My dear mother always extolled the virtue of sharing. Primarily in a desperate bid to abate the incessant squawking of her squabbling cubs no doubt, but she had a very valid point, one that I have carried through to adulthood and one which now I as a parent impart upon my offspring.
The world has become too singularly focussed on wealth. We are driven by an urge to make more money, to pay for everything, to constantly be living in the shadow of the almighty dollar. But the reality is that we all have things to share, we all have skills that we can trade for goods or services and not everything needs to have a price.
Chris Mapstone and Kieran Weston have two very different skill sets. One is a Canadian kayak guide and musician, the other a former corporate businessman, now organic farmer. But the pair have come together with the same vision, an ethos of sharing their knowledge and expanding perspectives.
The inaugural Exchange Fest was a humble affair, a small collective coming together at Kieran’s One Organic farm in the Byron hinterland to plant the seed for future events and a more expansive way of thinking. Live music, yoga classes, raw food demonstrations and Kieran’s wealth of knowledge were offered freely, no charge, no condition. Those presenting these workshops and events received instead the knowledge of their peers, a bartering of information and experience.
“Kieran and I hit it off instantly,” says Chris of the project’s inception. “We have such similar ideas in terms of what we are looking to create in helping with change and growth. Obviously, he’s aligned more with the land and farming and I’m more with the arts and music. With the Exchange Fest, we want to bring them together with him running his workshops [on organic farming] and others bring their skills, whatever they may be, to the one place.”
Naked Treaties‘ Jemma Gawned presented a mini workshop, not only sharing the recipe of a mouthwatering raw chili chocolate jaffa mousse but also her wealth of knowledge on the benefits of a raw vegan diet. Geoff Brooks of Ananta Yoga laid down mats on the lush grassy hillside, offering a free yoga and meditation class. A patchwork of picnic blankets, expansive views of the rolling hinterland, superb music, tasty treats, superb company and a camp fire sing-song to end out the day. A pretty blissful way to spend an afternoon in anyone’s book.
But the message is far more than a fun day out and a few friends having a picnic.
“The Exchange Festival is an idea I’ve brought with me from Canada where I was doing similar things,” shares Chris. “The base concept is looking at the things that we do in our individual lives that allow us to move forward spiritually, emotionally and culturally, be it yoga and meditation, surfing, art, music, those things that give us joy, but also give us expansion, and bringing them together in one place. People come and play music having just received a yoga class or farming workshop, so there is an exchange of energy and the things that they can offer, rather than placing a monetary value on it. It’s much more a pure sense of giving without any expectations of what will be given back.”
This is of twofold benefit. Obviously, there is getting something for nothing, sharing your knowledge or abilities to in turn receive the skills of others. But it also encourages a unification of the community. It is so easy to fall into a specific clique or, to coin an all-too well used Byron term, a tribe. Through no intention or fault, these can risk becoming exclusive, but with an open forum such as the Exchange Fest, these walls dissolve, creating open dialogue and free-flowing sharing across a far more diverse range of topics and people.
“If you can bring these different groups together then it unites these tribes which spread and grow. I believe too that if we are able to do that more and more then the support for each other becomes greater, because suddenly we realise that there are more people out there feeling the same way and doing things in their own particular way, but all of a sudden it becomes united.”
Finally, when all these concepts, talents and lessons are brought together in the one place, without pretense or focus, everyone is free to simply share and experience.
“Each person that comes is equally as integral and equally honoured whoever it is and wherever they’re coming from,” says Chris in closing. “One of my teachers once said, ‘we talk about being The Great One, but you can only be one if it includes everyone’. I think that we understand that concept but we don’t necessarily put it into practice because we have judgements and separation with the different tribes or whatever.”
Money is a corrupting influence, a necessary evil that too often trips us up and denies us peace. But the concept of the Exchange Fest also shows us that money creates a divide. Take, for example, a yoga class. There is always the structure of teacher and student, a sense that you must get the very most out of the class and a certain reverence exists for the facilitator. Remove money from this equation and there is no longer a need to be there, no expectation, nothing demanding that you must tie yourself in knots for the next hour or be wasting your money. This allows you to simply experience at a fundamental level.
“It’s about taking away the pressure that is synonymous with financial exchange,” reflects Chris, Â “and allowing people to connect in a more community aspect. When you’re not exchanging money, it also takes away the concept of status. If you’re paying to go to see a yoga teacher or a band there’s a level of separation. This isn’t present at the Exchange Fest because there is no monetary exchange.”
The Exchange Fest is a concept greater than its realisation, reaching far beyond the field in which it takes place or the day on which it occurs. It overcomes division and empowers unity, showing us that, at the end of the day, we’re all in the same boat, so why not start paddling in the same direction.
