This July more than 300 people will attend KindlingsFest, an annual summer festival designed to offer rest, relaxation and spiritual, intellectual and creative renewal on Orcas.
“One reason we do this is to benefit the island,” said Dick Staub, founder of the nonprofit, The Kindlings, which hosts the annual event. “We’re expecting 150-200 people from off-island. These people eat in restaurants, stay in B&Bs…”
Past KindlingsFests have drawn visitors from China, Bulgaria, England, and more than 20 states.
In Staub’s view, being fully human involves tapping into each person’s innate creativity, regardless of whether that means traditional visual art or something less obviously “artistic,” like creative mothering or gardening.
“God is creative and intelligent in spirit,” said Staub. “I think humans all have that capacity.”
His hope is that the festival will be an oasis where people can rekindle their spiritual, intellectual and creative energy. He says he finds Orcas to be “a wonderfully humanizing place.”
“The theme this year, ‘Turning Mourning into Dancing,’ was chosen because I think we’re at a kind of zeitgeist in our culture,” said Staub. “We’re facing the loss of a lot of things that have been important: economic, material … I sense a lot of people are in a state of loss. This is a time when people are feeling hopeless; there is nationwide depression, and it’s a spiritual depression too. We really want to help people process: how do they turn sorrow into joy, loss into hope? This is a celebration of hopefulness in the midst of tough times.”
The Kindlings have organized an impressive lineup of special guests.
World-class Storling Dance Theatre will perform works choreographed by Finnish prima ballerina Mona Storling-Enna. Seattle-based Karin Stevens Dance will also perform.
Morning lectures will include prominent C.S. Lewis scholar Jerry Root speaking on Lewis, grief and joy; and New York Times bestselling biographer Eric Metaxas presenting on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and William Wilberforce.
“Bonhoeffer wrote amazing things about community; he knew how to experience joy in the midst of pain,” said Staub. Wilberforce addressed societal pain and suffering caused by slavery and injustice.
Theologian-in-residence Dr. Jeff Keuss will present and lead discussion on three films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, including “Abraxis,” the story of a punk rocker turned Buddhist monk who decides 10 years later that he is still a punk rocker at heart. The films are open to the public and will be presented at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.
Singer-songwriter and author Michael Card will deliver morning devotions, with music from Windham Hill artist Jeff Johnson. UK arts advocate Nigel Goodwin, artist-in-residence Larry MacAdams and Orcas singer-songwriter Susan Osborn will offer performances scattered throughout the festival.
On Thursday at 2 p.m. Card, Metaxas, Root and Keuss will autograph their books at Darvill’s Bookstore; Thursday afternoon registrants will also enjoy an annual art walk through Eastsound stores and galleries.
Morning lectures are designed to stimulate meaningful dialogue, and the afternoons are left open so that folks are free to enjoy one another.
“Kindlings is a totally relational movement,” said Staub. “KindlingsFest is relationally driven, not event driven.”
The evening Kindlings Muse event will host vignettes with people who have experienced significant personal loss, followed by the Bag End Cafe where attendees are encouraged to share their poems, songs and various talents.
The festival runs from July 27-30, with most events held at the Orcas Island Community Church. Childcare will be available, and the KindlingsKids is a special program for kids 12 and under.
For more information, registration and scheduling, visit http://www.thekindlings.com/kindlingsfest/. Scholarships are available.
