Wow, we did it! I knew we had achieved our goals when I looked around the room and felt the energy radiating from all the participants. When I looked out into the mareketplace and felt the vibe of the music and watched the kids running about squealing and laughing, I knew we had achieved what we had set out to do…to create an unforgettable experience full of love, wisdom, creative expression and joy to unite and inspire a community toward positive transformation and purpose.

Thanks too all those who made the day possible…and there were so many!

I think the greatest satisfaction came from watching the evolution of those who were reluctant to come, but who decided to check things out none the less. When I saw their reactions of awe and the new understanding in their eyes, I felt we had done something important!

Some Key Results – Everyone’s Gifts Shone!

• 500 participants
• Over $2500 raised for Westwood Bridge to Burundi project
• Over $600 raised for Grannies Aid for Africa
• 14 Acclaimed speakers
• 21 Community organizations collaborating
• 45 Exhibitors selling hundreds of green, wellness and fair-trade products and services
• 15 performers of all ages took to the stages inside the conference centre and outside in the marketplace and even in the woods (Sounds of Nature)
• Dozens of kids learning yoga, creative expression, empowerment, community leadership and communing with nature
• Over 40 volunteers donated their time and energy
• Word of mouth referrals through thousands of blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Follows, Likes, Shares and Tweets
• Awareness created through thousands of media impressions across dozens of online and offline media outlets

This is what the people had to say about the Festival…

“It was, in at least a decade of retrospection, one of the most amazing events in terms of tenor, aim and ambiance that I’ve attended.” Speaker, Paul Tukey

“How wonderful was that? The ambiance could be seen and felt all day! You did a marvellous job!!”

“Your team did a WoW job….from the moment I walked into that wonderful calming space that was created in the Community Centre to Paul Tukey’s talk to the sight of that fabulous remarkable original priestess June Irwin to yoga in the open air with Heleen, I felt you had created something with legs.”

“I must say that I have never experienced something as unique as The Awakening Festival. I did not expect to find such a dynamic and all-inclusive experience as this…the combination of young local talent and established teachers of awareness (the speakers), grass-roots movements for saving the planet combined with political leaders who have fostered change, and finally the opportunity to learn new methods for growth while my children do too…..I have found this festival to be a great personal milestone: a positive path has been traced for me to teach my children self-esteem,and for me to re-establish myself as a free-er human being.”

“Kudos to all!!  I felt like I had been invited into an intimate community gathering and felt very privileged for being there…all the way from Ottawa!!”

“That was an exceptional undertaking that most people could not dream of bringing to fruition. Bravo!”

“I had a wonder-filled day…and all of life was there supporting with perfect weather!”

“WOW, I’m still trying to regroup from all the energy yesterday, awesome festival, congratulations to you and your team.”

“I truly enjoyed the full day – it was so informative and inspiring. I met so many wonderful people…a job well done by all.”

“Thank you so much for such an amazing weekend.  We just loved it.” Speaker, Ted Carter

“A fabulous Awakening Festival!  I enjoyed the entire experience and met some wonderful people.”

“What a great group of kids! It is amazing to witness the lightbulbs going on as each one voiced the unlimited potential within!”

“WOW !!!!!  It was really impressive. It was #1. You guys are pros.”

“I really enjoyed the Awakening Festival. Congratulations!”

“The community center looked beautiful. The ideas for the children’s program looked great.”

“I thought the Awakening Festival was FIRST CLASS.”

“Thankyou for the wonderful day in Hudson on Saturday. We enjoyed it so much.  I learnt alot, laughed alot and enjoyed alot!”

“Congratulations on a wonderful festival.  I was a little groggy from the driving to Ottawa and then Hudson, but I got right into the spirit of things when I heard the wonderful singer open the event.”

“I wanted to personally thank you for undertaking the Awakening Festival.  It was wonderfully executed!!”

“I really liked the feel and ambience around the festival and all the positive comments I heard while walking around.”

“Excellent speakers.  I especially liked hearing from the man on a mission from Maine who wants to outlaw pesticides in the US, the 16 year old student and the Stephen the former monk.  All the speakers added something special though. The afternoon events were a change of pace and I’m so glad I had an hour of yoga before my drive back.”

At St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Father Roland Demers has served for over 40 years in the priesthood, twenty of them in Hudson. While churches and the Catholic faith may be in trouble elsewhere, St. Thomas is often full of parishioners come to hear Father Demers preaching relevance and seeming to address each parishioner personally. According to parishioners, it is his leadership which makes the church ameeting place for English and French, adults and young people and which makes everyone feel welcome.

St. Thomas is providing locations for the Awakening Festival workshops to take place.

Address: 413 Main Rd, Hudson, Quebec, CA, J0P 1H0

Telephone: 450-458-5322

As Kneaded are donating baked goods at the Festival to help raise money for Westwood Bridge to Burundi.

Pleases use this link to request our help: http://bit.ly/iIcE0E

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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

1. 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.
2. 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/

www.awakeningfestival.org

Today, Ryan Young from the Montreal environmental radio show Ecolibrium (FM 90.3) graciously invited us to his studio to discuss the Awakening Festival.

Click to Listen to interviews with co-founder, Lianne Bridges, Keynote speaker, Paul Tukey, and workshop leader, Corry Robertson.