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ANNOUNCEMENT: THE FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE AND THE FAITH HUB HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Following the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Festival of Resistance planned for this weekend has been postponed.
You can find a statement from Extinction Rebellion (XR) about the postponement, as well as the current status of the Festival Bus Tour, here.
If you are already on your way to London, or have accommodation or arrangements that you cannot cancel, please contact us and CCA friends who live in London would be delighted to arrange to meet you informally.
If you had planned to camp, Extinction Rebellion who do have some facilities available. Join the Telegram chat for more information, or email XR on scamp2022@protonmail.com
We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused by late postponement of this event.
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In September we’re not doing a rebellion as usual. Instead we want to make sure that everyone can get involved – so we are joining with Extinction Rebellion to hold a Festival of Resistance in Hyde Park, London. Instead of taking action, it will be a laid-back time, off the streets, where everyone can get to know and encourage one another. This festival is designed so that everyone can come along – so do take this opportunity to invite everyone you know.
More information can be seen on the Extinction Rebellion website
FESTIVAL OF RESISTANCE AT HYDE PARK: Sat 10th – Tues 12th September, Hyde Park in London.
We are excited to announce this creative and colourful festival in the heart of London. It will be a space of talks, music, art and trainings. CCA will be holding a Christian space in a Faith Hub, where there will be a variety of speakers and opportunities for us to lean into our faith.
On the 10th September, the day will begin with a march which starts at 10am at Marble Arch (CCA will be meeting before hand at Marble Arch fountains – more info below). There will then be a festival set up in Hyde Park. We request that you do not go to Hyde Park until festival set up has clearly been finished there.
Get communications: We have set up a ‘CCA at the Festival of Resistance’ telegram channel (telegram is a communications app) through which we will be sending people updates and can answer queries. If you would like to be added to this channel, please email christianclimateaction@gmail.com with your mobile phone number and we will add you.
Where to find the Faith Hub? If you want to meet up with Christian Climate Action at the Festival of Resistance that is great. We’d love to meet you too! You can either meet us:
- At Marble Arch fountains at 10am on Saturday the 10th September, ahead of a march which is starting at Marble Arch soon after. Marble Arch fountains can be located on google maps.
- At the Faith Hub from around 2pm on Saturday the 10th (or earlier if set up has been completed before 2pm). Please note that we are asking everyone not go to Hyde Park until set up has clearly been finished there. CCA will then stay at the Faith Hub location across the three days of the festival.
- We will also be putting up a flag with the letters CCA at the Faith Hub, so that you will be able to find us easier amongst the other tents at the festival.
- You can locate the Faith Hub on the festival map below (orange square indicated to by a pink arrow)
The programme for the Faith Hub can be seen below. You can download the PDF version of the programme by clicking HERE. More information on speakers and workshops below.
What parts of the programme are we looking for contributors for?
- We are signing up members of CCA to tell their story for the parts of the programme called ‘Stories from Christian Climate Action activists’. This slot features at three points on our programme. If this is something you might be interested in, you can contact us by emailing christianclimateaction@gmail.com
- If you would like to read a poem at the open mic session at 7pm on Saturday the 11th September, you can again let us know by emailing christianclimateaction@gmail.com
Volunteering:
In true Christian Climate Action style, this festival is participatory and it would be great if people could get stuck in with volunteering at the Faith Hub. To make it easier for everyone, we are looking to have at any one time – one Faith Hub host (to introduce and close the acts) and two people on the welcome desk. Please note that if you are around on the morning of Saturday 11th September, or the morning of Tuesday 13th September, we would love help setting up the Faith Hub and taking it down again.
To volunteer some time in any of these roles, please put your name down on this google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoZVXmMxrRW6RZPKhWfuX58mo7jV_cqIOVbP_hRfLcuypWKw/viewform?usp=sf_link
What to bring:
Essential:
- A waterproof coat
- Your own reusable cup and utensils for eating, including cutlery (food is served on sight but utensils not provided)
- Bring your own lunch if coming on the Saturday, as the kitchen will not be set up on the site until the lunch time.
- Tent if camping
Optional:
- A picnic blanket
- A camping seat
Camping information: For those of you who are camping at the Festival of Resistance – that’s great news. Extinction Rebellion has put out some essential information here, including facilities, site map, what to bring, rules & safety, and how to get involved: https://xrb.link/Oa7AA87m
For more information from Extinction Rebellion, you can join the campsite chat here:
https://t.me/+oJWDmYK_0rtkZGQ0
It would be nice if some of those from Christian climate Action who are camping, camped in the same place. When we are at the site, we will choose a location in the designated sleeping area and put details on the telegram channel (see above on how to be added to this).
What can you expect at the festival?
There will be a whole host of inspiring speakers, including…
Eucharist and Mass will both be held during the weekend, to corporately celebrate our redemption in Christ…
We will be holding a poetry open mic on Sunday the 11th September. Whether it’s traditional, modern, abstract or structured or just plain quirky, you are invited to capture you thoughts and feelings about the climate crisis in poetry. There’s a chink of poetic gold in every one of us, so let’s inspire and stir each other with creativity some of us might not yet realise we have in a shared session of poetry reading. If you would like to take part in this, do click here to email us and let us know.
Also in the Faith Hub, the Laudato Si animators will be leading prayer led readings through Pope Francis inspired encyclical letter, subtitled Care for our Common Home. Not-to-be missed opportunities for prayer, reflection and enrichment
And much much more!
Inviting others:
This festival is designed to be a welcoming and relaxing space for people unfamiliar to protest, so please do take the opportunity and invite everyone you can. We would love lots of new people to attend the Festival of Resistance, as a friendly way of taking their first step to engage with the climate crisis. Please feel free to invite people by sending them this handy PDF…
Festival of Resistance Tour: Dates: From Wed 14th September onwards for a couple of weeks. Location: Starting in London and going around the country.
After three days in London, the Festival of Resistance will go on the move around the country. Together we will travel the length and breadth of the UK, visiting local groups to celebrate their work. Check with your local XR group if you want to be part of it when it’s in your area – or contact us if you want to volunteer to help out with the tour and we’ll put you in touch. There are lots of support roles which need filling.
Mass Direct Action: Date: Friday 14th October, Location: Westminster, London.
We invite everyone to come back together on the 14th October for a big day of protest in London. More details to follow on what this entails, but for now Save the Date. The protest will focus on the demand to End Fossil Fuels Now.
Christian Climate Action 