Nov 15^th, 2012

Re: Future of Festival

I would like to begin by thanking each of you for your continued support and investment in the Creative World Festival over the past two years. We could not have put together such an amazing and challenging Festival without your willingness to come and participate, share, and contribute. You are what this Festival is all about and we hope that it has inspired you.

I am writing this letter to let you know that we have decided to cancel the upcoming 2013 Creative World Festival. We have arrived at this decision after lots of discussion, prayer, and discernment. Despite all the positive feedback and support from the CW community, we could not find a viable way to make the Festival happen this year. With financial challenges, personnel changes, and attention to God’s leading there did not seem to be any way forward. We are saddened by this reality but also hopeful that God will give birth to something else.

We recognize the great value of the Creative World Festival and the significance of hosting such an event on First Nations land. We also recognize the importance of creating a space to be challenged, inspired, and encouraged, as well as the need to engage people in a new way of living that reorients the margins and leads us to care for the poor. We are hopeful that the Festival will resume in the years to come or even take on a totally different role in furthering this conversation.

As many of you know, Servants has been the backbone of the Creative World Festival over the last two years. They have served on our management team, provided financial support, and volunteered in every area.  We literally could not have pulled this off without them. This year we incurred a loss of $3000 that Servants has had to cover.  Although we appreciate their willingness to do this, we would like to raise that money and pay them back. Please consider supporting the Festival in this way. If each one of us gave as little as $15, we would have more than enough to repay them.  If you are interested in making a contribution please contact anna[at]servantsasia.org.

Finally, for those of you who are still interested in getting involved in local justice issues, I would like to encourage you to get involved with upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Commission event in fall of 2013. We will post more information on our Facebook page so you can find out how to participate. This would be a great way to carry on the vision of the Festival.

Thanks and blessings,

Jonathan Livingstone

Managing Director, Creative World Festival