Over 2’000 Ten Singers from all over Europe, and even further, will meet from July 31 to 6 August in the small town of Ziegenhain in Germany for one week TEN SING Festival. The preparations are in full swing. Yet, Franca Kneier, a year time volunteer at the festival organization office, took some time to share all that can be expected!
– What is the European TEN SING Festival?
– The Ten Sing Festival is a unique opportunity for TEN SING groups from all over Europe to meet, share experience, knowledge and faith, perform on a big stage in front of 2’000 young people, visit various workshops, play sports, enjoy big morning and evening shows. In one word, discover the whole richness of TEN SING all over Europe and discover Germany.
– The festival’s motto is „MOVin”. What does it stand for?
– There are three levels to this motto: 1) we are living in a world of constant change and 2) we ourselves are constantly moving, but there is 3) one thing constant, and this is God. He is today what he was yesterday and will be the same tomorrow. The festival wants to motivate us to keep moving, but also to move in to the presence of God, who is constant.
In the festival’s programme, every day has a title playing with the „MOVin” motto. The first day for example is „MOVin’ in” and the excursion day, where nearby towns like Kassel or Frankfurt can be visited, is „MOVin’ out”. The last day is „MOVin’ on”, since what has started at the festival, should not stop there, but the motivation and inspiration gained, should help everybody to „move on” on its way with God.
– What are you busy with these days?
– The festival takes place on the China Fair Ground, a former industrial area transformed into a park for events and cultural exchange between Chinese and Germany. Since the territory’s former manager had a flair for China, all the buildings are painted in red and have some Chinese touch. The festival’s office will be in the former „Chinatown“-disco and concerts, workshops and drop-ins are taking place on the green area. The participants will be accommodated in the local school buildings in Ziegenhain. Right now we are in the last phase of preparation. We already have internet and telephone on the festival area, we are sending the last information to the groups for the group concerts, we are answering the last questions of group leaders, we are organizing details around the check-in, ordering different fancy merchandise articles, and the festival booklet is going to be printed these days.
– How many people are you expecting?
– We already have over 1’800 young people coming from Iceland, Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, England, Malta, Italy, hopefully Hungary, and we even have a Ten Sing group from the USA, Brazil and two TEN SINGers from as far as India!
– What are gonna to be the festival’s highlights?
– I am looking most forward to the group concerts. I am very curious, what all the different TEN SINGs are going to perform. It is gonna be very diverse. A Russian TEN SING will have a very modern performance with video and so one, the Estonian group is planning a rather funny, somehow circus-like show… I am also looking forward to the devotion night, where we will have the opportunity to choose between a great variety of different services and devotions and get to learn new ways of meeting and praising God. The „United Colors of TEN SING“-evening is gonna be very interesting too. It will be organized like a TEN SING-Traveltour around Europe. There are also the different workshops, going from classic theatre and dance to more modern performance arts like Poi and break-dance. The „Dance Tent“, is gonna be cool too, and the relaxing launch…Well, and last but not least, there is gonna be really good food, we have already tested the catering service and it’s gonna be „yummy“!
– So, why should somebody go to the ETS-Festival?
– Why? What a question! Because it is gonna be great! You will meet 2’000 Ten Singers, young people from all over Europe which share your passion for TEN SING, for music, dance and God. You can discover new styles of dance and performance. You will discover Germany too, trough the excursion day and actions like the „German Bread Day“. Well, you will just spend a really, really good week!
– You have convinced me! What should I do, if I want to go to the Festival?
There are just a couple of days left until the deadline for registration on 30 June. Most people are participating as a group with a group leader, yet some adults are also registered as single persons, and there is a possibility to come to the festival just for a couple of days, or for one day, as a visitor. Just visit our website on: www.ets2011.eu, and there under the section „Registration“, sign up! You can also send us an e-mail with your questions to:
office@ets2011.eu
and me or my colleagues will answer!
Interview done by Noemi Helfenstein Volunteer/Switzerland