FEAST: coming to an outdoor screen near you…

I don’t really have time for this. I have worrying to do and weather forecasts to check. BBC says Edinburgh will be fine, warmish and might even manage a little sun. MetOffice shows a big grey cloud over the city. I think I’ll go with the BBC, much better for our outdoor FEAST.

The sun shone on Castle Street when FOUND went to investigate the space: let’s hope it does today!

In just two hours I shall be doing my roadie bit, helping to shift gear (woks, gongs, gazebos, loud speakers and a few hundred flyers) up to Castle Street for the first street event I have been involved in organising. I love the creative energy of FOUND and Kimho and I am really impressed that Edinburgh City Centre Management and Scottish Enterprise and Good Practice were prepared to back an experimental event that doesn’t fit easily into any category. (Donald Reid of The List put us on the spot when he asked whether he should describe it as film, music or street theatre).

If all goes well – that is if we get good weather and an enthusiastic crowd – I hope FEAST can show how much more welcoming the city’s public spaces could be, and how there is room for both art and commerce in the city centre, and the more experimental, innovative and risk-taking it is, the better.

Of course there’s no shortage of street life during the festival but for the rest of the year the capital is much less lively – compared with cities like Prague, Berlin, Barcelona…so it’s probably just as well there isn’t any more time because I would now launch into one of my rants about cars taking space where people should be (incredibly police have been moving stallholders and street performers off the Mound while they allow cars and vans to park all over the pedestrian space in Castle Street). But not today! Make way for the FEAST!

But, first, thanks to Rob and Michelle and Nick among bloggers to spread the word! When I have more time I would like to follow Michelle’s link to the Urban Screens conference in Manchester, exploring the non-commercial potential for projecting images onto all kinds of screens and buildings in the city centre. Funnily enough FEAST is going to be doing just that so we’re happy to be in The List under ‘film’.