Volunteering at the Angel Art Festival.

July 14, caught a bus from Lisbon to Guarda. I was going to Domino Vale do Mondego, near Faia. This place was brought by a Dutch couple, Eelco and Karin. They organised the Angel Art Festival. Their Dutch friends and locals would come for a five-day festival. It celebrated the arts. I had found it online and then wrote to Karin to ask if she needed any volunteers. And she said I could come earlier too. It was once a neglected farm, and they had done great things.  Every evening all the guests and hosts would all eat together on one long yellow table.

I was staying in a tent, and doing a work exchange – 6 hours a day work, for free meals. Work was done in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to the river because it was too hot in my tent. I did different jobs, they made the most of my artistic talents and I painted signs and toilets! Also helping with serving food and setting the long outdoor dinner table in the evening.

Also had the job of painting the slide for the pool just before the festival. I didn’t have any days off. I just kept working. It was too hot in the tent to rest. It was better to be by the river! I gorged on the fresh fruit. I drank the pure water from the bore underneath their place. I swear my eyes changed colour. I loved filling my pockets up with cherries picked straight from the trees and walking down to the river.

I met a couple from Denmark, he was coming to do the dance residency for a performance during the festival. They took me to Guarda one day too.

Angel Art Festival

August 5th-9th, the Angel Art Festival took place. I volunteered doing different things during the festival, from working in kitchen and serving soup. Setting up tents, and painting astrology signs. I met many new friends, Carla, Timon, Maarten, Meta (many Dutch people). I took myself out of my comfort zone. I hosted two workshops. One was rock painting with the children. The other was painting for adults called ‘Don’t faint! Paint’ (referring to the heat). Two people came. It was the first workshop in art I have ever hosted.

I got roped in to part in the Shakespeare play too. Will Sutton was organising it. He does this event called Shakespeare Karaoke. It’s a thing he does in Amsterdam. It’s a way to get people involved and acting, even if they are not actors. As its all about participation. He insisted that I was in it. And be the Lion. I channelled my inner Lion, as I had to do a big ROAR. And Daniel too was roped in. I think it was A Midsummer Nights Dream. http://www.shakespearekaraoke.com

On the final day of the Festival, the people organising it invited me to the Sweat Lodge. The woman insisted that I should come. So I booked in. This was quite an experience. The lady also insisted that I should sit beside her in the centre circle (the hottest part).

August 13, Daniel came and picked me up with Carla. We all went to stay at his studio in Guarda, in the square. Monika came too.