About the Festival
The first Kinderland Arts & Activism Festival benefiting Camp Kinderland will take place in Tolland, Massachusetts over Labor Day weekend, September 3 to 5, 2016. The festival’s mission is artistic collaboration for social justice, and it will bring together musicians, artists, and dancers, with activists and organizers for a celebration of art as an agent of peace.
Come for the day on Saturday or Sunday, or come for both days! Stay the weekend with us – tent camping and shared-cabin stays are available! Children 17 and under get free day-tickets for Saturday and Sunday! Tickets go on sale on April 4!
Camp Kinderland is a multicultural summer camp and community that honors our progressive secular Jewish roots through our commitment to economic, racial, and social justice. Kinderland’s summer programming and year around activities integrate progressive values with arts, recreation, and activism in a compassionate and caring environment. Our mission, combined with our beautiful campground in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, provides a natural setting for a family-friendly festival celebrating the crossroads of artistic expression and progressive activism.
Music is the backbone of Camp Kinderland’s summer programming. The songs we sing at camp follow us through life; our values and dedication to social causes reflect the lyrics of the folk songs and international protest songs we sang around the campfire. Music from around the world with a focus on progressive values will make up the foundation of the festival.
The festival will also host other forms of artistic expression, from the visual arts, including but not limited to painting, drawing, sculpting, jewelry, and weaving, to drama, comedy, and dance. Artists are invited to exhibit and sell their art, put on performances, share information about upcoming shows, and offer classes and workshops for adults and children.
Activism and social justice are also essential components of the festival. While the music and arts bring people together to celebrate common values, providing access to organizers in the nonprofit world enables the event to produce agents for change, networking opportunities for change-makers, and the tools and resources necessary to make a social impact. Nonprofit organizations and social justice communities are invited to distribute information, host networking hours, offer organizing workshops, and make announcements throughout the festival.
This festival is an opportunity for Camp Kinderland to give back to the local businesses that have faithfully served us. We will invite local vendors to sell food and beverages, and provide needed services during the festival. This will raise the visibility of these businesses, and forge a stronger bond between Camp Kinderland and our neighboring businesses. The festival will be Zero-Waste including recycling, compost, and waste receptacles, compost-able paper goods, and food waste collection for livestock feed in an effort to do our part to be environmentally sustainable and to educate others about its benefits for our planet.