Learn about E.F. Schumacher, the man, at the ‘Small is…’ Festival
The Small is… Festival is set to receive some pretty important guests this year. The event is a celebration and exploration of Practical Action’s founder, E.F Schumacher’s book Small is… Beautiful and what it means today. However, the presence of members of his family, in-its-self will be something to celebrate. Not least for the reason that the event will bring together Verena Schumacher and Chris Eldon Lee on stage for a full-length conversation about E. F Schumacher, the man and his message.
Earlier this year was the first time these two came together to talk about the author of Small is… Beautiful. This is what Verena, “Fritz” Schumacher’s wife, had to say about her late husband;
“He was quietly humorous. There was a gentleness about him. He could make everybody around him comfortable, from a servant to a King. He had this way of being smiley, gentle and encouraging and never judgemental. But when he died, people called him an old testament prophet and that’s quite true. He could stand to one side and say, “unwelcome as this message is, unless we mend our ways, we’re going to be in serious trouble.” I’d not come across a person like him before….”.
It will be an extremely special opportunity to find out about Fritz Schumacher, the man, not just E.F Schumacher the philosopher and economist. This being his centenary year, it feels like a fitting way to pay tribute to Practical Action’s founder.
Don’t miss what is going to be a wonderful event! Get your tickets here…
No Comments » | Add your commentSmall was…
Small was… the first weekend of September for the second year in a row, and I was really pleased with how it went.
The festival just seemed to have evolved in a really good way from last year’s experiment, with more exhibitors, more participants (over 500 across the weekend), more debates, more workshop areas (now expanded to the Orchard as well), and more camping areas - but still I think a very friendly and interactive feeling for participants. The Tin Workshop in the middle of the field provided a great airy covered space for all kinds of hands-on activities running all through the day, complementing the scheduled workshops which remained hugely popular, as well as providing more for kids. I think the green tea tent also brought a more “festivally” vibe to the event as well as providing a nice place to chill between sessions (those light up balloons at night were amazing too!). The “local world food” from the veggie table was a star turn again I thought, and the spicy Indian Chai from the Magic Pan a real treat throughout the day. It was great to have contributions from some great speakers again and Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation was a highlight in many feedback forms, as well as the very touching and inspiring opening session on Schumacher from Adam Hart-Davis, Peter Segger, Schumacher’s grandson Sebastian Wood and Margaret Gardner. 
Considering the torrential rain on Monday night I think we really dodged a bullet with the weather which was really exceptional Friday night and Saturday, and even a bit of rain on the Sunday around lunchtime didn’t dampen spirits and cleared to give a lovely sunny end to the weekend – it was obviously meant to be! I felt the Saturday night entertainment went off well again (although I may be biased as I was in one of the bands…), with Luke Concannon doing a great set, the ceilidh a hit and the 20 piece Indian band an amazing apparition that came from nowhere and melted back without trace into the night after rocking the main tent! It’s too hard to pick things out though because it’s the whole that really works or doesn’t. There were too many lovely contributions to cover here in these scant words…
There are always things to improve though – I was disappointed about the PA not turning up in time for the open mic on the Friday night although with a lovely bar, starry sky, campfire and acoustic music – hopefully people didn’t mind too much. There were some challenges with getting the sound levels right with music from Green Tea during sessions which is nice if you’re not in sessions but annoying if you are. Similarly, the cycle powered DJ stage was great but again sound levels were tough as it was too close to Green Tea and the workshops in the day, so I don’t feel we got the best of it (although the pedal cinema was a great night time innovation!). Some other logistical points like more water around the site will be picked up for next year.
The feedback we got over the weekend and since has really been wonderful to receive. Really makes it feel worth it when people say how they feel the interactions and learning they were able to have at the festival has really inspired them and lifted their spirits. It would be good to hear about things taken forward from the festival, partnerships created etc and I really hope there are some of these also. We’re very keen to hear back from people with their feedback on this year and their ideas for next. Mail to small_is@practicalaction.org.uk with anything. We’ll also try to get feedback and comments going on the website and/or the Facebook page in the coming weeks.
The Small is… Festival remains primarily a space for people to fill with their creativity and engagement, whether that’s as a helper, speaker, organiser, participant, stallholder, craftsperson, musician, chef or potter. My heartfelt thanks and love to all those who filled it so well this year.
No Comments » | Add your commentWheels have been set in motion
“Wheels have been set in motion, and they have their own pace, to which we are … condemned.”
I really like the above quote. It comes from probably my favourite play: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. It popped into my head as appropriate for my last post here at Practical Action, and I think it works, apart from the last word! Condemned isn’t really the tone that I wanted to strike, more enthusiastically committed in the case of those working on the Small Is… Festival, or perhaps destined in the case of the hordes who will flock to the Festival.
My fleeting flirtation with Practical Action ends today. I have been but a cog in the machine which will eventually churn out the Small Is…Festival 2010. That machine (those wheels!) rolls on with greater momentum everyday and I’m happy to have been part of that process. I really urge whoever is reading this to come to the Festival because it will be bigger, better, more stimulating and more enjoyable than last year – itself a fantastic success.
For me, the thing that will differentiate this year’s festival from last years is the heavyweight quality of speakers we have on offer over the weekend. I have already posted about Andrew Simms but as well as him we have vastly experienced people from the fields of microfinance (Malcolm Harper), agriculture (Peter Segger), energy quotas (Shaun Chamberlin) and mobile phones (Ken Banks).
The cherry on top of this already tasty cake is the addition of Mark Lynas‘ name to the bill. He is the author of Six Degrees and co-wrote the Age of Stupid. Thus it is fantastic news that he will attend the Small Is… Festival. I wish at this point to direct you to the speakers page where a polished biography accompanied by a photo should be awaiting for your viewing pleasure. However, my computer skills are not up to the task, so you will have to wait a week or so for that treat.
Couple this roster of speakers with participatory workshops, displays of technology in action, plenty of opportunities to network and, of course, feasts, tea, dancing and music, and I think we’re onto a winner.
No Comments » | Add your commentToilets and Zeer pots at the Small Is festival
I was definitely the newbie at the Small Is Festival last year. I had started working for Practical Action just four days 
before the big event and had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be a great insight as to what my life as a member of staff here would be like. A really good balance of hard work, fun and a realisation of how passionate the people who work here are about their work . …..and then there’s the toilets!
The festival’s ’facilities’ included some toilets which were the same as those built as part of Practical Action’s projects around the world. I couldn’t bring myself to use one at the time. However, having spent some time in Nepal earlier this year I now appreciate how much effective toilets can make a real contribution to improving the lives of families living in developing countries. So maybe this year I’ll give them a go!
Of course this year I will be more actively involved and am really looking forward to it. As the education manager I will also be manning (now why can’t you say womaning?!) a stand with a potters wheel for any children or adults who wants to have a go. You could try making a pot similar to those used to make zeer pots in Sudan, which are simple fridges made out of clay and sand. We will even let you decorate your pot and take it home as a memento of the festival 
Of course if you want to find out more about our education work in the UK please do come and have a chat with us and/or have a look at our resources www.practicalaction.org.uk/education
To find out more about the festival and buy tickets to come along go to the Small Is website
No Comments » | Add your commentIt’s all about tea.
I’m the work experience boy – that is my rank, my position in the office hierarchy, I am on the bottom rung of the ladder. OK, I knew this when I came; I’m 19, only half way through my degree and have no experience. The very fact that I’ve been permitted to write this blog is a testament to Practical Action, who could have just stuck me in a corner confronted with the grinding drudgery of administrative work, a reality for which I was fully prepared. Yet there is one work experience cliché that I cannot escape – making the tea…
I don’t drink tea or coffee, a combination of habit, allergies and taste, and so have to be gently (or not so), and frequently reminded of my obligation to the greater good of the office. However, at the Small Is… Festival the beverage duties will, mercifully, be out of my hands.
No one will go thirsty over the weekend, that is one thing we can be sure of, even if we can’t rely on the late summer heavens remaining tight-lipped. GreenT will be concocting caffeine-based creations, including herbal and Irish variants. There will be a well-stocked bar of local ales and more to make the evenings fly by. And finally I hear rumour of bike-generated smoothie makers for the strong of thigh (see one in action).
To parch those palates expect many an opportunity to dance whether it be to a ceilidh or to Zambian drumming and, of course, prepare to gorge yourselves at the themed feasts – African, South Asian and Latin American.
The weekend is a celebration (see previous post), and we intend to make it just that!
No Comments » | Add your commentWhat is Small Is…?
The Small Is… Festival (as a quick glance at the website will tell you) is a celebration of the ideas and philosophy of EF Schumacher, Practical Action’s founder and inspiration. Practical Action is not the only organisation to have emanated from Schumacher’s ‘Small Is Beautiful’, count the Schumacher Institute and Society too. But what has made his philosophy so enduring, persuasive and, most of all, effective in the developing world?
Like many, he was critical of the status quo of capitalism, the relentless pursuit of material goods and the view of consumption as the eternal band aid. What sets his writing apart, however, is how concise and compelling it is to read. For an economics tome, it is remarkably readable; it is a page-turning thriller compared to the slow-burning epic of Marx’s Capital.
“In the excitement over the unfolding of his scientific and technical powers, modern man has built a system of production that ravishes nature and a type of society that mutilates man.” (p.207) His text cut straight to the heart of the problem. Yet many have got to this stage and stumbled when confronted with the next hurdle – a practicable solution…
Schumacher’s proposition was the notion of ‘Intermediate Technology’ for developing societies. Instead of vast, expensive, highly technological schemes, whose benefits often flowed to those already wealthy rather than indigenous populations, intermediate technology concerns basic technology which makes a real difference to people’s everyday lives. It is here that his real legacy lies, in the effectiveness of this pragmatic, sensitive approach to development.
And so it is this approach that the Small Is… Festival will bring people together to celebrate. The weekend will be replete with stimulating speakers continuing the advocation of Small Is… principles, hands-on workshops to give anyone the opportunity to experience Intermediate Technology and opportunities to discuss and network with other groups similarly inspired by Schumacher’s work.
It seems to me that Schumacher’s contribution is well worth celebrating!
Small Is… Beautiful
No Comments » | Add your commentSmall is……
So hello there, my names Louis and I’m volunteering for a couple of weeks here at Practical Action. I’m going to be communicating the progress and promoting the greatness of the forthcoming Small Is… Festival – returning for a sequel after a triumphant first year.
I only arrived yesterday with a hazy (at best) idea of what the festival was. But already in the two days I’ve spent getting up to speed and I can see the first few cracks in the chrysalis of what will eventually be the fully flourished butterfly of the Small Is… Festival 2010.
The most exciting news to come out of today is addition of the name Andrew Simms to the roster! He is a fantastic progressive thinker who looks beyond the strait jacketed view of mainstream economics and provides genuine sustainable solutions to the holes that we dig ourselves.
Another exciting development, which is equally, if not more, exciting for me on a personal level, is the presence of Adam Hart-Davis on the day. Watching ‘What the Romans/Victorians etc Did For Us’ is an enduring memory of my childhood, and taught me a lot of fascinating details skimmed over by narrow history syllabi. His enthusiasm for invention and technologies was inspiring to me then and I’m sure he’ll be even more effervescent in the flesh!
To keep update on what’s happening at the festival check out the Small is website, which over the next few weeks will become increasingly more fleshed out and enticing: .
