Small is… festival, 4th-5th September 2010 | Canalside Community Food

Dear Canalside Friends,

I would like to invite you all to Practical Action’s (www.practicalaction.org.uk) second Small is… Festival on September 4-5th 2010. The Small is… Festival is a celebration and evolution of the ideas of “Small is Beautiful”, written by our founder, E.F. Schumacher in 1970, but which still has profound significance today. The weekend event provides a space to share skills, learn about technologies, create networks, develop ideas and to be inspired about international development, sustainability and the planet. It is held in our beautiful, rural office grounds in Bourton on Dunsmore, the Leamington side of Rugby.

The first Small is… Festival in 2009 was a great success! We hope to recreate the wonderful participatory feel of last year, including the fun but productive atmosphere, the open debates, the lively networking and exchange sessions, and the international feel – but with local food and hospitality very evident. Some of the many things you can look forward to are:

· Keynote speaker: Andrew Simms, New Economic Foundation – a very interesting and entertaining speaker on why happiness is more important than economic growth, and what to do about it.

· Debate: What’s the best way to reduce carbon emissions – global, national or local strategies? With Mark Lynas (author of Six Degrees), Molly Scott Cato and Shaun Chamberlin (author of Transition Timeline).

· Workshops: make your own rocket stove; waste art activities for kids; wind turbine and micro-hydro demonstrations; learn about making tin can batteries; play interactive board games; find out about compost toilets.

· Networking and exchange: what are Transition Towns?; how to get a job in international development; who is doing what on sustainable building;

· Straw Bale Solar Cinema: films about Schumacher and much more…

There is overnight camping and great evening entertainment Friday and Saturday nights. So book your place now on our website www.smallisfestival.org (booking is essential so that we know numbers for catering and event licensing purposes).

If you would like to help out in any way, e.g. by offering to give a talk or run a workshop then that would be fabulous. Also if you have a spare marquee or large tent you can offer for the weekend we would be overjoyed! We are running the event on a shoestring and those things are really expensive to hire!

If you want to know any more or offer help then please get in touch with Canalside members Kath Pasteur or Steven Hunt at Practical Action (small_is@practicalaction.org.uk)

Thanks

Kath

Katherine Pasteur
International Programme Coordinator – Reducing Vulnerability
Direct tel: 01926 634465

Practical Action is an international development agency working with poor communities to help them choose and use technology to improve their lives today and for generations to come. www.practicalaction.org.uk

Practical Action
The Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development,
Bourton on Dunsmore,
Rugby,
Warwickshire, UK,
CV23 9QZ
Tel: +44 – 01926 634400
Fax: +44 – 01926 634401
www.practicalaction.org