In Praise of Collective Joy

Reflections from Counterpoints Arts biannual ‘Pop Culture & Social Change’ retreat at Dartington, which speak to the importance of collaboration and relationship-building, “because the work we do is interrelated and needs to be done through understanding what we all bring to our coalition.” A coalition which “cannot rely on one perfectly crafted, targeted, cultural intervention – there will be no single story, song, speech or screening that changes the course of history. The struggle will be long and arduous, and a ‘popular front’ is needed. Since the Community Council first met at the start of this year, we wished for our networks to get to know each other better, and Dartington felt like a great step towards mapping our convergences. Whether we look back at the retreat as a mere moment in time or the beginning of collective change remains to be seen, but we can hope that our interactions there may yet create lasting legacies.”