It was a long winter, in a world too long at war, in a
nation lacking leaders. Those of us who hibernated in
a city of puritans saw insult added to injury. Here
youth and joy must end early in the night. Here the
unexpected is stared at, feared, and blown up by men
in black suits. They have entered our favorite hiding
places and taken our friends, libeled them, condemned
them for smiling back at their absurdity.

But the snow has melted and new green peeks up from
the mud. Our blood is warming with that
oh-so-familiar energy that allows us to carry the
heaviest things to the furthest places in our frenzy
to create and be free. Soon we will return to our own
village.

There the strange is welcomed. There art is free,
with no one to impress but friends. There joy can
last all night and all day and all night and even some
of the next morning. There cooperation is the only
power. There the only object that needs to be blown
up is the explosive-packed butt of a giant wooden Bug.

The Bug hereby calls upon the artists of Boston to
assemble in the woods and RE-AFFIRM OUR RIGHT TO GLOW.
It further calls upon artists from all other lands to
join us, inspire us, dress our wounds and blow our
minds.

In its fifth year the Bug is hungry and demands art.
It needs dancing, spinning, playing, singing,
painting, drawing, sculpting, writing, speaking,
screaming, beating, strumming, humming, breathing,
building, teaching, mixing, shooting, projecting, and
silk-rigged flight.

Now you might ask the Bug, didn’t you demand these
things last year, and didn’t you give us a hard time
getting them to you? And it might say that this year
we’ll be smarter, or luckier. And it might point out
that nature at her bitchiest is still a better boss
than any we’ve met in the city. But whether you buy
that or not, know that even if the Bug rejects all our
gifts, we will blow it up, and the fire that results
will warm us up enough to make it through the next
long winter.

_________________

Please forward to someone whose art makes you happy:

_________________

Firefly is a community of some of the most creative
people in New England and beyond. Each year we come
together to be inspired by the woods and by each
other. Making and sharing art is central to our
collective vision.

If you are an experienced artist, we would love for
you and your work to join us. If you are just
beginning to explore your creativity, Firefly is an
ideal environment in which to experiment. Here the
strange is welcomed, and art does not need to make
money to be valuable or impress anyone to find a home
and an open-minded audience.

Creating art for Firefly is one of the best ways to
participate.

INSTALLATION
Firefly creates a unique relationship between the
natural and the artificial. Some of our favorite
memories are of works of art placed in special natural
environments where they suddenly seem to belong. In
past years Firefly explorers have come across a rose
garden in the woods, a glowing galaxy in the meadow,
disco balls hung from trees, and a winged frog sitting
above a brook. We would love to see more sculpture and
installation art, and we have plenty of space for it.

PERFORMANCE
DJ's, bands, and performers of all types are essential
to Firefly. The festival is full of opportunities for
jamming and imporvised performance. Scheduled
performances with amplified sound are also possible
when a performer collaborates with a camp that is able
to provide a sound system. If you are a performer, you
can turn your camp into your ideal venue, or use the
discussion lists to find another camp to host you.

FIRE
Fireflies love fire performance and all types of fire
art. These things happen in designated areas with
respect for safety, of course. For more information
write to fire@fireflyartscollective.org.

DANCE
For many insects, dancing is an important form of
communication. For many humans, it is a reason to
exist. Come dance with us.

VIDEO
VJ art and video screenings are also an important part
of Firefly. In the past theme camps have provided
projectors and screens. If you have something to show,
use the discussion lists to find a camp that would
like to screen it.

GLOWING
Of course Fireflies' favorite activity of all is
glowing. At night our village lights up with lasers,
LED's, EL wire, glow sticks, and blacklight painting.
Glowing art is always welcome.

COSTUME
This is your opportunity to dress how you feel, or
become a character from your own mythology.

CAMPING
You need a home at Firefly, and your home can be your
art, or a home for your friends' art. For more info
see
www.fireflyartscollective.org/tik....php
.

GIFTS
Firefly is a gift economy-- you may want to make
something special to share. Gifts of food and drink
are always appreciated.

WHATEVER
If you make art that does not fit into any of the
categories on this page, we'd especially like to
experience it.

SPACE
Your creativity can turn a clearing in the woods into
a perfect place for meditation, ritual, dancing,
performance, chilling, teaching, or partying. Wide,
flat, open spaces are rare at Firefly. However, if you
design your project to fit among the trees, you will
have many beautiful sites from which to choose. There
is no official system for assigning or reserving
sites. As long as you show respect for your neighbors,
your project can go wherever you choose.

POWER
Electricity is available in limited areas. If your
project requires it, write to
dpw@fireflyartscollective.org, or use the discussion
lists to find a camp with a generator.

PLANNING
Firefly is a Leave No Trace event. This means your
project should be planned to have minimal impact on
the land, and you will be expected to remove it
entirely at the end of the event. Often nature puts
Firefly to the test with rain, mud, and cold. Don't
let this scare you, but be prepared for an adventure.
Shuttles are generally available to move supplies from
the parking area to the event and back, but shuttle
service can be interrupted by unforeseen
circumstances. If your site does not happen to be near
the main road, you may need to move your gear quite a
ways on foot. If you're new to Firefly and you're
planning something big, use the discussion lists to
network with experienced Firefly artists and learn
what to expect.

GRANTS
Firefly is proud to offer small grants for some art
projects. For more information, see the Grants page.

HEAD-STARTS
If you would like to start setting up your project
before the event, you are welcome to join us for the
Work Weekends. We ask that you and your crew also
devote some time to infrastructure projects that are
necessary to the entire event. When planning, remember
that gear you bring in over several days may be
difficult to remove in one day at the end of the
festival.

CONTACT
You don't need permission to bring your art to
Firefly, but if you're planning something, we'd love
to hear from you. Send a brief description of your
project to art@fireflyartscollective.org and we can
add it to the web site. Also feel free to write to
that address with any questions for Firefly planners.

POSSIBILITY
Anything is possible at Firefly with collaboration
between participants. If you have an idea but need
volunteers, advice, or resources to make it happen,
posting to the Discussion Lists and Tribe is the best
way to find them.

www.fireflyartsollective.org
chaoshacker.org/mailman/li...ireflyblink
art@fireflyartscollective.org