A post by Brian Eno on The Long Now blog on a tradition in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau, where the whole town (really, including children, youth, etc… everyone who lives there) participates in a theater play, The Passion since 1634.
Brian Eno asks:
“I kept returning to this thought: what would it do to a community to have a tradition as long and as defining as that, to know from an early age that you were, probably throughout your life, going to be woven into this incredibly rich tapestry of time, spirituality, art and craft? What would it be like to be a child growing up there, to watch your parents and grandparents learning their lines and practicing their parts and building the sets and making the clothes? It must be so rich, such a powerful social binder and foundation”.
I cannot think of a better question to illustrate the way I feel when I attempt to help institutions or individuals create communities around the arts. I cannot think of a more poetic, powerful and inspiring way to explain why I do what I do. The technology we use might be new, but the effects it could have on the lives of those that participate could have a long and lasting impact, leaving an impression and imprint in people’s lives for years to come. These communities could be agents of real change. I do believe in that.
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