Electric Picnic 2014 | 18 | Global Green

By Niamh Mongey Last updated Jan 19, 2015

We all have things we look forward to at music festivals, for most it’s all about the music, for others the art and culture; some just want to soak up the atmosphere and prance around in a sea of glitter. Whatever our preference, we go to Electric Picnic to have an adventure and to make new stories. The stories you tell people about constantly, stories that make you happy. This year there is one particular story tucked away at the edge of the forest. Global Green, the conscious hub of the festival is a local food project and a story about community and resilience. Global Green is a new adventure, a collaboration of simple ideas by creative thinkers who will showcase alternative ways of learning and living.

Of course not all of us want to be reminded about challenges we face now, especially not at a festival. Therefore the whole concept behind the space at Electric Picnic is to remind us all how lovely it is to live on this planet and how straight forward and accessible these ideas can be. Davie Philips is coordinating Global Green this year and says the most important thing is to start a conversation about change but to do it in a fun and accessible way, to tell a story about food, people and community.

‘We are trying to communicate a message at a music festival, a challenge for us has been to make this palatable, to make it engaging and to have conversations about serious things in a non-serious way’.

The whole concept comes from a food initiative based in the Lough Derg region in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary (cultivate.ie). Global Green will serve food grown by from the ecovillage there. This will include vegetables from their own farms, freshly baked breads and meat and oils produced within a 50 mile radius from their locality.

The ‘Rethink tank’ will host discussions from a selection of dedicated food activists and entrepreneurs who are committed to growing organic, self-sustaining communities ‘We are trying to show the complete full circle in terms of the story of food’.

Brothers Fergal and Kevin Smith, surfers and food activists, will talk about their short film series ‘Growing’ at the Rethink Tank and will talk about their inspiring plans and projects for the future.

Music from the Global Green’s little stage will play throughout the day and into the night. Most of the acts are breaking through, and the organisers are very excited for their line up. Hozier is just one of acts who came from their little stage a few years ago and they anticipate similar acclaim for the great artists who will perform there this year. There will also be a space to upcycle your wellies or shades and if you have or indeed find a stray baby, you can leave him in the cookery crèche and hope he makes you something delicious to eat for lunch.

‘We need to strengthen our relationships. We need to be growing more of our own food in order to challenge the future’. The whole point is to make the experience fun and interesting and to invite people into a space where they can eat wonderful things and be surrounded by conversations about food and people. We often forget our own potential but with a small amount of effort we can create waves of change and we can tell our own stories about food. Global Green has embarked on an adventure this year, to remind us how resilient we can be, even at music festivals.