A BONFIRE is a place to gather, share meaning and keep hope alive ...
The BONFIRE Intensive is a creative experiment in sacred activism for young people aged 19-29 who are hungry to come together in new and meaningful ways …
Over 5 weeks in Autumn 2024 an international group of 15 young people will gather in a small village in Northern Denmark. Participants will go through an intensive, collective process of training, experimentation and reflection. Working with a team of coaches and the local neighbourhood, participants will create their own BONFIRES : an artistic intervention for meaningful human meetings.
VISION
The BONFIRE Intensive is a call to change, to do better, to come together in meaningful ways and find new
ways of being in the world.
The project uses artistic and poetic tools to explore sacred activism – it aims to ground participants in inspiring perspectives that encourage meaningful social/cultural/human-to-human participation that reaches beyond the scope of the project.
BONFIRES
We imagine a series of aesthetic, poetic and playful ‘meeting spaces’. We call these ‘meeting spaces’ BONFIRES.
Using a blend of participatory/relational artistic languages – including visual poetry, sensorial tools, play instructions, social choreography, tactile objects, interactive
scenographies, verbal and non-verbal encounters – participants will explore different forms of encountering, and create their own BONFIRES.
PARTICPANTS
Are you aged 19-29 and hungry for meaning, longing to come together in new, meaningful ways and inspired to experiment with and create new frames/contexts for meaningful coming together?
There is no need for you to have an artistic background or experience but you must be interested in engaging in a collective creative process, grounded in a spirit of ‘not knowing, but wanting to know’.
THE PROGRAMME
WEEK 1 (July 29 – Aug 2) : Training, Experimentation & Inspiration
During the first week, participants will be introduced to the programme, the coaches and each other. There will be a daily practise of meditation, yoga and dialogue. And daily workshops/experiences which introduce participants to a different artistic, social and activistic practices.
WEEK 2 (Aug 5 – 9) : Training, Experimentation & Developing Ideas
Building on our experiences of the first week, participants will continue to meet and experiment with different artistic and collective practices. Towards the end of the week we will begin to formulate our BONFIRE ideas. There will be a daily practice of meditation, yoga and dialogue.
WEEK 3 (Aug 12 – 16) : Training & Creation
The focus of this week will be on BONFIRE creation – participants will be mentored in this process by the coaches and test their work through small public showings. We will continue to our daily practice of meditation, yoga and dialogue.
WEEK 4 (Aug 19 – 25) : Public Presentations in Denmark
During this week we will travel to different ‘folk schools’ and KulturMødet på Mors (a danish cultural festival) to present our BONFIRES to the public. We will maintain a lighter version of our daily practices.
WEEK 5 (Sept 6 – 8) : Public Presentation in home town
At the beginning of this week, participants will travel home. In the end of this week participants will present their BONFIRES to a local public, with the support of a cultural or social partner in their home town.
COACHES
Throughout the intensive participants will have the chance to meet and work closely with a international team of professional artists, teachers and practitioners.
Each coach, guest artist or teacher will introduce participants to their field of expertise – either through a sharing an example of their work or through a participatory workshop. Coaches will then mentor participants in the creation of their BONFIRES.
Marieke Breyne - BE/DK
COACH
Participant co-ordinator
Elizabeth Debold & Thomas Steiniger - US/DE
GUEST TEACHER
EMERGENT DIALOGUE
Sarah John - AU/DK
COACH
PROJECT LEADER
Jean-Marie Oriot & Julie Seiller - FR/BE
GUEST ARTIST
ART & NATURE
Katrien Oosterlinck - BE
GUEST ARTIST
SOCIAL PRACTICES IN ART
Marga Socies - CAT
COACH
ART & PLAY
Sara Topsøe-Jensen - DK
GUEST ARTIST
MEDITATION & BIGGER REALITY
Bart Van Dijch - BE
GUEST ARTIST
Ritual
PRACTICALITIES
WHEN
Arriving in Denmark:
July 27 or 28, 2024
Intensive in Denmark:
July 29 – Aug 25, 2024
Leaving Denmark:
Aug 26 or 27, 2024
Presentation at home:
Sept 6-8, 2024
ACCOMODATION
Participants will live and work in Frøslev, denmark. Accomodation is simple & shared. All meals will be provided.
TRAVEL
Participants will cover their own travel costs. We can assist with travel plans and searching for funds.
COST
200 euros per person.
We can assist in seeking for funding.
There are also scholarships available for those who are financially challenged.