[matilda] Peace in the Park / Matilda: Joint Proposal

[Benjamin Major]

Peace in the Park / Matilda joint proposal for creative workshops.


Peace in the Park is a community festival which takes places annually in 
Sheffield- this years was a great success! This time aroud held in June, it 
was an excellent way to kick off the summer; think long before Shambalas and 
ShefStocks, before the G8 in Gleneagles, before Matilda was even a glimmer 
in our eyes.

One thing that Peace in the Park has been missing, though, is what called, 
rather painfully, 'outreach' work. Despite its good intentions, and for all 
its good-spirited atmosphere on the day, Peace in the Park fails, I believe, 
to involve some of the most overlooked but important members of the 
Sheffield community.

Matilda is Sheffield's new social centre space at 111 Matilda Street, and 
has already shown itself to be an active and positive place in which things 
can really happen. We've already had a massive benefit party for the No 
Borders campaign, at which people were encouraged to think about the issues 
and political demands that the campaign calls for, as well as having a great 
time. But although parties in themselves are no bad thing, Matilda also has 
an obligation to be a space in which social / cultural / poltical issues can 
be brought to the fore in particpatory and imaginative ways.

We have a festival which needs to seek out a wider audience. We have a 
social centre which is on the look out for engaging ways in which to bring 
people into contact and dialouge with its core principles and messages. It 
is in this situation that I propose the following initative.

With this years Peace in the Park I was involved, along with a collegue from 
that collective, in negotiating a series of workshops which forerun Peace in 
the Park and which would build up momentum, and community involvement, with 
the festival. Nothing ever came of this, due mainly to lack of experience on 
my part and perhaps lack of time to commit. But the principle is still clear 
in my mind.

The idea was initially to have workshops running on a weekly basis (Dj'ing 
workshops, photography, dancing, poetry, art workshops etc...) which would 
introduce these skills to young people, skills which they build on, and 
which they then could share with their friends, families and wider 
communities at the finished Peace in the Park festival- i.e. in a 45 minute 
performance combining Dj sets, dancing, spoken word, art created in the art 
workshops as backdrops etc... Young people involved in this would ideally 
feel as though they were taking an active and purposeful role in organizing 
the festival, or a part of the festival, for themselves.

I am now going to propose something similar at Matilda. I envision a series 
of days held at Matilda, in the early part of next year, at which there will 
be lots of activities to take part in (there is lots of space, after all)- 
these shall be family targeted and orientated events. In various rooms there 
will be a chance to try a hand at DJing, with tribal dance, banner making, 
photography etc... I know that they're will be more than enough people 
around to share such skills and talents, as I have seen first hand in my 
engagements with both the Peace in the Park and the Matilda collectives. If 
someone takes a liking to a particular activity, the idea is then that this 
indiviudal may wish to join others in taking a small course of workshops in 
this activty with the final aim of being able to take part in a short 
performance / exhibition at the Peace in the Park festival, thus 
contributing in a meaningful way to the visual or aural identity of the 
festival. This DIY culture could even extend to say, designing a logo for 
the next years festival...

The festival this year was procceded by a march for peace and justce 
organized by the Stop the War Coalition. I would like to see this element 
retained next year, but under the full responsibility and direction of the 
Peace in the Park collective. I would like to see a colourful, impressive 
and dynamic peace procession to match that of the Lantern Carnival (which 
takes place earlier in the year) which could begin at Matilda and bring out 
of Matilda the colourful creations (paper-mache figuratives, banners, 
anything really) we have collectively created and take them on a tour 
through the town towards the festival site.

How the give-it-a-try days and the workshops whould be publisized is 
something that is still to consider. Though I would create publicity 
materials myself and will be prepared to use existing community groups and 
community learning-initatives. I would seek out some funding for the 
project, and generally commit myself to faciliatating and co-ordinating the 
project, while respecting the autonomy of the artists involved themselves.

All workshops would try and promote creative reflections and responses to 
the themes of Peace in the Park, those of peace, conflict resolution, and 
social justice. Being involved in a festival and in a peace parade would 
promote creative direct action and active participation towards a 
passionately held belief.

The project could also play a part in the securing of the continuing future 
of Peace in the Park and of Matilda.

Can I stop talking in fooking-proposal speak now?

Benjamin.