in groups of friends, the old people cook, and everyone has a great day. This is about what the children create in their own time with their own resources.
We hope that by doing this in Banhoek we can inspire other communities to do the same, and ignite a network of creative energy that is deeply grounded in reality.
It doesn’t need to be huge, branded, funded or monetised. Kids can invent their own instruments and costumes out of whatever they have. Let it start small and see if it grows.
Let the children decide!
South African Community Revitalisation with Eating and Dance
Harvest Festival Carnival
NOW
We have children who are bored, lonely, bullied, marginalised, or having no fun with no hope in their future.
Some are suffering from too much parental managing, and others are suffering from no managing at all.
The long, hot Christmas holidays yawn, as kids get naughtier and parents more desperate. They need something to do that everybody loves and appreciates.
South African Community Revitalisation with Eating and Dance
Harvest Festival Carnival
We harness the endless energy of children to make this carnival real year after year.
Kids want to dance, to live, to learn, to see the world. This child-driven, child-centred cultural activity will provide that, again and again, throughout the child’s life.
Whether they go on to win dance competitions or learn a trade, there will always be a place for them in their community, among their memories and their friends.
South African Community Revitalisation with Eating and Dance
Harvest Festival Carnival
Children love to learn.
They will learn to be organised, to express themselves, to meet deadlines, to promote their troupes on social media.
They will also learn to be responsible for each other, to let others shine too, and to care for the earth in the years to come.
Instead of being left out once they are too old for dancing, there will always be a way for them to continue celebrating with their community.
South African Community Revitalisation with Eating and Dance
Harvest Festival Carnival
Every indigenous population on earth has children’s festivals, often at harvest time. Europe, the Far East. Indonesia… anywhere where our children’s ancestors are from. The only places these traditions have been displaced are where long-term campaigns of extermination and occupation have taken place.
The Cape still has the Klopse and Rieldans traditions, but many rural towns have almost nothing left. Our children need to have their traditions put back again.