On June 2 the To-Gather Festival was organised in Presov in Slovakia. The To-Gather Tourbus drove in 17 hours from the Netherlands to Slovakia and another one in 7 hours from Slovenia to Slovakia. It was the eight festival since the first festival in Den Bosch on 9-11-9. Together with 350 young people, 22 members of the To-Gather Family and a big group of teachers from the University of Presov a great festival was organised. It was the best and the biggest festival until now and these are some reasons.
Firstly it was very well organised by Iveta Kovalcikova and her team with a great spirit, feeling and creativity. Secondly the To-Gatherness was visualised by the participants, wearing t-shirts in different colours. In this way they were divided over the 12 workshops, including the workshop leader. All in all there were 24 workshops and each student could experience two different workshops. On the wall of the hall of the university drawings were placed about the practice in schools.
The festival began with a great sense opener by the singing and dancing of children. After that the project-leader Wim Kratsborn gave some basic information about the project and showed the clip of the previous festival in Torhout. Finally he did sing the To-Gathersong with the audience: ‘Are we to gather, are we family?’ The atmosphere was great.
After this sense opener the coloured groups were activated by workshops with results from practice by Audrey and her students, Dace Umbrasko from Latvia, Kinga and Ana from Hungary and Marjanca, Irina and Ana from Slovenia. Jeffrey teached how to do poppin dance and Margarita Kamjaka worked on an authentic Latvian dance. In the workshop of Audiofeel the students made new lyrics for ‘Song for Europe’ and in the workshop ‘Do you want to be a moviestar’ 5 peergroups of students did meet Europe in a role play. There were also interactive workshops given by colleagues from Presov.
At the end of the afternoon some of the workshops were presented such as the ‘Song for Presov’. Jeffrey and Margarita danced and Audiofeel did an acoustic act as a teaser for the performance in the evening. As a surprise there was a closing ceremony in the Atrium in the open air. The logo of To-Gather was painted in the middle of the Atrium. Three Roma girls did play and sing in a fabulously.
After 19.30h. the festival was continued at the square of Presov (‘The Eye’) with authentic folk-dance and music. Also Jeffrey Hoofs and Margarita Kamjaka danced and Wim Kratsborn did sing his latest song ‘I am a landscape’. The headliner Audiofeel filled the square with their great sound and fascinating songs. A musical end of a perfect day.
In this way the aims of the project were realised. It was good work, excellent engaged and esthetical to develop an own identity for the future. It contributed to the creation of a sense opened, knowledge based, creative and interactive multiple choice identity. Young people learned to make the right choices and to look through the eyes of the other.
The To-Gather Tour will go on. In 2012 we maybe gather again at the To-Gather festival in Roskilde, Rome, Beirut or some other place.
Let’s do it to gather.
The participants
David, the singer of Audiofeel at the square of Presov
On their way to the workshop
The organisor of the festival: Iveta Kovalcikova
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