Excitement!

It travels through my ears and triggers a faster beat in my heart...

I jump up and down inside, my thoughts, emotions and every molecule of my body breaks out in song and dance...

It is the idea

the philosophy

the inkling of the thought...

**Afrika Burn 2011**

What is Afrika Burn?

It is an amazing philosophy that involves the idea of community and is based on the idea of the Burning Man in other countries such as the USA, Nevada.

It is community

It is participation

It is art

It is acceptance

It is gifting

It is self-expression

It is emancipation

It is all of these things and more.



Basically, I look forward to this 'festival' with all the bones in my body. It is going to be amazing! Possibly the best aspect is the idea of living without currency. The only thing that is for sale is ice.

The other really brilliant thing about it is that it is a visual feast. The imagery there is so surreal and beautiful and is made by artists and non-artists alike. The point is that everybody is an artist and everybody participates. There is no spectating. The art cars are also a really creative addition to the festival. People really just let their imaginations run wild.

My favourites last year were the two pink bunny slippers. Unfortunately I don't have pictures but just, for a moment, imagine two large pink bunny slippers roaming around the desert with someone inside that is driving them. This sort of imagery is something one should expect and the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere makes it even more surreal.

Night-time brings burning and an array of music and dancing. Fire dancers and flame throwers surround the fire and there is a general sense of festivity and, for many, a much deeper sense of enrichment. There is something about the beauty of flames that one can not escape and there is a definite sense of spirituality and the metaphor of 'letting-go' (for me, anyway).

This post can not begin to explain the aura surrounding a festival like this. Everywhere you look it's just creativity and a sense of freedom and moreover, a huge sense of community because, once again, a core theme is acceptance. I went last year and will be going again this year in April/May. I will let you know how it goes. I'm sure it won't disappoint!

These are images of Afrika Burn 2010:

    

    
To find out more about the philosophy surrounding Afrika Burn, visit the website.

*Burning love*

  Heart (aka, Flameheart)

P.S: In the beginning... I mentioned this post might appear... and I mentioned what else might appear too. You can have a look if you want. It kinda shows where this blog has its roots.