By VivaBella
Reprinted from the VivaBella blog.
I was recently offered the opportunity to speak with Lianne Bridges, founder of Designing Transformation and co-founder of the upcoming Awakening Festival which will be taking place on June 18th, 2011 in Hudson, Quebec. The Awakening Festival is a unique opportunity for those who are interested in living a more healthy, sustainable and meaningful life to come together and celebrate the unique beauty and vibrance that can be found in each and every one of us.
In speaking with Lianne I quickly realized that to truly appreciate the essence of this beautiful upcoming event I had just been invited to, I first needed to know more about Designing Transformation. Lianne founded Designing Transformation after the unfortunate loss of her husband to cancer as she felt it was important to do something she found meaningful and that would provide a change to the world for future generations, including a greener world for her kids to live in.
She had realized that she was surrounded by people she describes as “Social Artists” (which includes teachers, philosophers, innovators and healers) who use their energy, talents and passions to better our world; however, the one unfortunate dilemma consistent to all of them was that their talent and content was not always heard. She decided that what she could do to bring about change was to utilize her understanding and expertise of the latest online and offline marketing technologies to connect these Social Artists with their audiences and ensure that the valuable messages and lessons each possessed were heard.
Designing Transformation has now become that forum for those Social Artists to network with people who are seeking their talents. thus exposing them to the different paths of personal awakening which include art, music, meaningful work, prayer, fitness, nutrition, meditation, community and nature. In Lianne’s own words “Designing Transformation is a community created to help people awaken to their full potential – to a life of purpose, abundance, joy, wonder and awe.”
One short year ago, Lianne began to feel that while in today’s modern world we are all very much used to connecting online; however, there is much that can be said regarding the connections people forge when connecting offline and in person. It is from this idea that the Awakening Festival was developed as this event will physically bring people together who are interested in elements related to a healthier and more sustainable earth as well as the many different paths one can take towards personal awakening.
The Awakening Festival offers something for everyone:
- 14 acclaimed speakers from across North America
http://www.awakeningfestival.org/program/speakers/
- Holistic workshops on Creative and Spiritual Expression, Healthy and Sustainable Living, Community Engagement and Purpose-Centered Work http://www.awakeningfestival.org/program/workshops/
- Free Outdoor Marketplace to shop for wellness, green and fair trade products and services
http://www.awakeningfestival.org/program/outdoor-marketplace/vendors_exhibitors/
- Special Kids program http://www.awakeningfestival.org/program/kids-program/
The Awakening Festival is taking place in the picturesque town of Hudson, Quebec, nestled just a short drive outside of Montreal. There are 2 key reasons why the event organizers felt that Hudson was the ideal place to host an event such as this
- Hudson has a deep-rooted history of caring for the environment and bringing environmental awareness to the attention of many as it was the first site in North America to ever ban the use of lawn and garden pesticides. The ban took place on May 5th, 1991 after Dr. June Irwin was successful in convincing Hudson’s town councilors that their seemed to be a link between some of her patient’s skin problems and pesticides.The movement to ban the use of pesticides has now traveled across North America and one of the festival’s presenters has made a documentary movie on the happenings in Hudson and the struggle to ban pesticides in towns all across North America.
- Hudson has a large number of community artists with 20 of the 49 community organizations choosing to take part in the festival. This community is made up of a diverse array of groups ranging from interests in environmental care, palliative care, artists’ associations, garden clubs and more!
Net proceeds raised from the Awakening Festival are being donated to The Westwood Bridge to Burundi Project, a youth-led community initiative that supports education in the developing nation of Burundi.
When I asked why they chose this initiative out of the many to donate to Lianne disclosed that the event organizers felt it was a natural fit for them as not only does this community organization show activism and global citizenship, but no other community organization demonstrates the tenacity and ingenuity that Dr. June Irwin had when she pushed for the ban on pesticides. For more information regarding the Bridge to Burundi Project please see http://www.bridge-to-burundi.org/.
It comes as no surprise that Lianne and all of those volunteers who have worked endlessly to see Awakening Festival come to life look forward to hosting many similar events in the future.
I look forward to meeting you all along my path to awakening!
Awakening Festival
Sat Jun 18, 2011, Hudson, QC
Where: The Stephen F. Shaar Community Centre, Hudson (Montreal), Quebec
When: Saturday, June 18, 2011 (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Prices:
- Adult: $55 (all day conference); $30 (half day conference)
- Kids Program: $15 per child
Pre-order lunch (includes a chicken or veggie wrap, drink, healthy snack and dessert) for only $12.50 per person
http://www.designingtransformation.com/
