Hedoné Seminar 2019

Berlin collective celebrates ethical hedonism

Words By Ciara Cunnane

Venue: Debrznica Palace, 66-235 Debrznica, Poland
Date: 18-22.07.19
Time: 12:00 Thursday-12:00 Monday

Watch out for a trail of petals leading east as Berlin collective Hedoné returns to a dreamy palace in Poland for their third annual summer Seminar. After a successful sister event in Paris last month, the collective promises to bring poetry into festival-goers’ lives with a programme that explores the pleasures of nature, art and the physical form. The theme of this year’s festival is 1967’s “Summer of Love”.

These neo-hippies are inspired by the first century BC poem “De Rerum Natura”, an ode to ethical hedonism. They aim to celebrate the botanical world with a dress code of flowers, feathers and light-coloured garments. But if your wardrobe only consists of Berghain black, you’re also encouraged to party naked or dabbed in bio-glitter. It’s all in aid of a good cause as the profits go towards fighting female gential mutilation.

The four-day event begins with talks and workshops that present techniques aimed at improving participants’ lives and society. The second part is an invitation to higher states of consciousness through musical performances, interactive workshops, guided group experiences and wellness spaces. Among the Berlin-based facilitators will be Spectral Solas, who runs monthly meditation and gong sound bath sessions at Life Artists in Prenzlauer Berg. She will be offering the Hedoné hedonists a range of meditation and gong sound bath sessions throughout the weekend.

In a sentence: If you missed the Summer of Love first time round, now’s your chance.