Bodykind Festival
As the world's first ever festival of Body Acceptance, the ‘Bodykind Festival’ is creating a huge amount of excitement amongst people of all backgrounds across the UK. Speakers and attendees alike are buzzing with anticipation.
Dinah Gibbons, the Festival’s Creative Director is bringing her energy and enthusiasm to the not for profit project and has said “My background in midwifery highlighted the widespread unease with the body, even at a time when it had performed miracles!” Dinah went on to say, “In a photo-shopped world of (not always acknowledged) self-loathing and shame, the body has 'become a place to work on, rather than from' (Orbach 2010). My aim by organising this festival is to say to everybody, we can accept the skin we are in. The Bodykind festival is all about looking at ways we can feel more comfortable with who we are”.
Momentum has been gathering since the seed of the idea emerged back in April. Tickets are now selling fast via their website: Bodykindfestival.com
There is a fantastic array of speakers, artists and performers all coming together on a voluntary basis for the innovative weekend offering: workshops, performances, art and talks on subjects such as body dysmorphia and other key issues. In addition, there are a number of other events such as curvy yoga and there will be people sharing their insights and stories about how they live fulfilling lives and inspire others with what some may see as illness or disability. For example: people such as Harnaam Kaur (also known as 'the bearded dame'), Bodyposipanda and Chris Paradox (a one-legged beat poet).
Spreading the message of body acceptance is key to this unique event. There has been international recognition with support from across the globe and the local community in Totnes have really got behind the organisers, by showing incredible enthusiasm and generosity.
To discover more about the event, the artists performing and how this incredible festival will address prejudice on issues such as; size, age, sexuality, colour, disability and gender please contact the Festival Director Dinah Gibbons via email: hello@bodykindfestival.com
Photo credit: Harnaam Kaur
