Buddhafield Festival 2015

Buddhafield Festival takes place from Wednesday 15th until Sunday 19th July 2015 at Culmhead near Taunton in Somerset, exploring this year's theme, 'Awakened Awareness'.

The Buddhafield Festival welcomes an intimate gathering of up to 3,000 beautiful beings, a joyful and unique blend of community, song, dance, arts and crafts, yoga, Buddhism, wholesome food and wholesome living. The Festival is a drink and drugs free environment that conduces to people from all traditions coming together in a mindful and family friendly space, allowing hearts to open and children to roam free and inspired.

Line-up

Bands, DJs and performers line-up to be confirmed. Live music often covers a wide range of tastes from folk, Ska, Bollywood, Irish Folk, African drumming, Reggae and Gypsy plus a varied mix of DJs each night in the Dance Space.

Tickets

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The ticket price includes camping, access to as many workshops as you can cram in, all kids' activities and entertainment. Tickets are priced at £132 for adults over 17 years, a Concession (students, those on benefits) ticket is priced at £95, a Teen (aged 13-16 years) ticket is priced at £60, a child (aged 3-12 years) ticket is priced at £20, and baby (0-2 years) can attend for free. A car pass (including carbon tax) is priced at £25, and a live in vehicle pass (including carbon Tax) is priced at £30. The carbon tax helps plant trees on some of Buddhafield's 50 acres of land, and pay for the hire of the field.

Workshops

Be inspired, and informed by hundreds of life changing workshops, in 18 independent spaces and venues, including 12 different forms of dance, for nearly 12 hours a day. There are workshops and talks for everyone: Ecstatic Dance, 5 Rhythms Dancing, Shamanic Journeying, Mindful and Non Violent Communication, Yoga, Chi Gung, Games, Singing with 300 others, Drumming, Writing, Theatre and Improvisation, Permaculture Design, Wild Food and Plant Walks, Help with Being a Parent, How to Set up a Co-op and a whole lot more to be confirmed.

Stages

There are at least 3 stages this year, including Small World, Lost Horizons and Padma Pancakes. The Permaculture and Social Change Garden also run a cinema and acoustic night every evening. There is much sponataneous singing and acoustic music in the cafes throughout the day and night, especially in Pachamama's Tipee with beautiful Bhajans around the fire. At 11 o'clock, the sound systems quieten down for the children, but things get cosy, especially in Small World, with their charcoal braziers which keep you warm into the morning light.

Independent Spaces

A host of independent spaces run daily programmes of potentially life-changing talks and workshops, including Green Crafts, Permaculture, Social Change, Kids and Teens, Women's, Men's, LGBT, 12 Step, The Vegan Vihara, and Stoneage Oven. Hopefully we will also have a Sweat Lodge this year.

Dharma Parlour

Buddhist speakers from various traditions give talks and debate throughout the festival in 2 large venues offering thoughts on ethical living, wisdom, beauty, social and environmental engagement and many other current topics. Large scale rituals also explore teachings with a particular focus on our theme, 'Fire in the Heart'. There are also daily mindfulness workshops for parents and children.

Kids area

Majical Youth have run the kids area amazingly for the last 18 years. There are a wealth of activities throughout the day, including face painting, bush craft, music making and circus skills workshops, with climbing frames, mobile climbing wall, ropes, swing boats, merry go round, and trampolines, along with plays, parades and spontaneous antics every evening.

Meditation and Healing Garden

Buddhafield supports over 70 different healing practitioners, at the heart of which is a lovingly created healing garden. There is a 24 hour meditation space, with meditation teaching and hundreds of yoga classes, from 9 different schools, throughout the day.

Not For Profit Stalls

Expect The Amida Trust, Network of Engaged Buddhists, Viva, The Vegan Foundation, and Radical Routes, and new this year The Big Issue. More to be confirmed soon.

Ethos

Buddhafield values harmony and transformation in ourselves and the world around us, along with creating a uniquely creative and inclusive atmosphere or forum where anything's possible.

The Buddhafield festival raises funds to support the Buddhafield charity which not only runs an annual festival, but also outdoor Buddhist retreats, an award winning vegan cafe that tours the festival circuit, and maintains 50 acres of land, all of which is made possible by hundreds of hands of generosity.

Green Credentials:

All aspects of Buddhafield aim to tread as lightly on the earth as possible, so everything is powered entirely by renewable energy, from the wind, sun, biodiesel or wood fired hot water systems, (save the gas for cooking in the cafes).

Getting there:

Buddhafield would love their festival goers to be as creative as possible with their travel, and use public transport, or the Freewheelers website which helps travellers offer or share lifts. Alternatively, festival goers could cycle as some hardy folk did last year.

Buddhafield aims to provides a half hourly pick up service from Taunton Railway station throughout the busiest periods of the festival.

Camping

There is ample space for camping, and live in vehicles, with a Family Camping Area, close to the car park. They offer a spacious quiet camping area, away from the hustle and bustle, along with women-only camping in the Women's Area.

Facilities on site

Taunton's local wholefood store 'Sunseed' provides all that you could need on site.

We have wood fired showers, and a number of saunas, including Rupadarshin's much loved Waterworld, and compost toilets.

There will be a birthing and family centred space offering safe, well-being advice to all women, mothers and fathers. The Women's Space runs a communal dome, fire and women-only workshops, with daily yoga classes for children.

Recycling

Organisers ask festival goers to think carefully about what they bring to the festival, especially non-compostable nappies or other non reclyclable waste. There are full recycling facilities on site.

Dogs

No dogs on site.

More information will be here when available.

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