We will get together again!
A message from Francesca La Morgia
Director, Mother Tongues Festival
This year’s festival has been an eye opener, like every year. We never really stop learning, but I must say that this year was an emotional rollercoaster!
Every time I encounter a difficulty in any area I consider it a step towards a better understanding of myself and the people who surround me.
Making decisions and adapting on a regular basis, motivating others during difficult times, dealing with conflict without being able to physically show empathy has been hard… yet it was a blessing in disguise. When situations are hard we look harder at ourselves, we reconsider our values and maybe change things that we were reluctant to change before.
This year we realised that the mission of the festival is growing stronger, and now that so much has changed to each of us individually in the last year, we are even more motivated to see the festival grow as the hub for creative expression of people from all walks of life.
We did miss the main ingredient of the festival, the spontaneity of what happens when people come together in a room, look at each other in the eyes, exchange experiences, and by chance some magic will happen. Zoom is not a substitute for a warm smile or a welcoming gaze or gesture. We know that this year, again, in every virtual room we had at least one person who stepped outside of their comfort zone, trying a new dance, exploring philosophy, crafting something colourful, and we feel that again we have accomplished our mission of raising awareness of the importance of sharing culture(s) and use creativity to learn something new about one another.
The pandemic has definitely taken away some of the most unique ingredients of the festival, the spontaneity of the conversations we start when we share a common space, the smiles and sense of companionship when accomplishing something together… but it is not all lost! We forged many new relationships in Ireland and beyond, and working with Italy made us feel that distance is not what matters!
Our heart is full with the words of encouragement we have been receiving from the artists we worked with, our minds are spinning with new and exiting inspirations, and we want to thank everyone for sharing a little bit of their time with us.
While we wait for the next festival edition, you can still enjoy some of this year’s programme.