Festival 2009: What happens next?
The 2009 festival is over, and we are delighted with the good turnout, the atmosphere at events, the positive feedback from participants and partners, and the widespread support for Slow Down London as an initiative. Many of you are asking us – what happens next?
The answer is that Slow Down London certainly does not end with the 2009 festival. We will be building on the growing network of partners, supporters and friends. We hope to develop longer-term opportunities for challenging the cult of speed and appreciating the world around us.
Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road has already offered Slow Down London a central London home. An ongoing programme Slow Down London activities will range from yoga to letter writing and other workshops. Watch our website for further details coming soon.
Apart from public events, we are developing plans to take Slow Down London into workplaces. Many of us have experienced how the work culture can become unbalanced, with employees sitting at desks without even talking a lunch break or allowing themselves any sense of space in the day. During the festival we offered trial meditation sessions in several organizations, which were well received, and we will be developing this into a wider programme of slow down activities for the workplace. Do contact us if you are interested in taking part.
Meanwhile, the Slow Down London website is becoming a hub for ongoing articles and ideas by a growing network of supporters. Over the next few weeks, you can catch up with words and images from the festival, ranging from reviews of the events to photogalleries and videos. If you took part in the festival and would like to contribute a blog or images, do get in touch.
In the longer term, the site is becoming a treasure trove of inspiration for slowing down in this big metropolis. Check out our favourite Tips for Slowing Down, London’s Best Slow Spots, Slow Cinematography, and Reflections of an Urban Rambler. Coming up soon we’ll be featuring advice on Going Slow on the Tube, a short film inspired by the joys of urban meditation, and a blog by a walker dedicated to revealing hiddens secrets of the city. Please contact us if you would like to contribute.
We would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out during the festival and over the months we’ve been developing it – this project has only been possible thanks to your generous donation of time, energy and commitment.
Will there be another Slow Down London festival next year? We are a small team run by volunteers, and we’ll need some breathing space to evaluate, so we won’t be rushing into a decision quite yet. But do sign up as a subscriber on our homepage and we’ll keep you posted with the latest news. Keep in touch and don’t forget to sloooooow down now and then!
Image by Jon Rees
May 12th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I am a huge supporter of Slow Down London. In fact, I think we would all be much happier if we just stopped competing. Which is what I’ve done recently, to mixed effect. http://www.vickyvictorious.wordpress.com