An update on The MAIA Weekender
So much has happened this year. As this goes out, another Black man has been murdered at the hands of the police, our Government continues to send mixed messages about COVID-19, the A-Level/BTEC fiasco dust has yet to settle, support packages are due to end, mass unemployment is about to unfold at a scale we can’t imagine and all the while, our climate is in crisis. It’s taking its toll on us.
If you have had the privilege of seeing between all of this, you may have noticed some good. Communities are banding together tighter in gorgeous, essential ways. Your local neighbourhood Whatsapp group has continued to invest in mutual aid. Crowdfunders are covering people’s essentials. Targets are being smashed. Dream spaces created. Good folks are sharing their resources. The allotments and garden centres are full, as many are now growing their own food. Children have surprised us with their resilience. Some small businesses are thriving as consumers become much more mindful of how and where they spend their money. This isn’t to romanticise where we are. But truthfully, communities have often taken care of each other when the State chooses not to.
It is in this context that we’re very excited to launch a new season from September onwards, all about care and wellbeing. It’s important that we anchor our work and actions in the intentional care for each other, ourselves and our community. This care and movement work will, of course, live beyond a season, but it feels crucial to invest what we have into amplifying this work right now.
However, for this reason, we find it necessary to postpone this year’s MAIA Weekender 2020. Coronavirus means we’re still avoiding large gatherings, but it also seems like the most appropriate time to practice slower living. Postponing the Weekender allows us to put our energy into our caring responsibilities, a badass Autumn programme, the deep, detailed and unsexy work that doesn’t see the light of day, the continued redistribution of resources and supporting those who are still impacted by COVID-19 and the various “isms” that plague our society.
It is not time to drop the ball. It is time to dig deeper, get really clear on what our demands are and where we must direct them, to understand what we want to abolish, hold to account or platform. For this, we must focus.
The MAIA Weekender will return in 2021, bolder than ever and we can’t wait to share space with our community once again.
Until then, keep an eye out for our updates about the MAIA journal, Wellbeing Szn and our new space, all launching this Autumn!
Love, the MAIA Family x