What Underpins Earth Beat? The 5 Values That Light Us Up
Want to celebrate, party and dance in alignment with what you believe in? Us too! Here, we discuss the five values that underpin Earth Beat Festival.
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There’s no shortage of festivals in Aotearoa, New Zealand . From mellow moments by the ocean to deafening beats in forests, there are music and arts celebrations for everyone.
With so many choices, picking the right festival for you isn’t so simple. But you’ve landed on Earth Beat Festival for a reason; we’re not just a space to let go, to let loose, to party and to dance. While we do love a good time – we’re a festival! – our values are the starting point for everything we do. They’re our ‘why’ and the passion that pulses through our moving, grooving bodies.
“True well-being is our birthright. It happens when we harmonise our individual dance of life to the beat of the Earth
In addition to our values, it’s vital to understand that at Earth Beat, we don’t see humanity as separate to nature. All of what we stand for considers the health and well-being of the Earth, and with it, all beings on earth.
We recognise that Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) is a living entity, and acknowledge that humans are just a small part of an infinite ecosystem.
Here, we’ll be deep diving into the kaupapa of Earth Beat Festival, and why your participation and celebration matters.
What Is The Purpose Of Earth Beat Festival?
We didn’t just create a festival for the sake of it. As we mentioned, there’s plenty of festivals in Aotearoa to choose from! So why did we decide to open Earth Beat’s doors in 2015?
Well firstly, we wanted a conscious, purpose-led space to align with the energy of the Earth. The best way that we can do this – to allow free thought and freedom of expression – is to be independent and not-for-profit.
All the proceeds from Earth Beat are used towards our community and to regenerate the land we live on. To read more about our not-for-profit status and the range of incredible projects we’ve been involved in, head here .
Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua — Care for the land, care for the people, go forward.
The 5 Values That Underpin Our Festival & Inform Our Culture
At Earth Beat we’re committed to our values and approach each one of them through transparency and a constant dedication to improvement.
1. Display Care & Love – For Yourself & Others With the invention of the digital world, we too easily become faceless strangers existing online, stating whatever we please without tone, facial expressions or human-to-human connection.
Earth Beat allows us to reconnect with ourselves and connect with each other. By existing outside of the space of cancel culture, internet drama and trolling, we can rediscover a gentle, loving connection with our humanity.
At Earth Beat, we try to:
Never use our words against ourselves or others
2. Be Accountable & Courageous At Earth Beat, there is no need to recoil from mistakes or shy away from our innermost truths.
At our festival, we invite you to be radically clear and transparent. As much as you are able, speak openly and accept accountability for your words and actions.
We also request that we revisit the topic to seek clarity and ask questions wherever assumptions are made or conclusions are drawn. When we assume without the full truth, we act from a place of judgement rather than acceptance and compassion.
Be courageous with your views, but be mindful that you don’t dump your truths on others. Respect everyone’s energy, and in turn, ask for your energy to be respected.
3. Practice Oneness & Wairua There is interconnectivity and reciprocity between all living beings and systems.
Whakarongo ki a Papatūānuku. The Earth is alive and she is working with us. If we invest in our own wairua and balance this with respecting the wairua of our planet, we can tread more lightly than those before us.
To care for all individuals and the energy and life force of this Earth, we practice a ‘leave no trace’ policy. We do not litter and we do not disrespect the delicate balance of the ecosystem. To protect Ātiu Creek – the site of Earth Beat – we aspire to be zero waste.
We all have shadows and hold darkness. At Earth Beat, we also encourage you to invite in the light. To give yourself permission to feel joy, absorb positivity and respect the energy of others.
Our festival is an act of co-creation. We aim to bring a multitude of souls together to create a new framework for peace and harmonious existence. For the benefit of us, all beings, and the Earth.
From a small smile with a friend to hugging a stranger or dancing in full-scale ecstasy and release, all conscious and unconscious acts of positivity help the mission of our festival thrive.
To nourish Earth Beat’s transformational, mass vibration, we must all look for ways to exist in unity and heal and grow through joy.
5. Invite Inclusivity & Treat Everyone As Whānau In our work and in our living,
By Audre Lorde
It’s inevitable that at Earth Beat, you’ll meet individuals who are different to you. Whether they’re intrinsically different, have different opinions or are superficially different, it’s important to remember that at Earth Beat, we value inclusivity.
As the above words by Audre Lorde highlight, our differences are what make us beautiful and complex. At Earth Beat, our humanity unites us.
Recognise that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for division and destruction.
Earth Beat is for everyone—We are human before gender, race, physical ability, religion, ideology, income, etc. First and foremost, it is our human-ness that unites us.
Finally: A Poem To Peacefully Guide You Through Earth Beat
This quote gives us hope on days when the world is too chaotic. It tells the truth that harmonising with the Earth and moving in rhythm with nature is really all we need.
When despair for the world grows in me
– By Wendell Berry
