The term ‘global village’ still gets tossed around to convey the reach and sensibility of the web, but we shouldn’t forget about the ‘local village’ either.
Some things you just can’t get from a screen or a headset. Like the excitement of performers in the flesh, so close you can touch them, making magic happen.
That’s what The Village is about.
The concept is a deceptively simple one – as the best concepts are. The Village brings a bunch of tents, caravans, puppet booths, caravans and more to a local park, providing venues for a spectacular range of professional and amateur performers.
Actors, musicians, acrobats, puppeteers, clowns and comedians provide an ongoing series of performances between five and 30 minutes long over the course of several days.
It’s a carnival atmosphere, with food stalls, a bar and a cafe to provide physical sustenance while the various acts entertain and provoke.
The organisers note: The Village is an act of optimism in a cynical world. Our intention is to have artists and community members leave The Village with a strong sense of the essential goodness of people. We also strongly believe in the community building power of people seeing their own stories reflected back to them in the art that they see.
Their website gives more detail, including where to catch The Village in all its glory. It seems to travel pretty widely within Victoria, with the next one set for 22-26 November in North Fitzroy, Melbourne.