The magic of Easter Confest (2010) - imagery by Sophie O, audio by Listening Earth

In October 1976, a leaflet was distributed from the Parliament House office of Dr Jim Cairns. It was a statement inviting all 'who feel the need for radical change' to a forthcoming event. It stated that the event would be host to: Aborigines, ethnic communities, women's liberation groups, peace activists, homosexuals, lesbians, members of rural and city communes and co-operatives and those concerned with self-management and work democracy, law reform, ideology, theories of social change, alternative food, health, energy, living structures, education, psychotherapy, yoga and meditation. (Rawlins 1982:24)

The result was the first "Down to Earth" festival, which occurred in December 1976, on the Cotter River Recreation Reserve, in the ACT (Australian Capital Territory), where 10,000 - 15,000 people came together.

30 years on and it's still going strong - this is an event unique to the world.

You should be a part of it!

Images:

http://www.myspace.com/sophiegoliver
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2440742397 - Stavi Gouros
http://www.flickr.com/people/lars1942/
http://www.confesthippy.com/
http://www.spinferno.com/
http://www.youtube.com/thevoiceharmonic
http://www.bravocharlie.tv

Music c/o http://www.ListeningEarth.com.au

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• ListeningEarth
• Listening Earth.com.au
• Bravo Charlie
• Bravo Charlie TV
• BravoCharlieTV
• Confest
• Hippy
• Bush
• Life
• Spirituality

[DavinaFaerie]

Does anything actually interesting happen there?

What type of bands & music usually goes off most?

I really want to go, I don't mean to be rude... Just curious... :0)

[BravoCharlieTV]

@DavinaFaerie You will get it once you have been. Also there is no amplified music only live instruments - so musicians walking around the bush and similar, drumming circles etc - I've added a video response filmed in the market.

[cavify]

hey just wondering if you could tell me where the photo at 1.35 was taken from id love to get a copy

[BravoCharlieTV]

@cavify It was taken .... near the mudpit at the Arts village! :) Seriously though it was somewhere in the links listed in the description at the time this video was compiled. No idea now, that was a year and a half ago. You can always come to the Festival and join in? We are leaving in 4 days for the New Year one!! :)

[KristenJoyify]

exquisite .... absolutely beautifully done :)

[BravoCharlieTV]

@KristenJoyify Thank you - See you next week hopefully.. :)

[cavify]

@BravoCharlieTV yeah it was on easter monday last year at the arts village about 2 hours before i left was hard to stop my parts from floating for the photo haha might have to go through all the links and see if i can find it

[KristenJoyify]

I'd love it if we could put that in the multimedia section of the rebuild of confest.org.au ......? appropriately credited of course :)