11/04/2020
TOWNLANDS CARNIVAL... is out.
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Patrizio Mancuso
Alina Mancuso
Michael Hennelly
Greta Gailiunaite
Townlands Carnival
Full project on:
https://www.alessiosorodelgado.com/townlands_carnival_2018-p21584
“I’m gettin’ nothing off that…”
The Townlands Carnival is a three-day-long intensive experience with the modern tribe of music fans in Ireland. A caravan of people of all ages gathering in a wonderful outdoors location to hang out camping, drinking and dancing at five different music stages. All in the spirit of freedom and self-expression.
Very few rules are actually enforced at the gates: no weapons, no glass bottles, maximum alcohol allowance of 12 cans of beer and 1 litre of wine. That’s it. Once you go past the entrance checks, you enter a magical festive world: you can pitch your tent (which will be of very little use) and proceed to getting as high as possible… Let the party begin!
“I’m gettin’ nothing off that...”
Nature, music, workshops, public talks, open debates, empathy, freedom and, above all, an absolute lack of judgement. That’s what struck me the most and made me feel part of something where individualism has no reason to exist. Instead, the motto that unites everyone is “be yourself and do what you want, as long as you don’t p**s anyone off”. I already like these Irish! Someone asks me if we have festivals like this in Italy. Of course – I say – Of course we do – And I immediately picture rowdy crowds, riotous fights, alcohol poisoning, over-the-top substance abuse, police interventions... So I change my answer and I say no. I say that in Italy we just can’t have things like this, for both cultural and human reasons. Because we are a conservative, intolerant country. And because we are too focused on ourselves to function as a community - we lack the self-responsibility and the self-irony to do it.
“I’m gettin’ nothing off that…”
After three days of extreme emotions, I leave the festival grounds with a sense of gratefulness for what I was able to witness: an environment where people can put aside their differences and coexist –even though for a limited time and in a very precise context. A proof that, maybe, a better society is possible. A proof that, together, we can.
I Already like these Irish! "Well, are you gettin’ anything off of that?"