Strong winds are blowing over Suðurland, you can see it in the short yellow brownish gras which is everywhere. The green is almost breaking through, so the icelandic spring is on it’s way. As excited the people here are waiting for this, as excited it is, that there will be a kind of newish event will take place just one hour drive from the capital of Iceland.
On 23. and 24. of may on the Stokkseyrarsel farm the Saga Fest is asking “What’s our story?”
And that’s what we will do in less than one week. We will have an interesting get-together, meet new people with interesting stories, interesting ideas and we are curious as hell to experience all of this and music, art and workshops. Just to name few great things which will go on:
Music:
La Fontaine (Electronica)
Ylja (Folk)
Var (Psychedelic Pop)
Axel Flóvent (Indie/Folk)
For A Minor Reflection (Postrock)
Soffia Björg (Singer/Songwriter)
Kippi Kaninus (Electro/Acoustic)
…and more
Workshops:
Balancing Trust
Skateboard Design
Narrative Oral History
Sharing Your Story
Opening Meditation
Burlesque
…and more
Art:
Sound Healing
WE
Wind Sculpture
Concert In The Dark 2.0
…and more
I was asking Scott Shigeoka some questions about this interesting project:
What is Saga Fest about and where does this idea come from, who did the first step?
Saga Fest comes from the idea of creating a space where people feel safe and vulnerable to connect to each other and to nature. It’s also about connecting to ourselves, finding the essence of who we are and crafting shared purpose. We picked “What’s Our Story” as our tagline is because we believe storytelling can facilitate many of these connections. Since we are a community-driven festival at heart, the first real step came from the local community of Selfoss who is supporting this event whole-heartedly.
From the first idea to now, how long took it to plan this kind of festival?
By the time the festival long weekend gets here, it will have been 9 months in planning.
As it will take place at a farm in the south of iceland, will there also be some camping possibilities for the guests or are you working together with hotels, hostels in Selfoss or Reykjavik?
Everyone that buys a weekend ticket gets a camping permit with it. There will be little village areas where people can co-live together. This festival is all about community building, so those that choose to live on-site will get the most enriching experience. Though, we understand that other guests will want to stay at nearby hostels, B&Bs and hotels in the area. We recommend looking in Selfoss, Stokkseyri and Eyrarbakki, since these three towns are the closest to the festival site.
It’s not just a music festival. What do you expect from this intercultural event?
Saga Fest is a people-powered event. Although we have a dedicated team of co-producers, we believe in a flat-structured festival without hierarchies. We believe beautiful connections and experiences can be created when artists, musicians, organizers and volunteers collaborate with the festival’s participants.
There will be two stages for music performances, art and dance; a community stage for poets, storytellers and community members to share; geodesic domes built for workshops and late-night DJs; a bonfire for storytelling around the sagas and southern coastland; a focus on local food and communal eating; and participatory art experiences.
At the end of the day, this festival is about connecting people to each other and to nature. And to do it in a space fostering vulnerability, transformation and open-heartedness.
Are there also some fears that this would not work?
There is something beautiful that happens when there is full trust involved with everyone participating and organizing the festival. Everyone has worked together to co-create a beautiful culture that supports open-mindedness and creativity. Already, through the process of creating this festival, we are seeing minds open and creativity sparked. It has been beautiful to witness and we are excited to see everything in action in May!
So, come and spent a great weekend with us, it will change your life (isn’t everything which you experience changing your life somehow?!)
Tickets are still available on Midi.is
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