"The end of the world as we know it is not the end of the world full stop."
UNCIVILISATION is a festival for anyone who's sick of pretending that we can make our current way of living "sustainable", that we can take control of the planet's reeling systems, that "one more push" will do it. It's time to acknowledge that "saving the planet" is a bad joke. We are entering an age of massive disruption and the task is to live through it as best we can and to look after each other as we make the transition to the unknown world ahead.
The Dark Mountain Project started with a manifesto - written by Paul Kingsnorth and Dougald Hine - calling for new stories by which to navigate this transition. It started a conversation that ran through the pages of newspapers, magazines and blogs. UNCIVILISATION 2010 is the first Dark Mountain festival, a unique gathering of writers and thinkers, musicians, artists and storytellers, coming together to continue that conversation.
Join us among the dark mountains of Wales for a weekend of talks, arguments, songs and stories. Be ready to get dirt under your fingernails.
Already lined up to speak, we have Alastair McIntosh, George Monbiot, Tom Hodgkinson, Melanie Challenger, Glyn Hughes and Jay Griffiths.
Music will come from Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Chris Wood, Chris T-T, Marmaduke Dando, Billy Bottle, Bleak and Will Hodgkinson's Ballad of Britain.
There will be workshops from Vinay Gupta (Institute for Collapsonomics), Briony Greenhill (The Blended Lifestyle), Anthony McCann (Beyond the Commons) and more. A writers panel thrashing out the future of literature in a collapsing world. A Dark Mountain film festival curated by Dan Walwin. Work from artists and photographers responding to the themes of the Dark Mountain. Theatre, storytelling and a festival bookshop.
More speakers and performers will be added to the bill soon, so check back for updates.
It's no coincidence that our gathering clashes with this year's Hay Festival. While the literary establishment gathers for its annual love-in, at the other end of Offa's Dyke we will muster an opposing army for a very different kind of weekend.
Join us, as we set off into the foothills. There's a long journey ahead. We don't know exactly where it will lead, but we can promise you good company along the way.
Accommodation
Weekend tickets include free camping.
If you'd rather have a roof over your head, we'll be publishing a full list of other accommodation options within Llangollen soon - and we'll contact all ticket-holders as soon as we do so.
Getting there
By Public Transport
The nearest train station is Ruabon, approx 4 miles away – the bus service is best from this station. Take the 5 or the X94.
By Car
From Shrewsbury...
Follow A5 to Llangollen. At traffic lights (adjacent to Smithfield Hotel) turn RIGHT into Llangollen town centre. At the T Junction at the end of the Llangollen Bridge turn LEFT onto A542 (towards Horseshoe Pass). Pavilion entrance will be seen on the right approximately 0.5km. Enter ground through wooden gates, parking area to the left adjacent to Pavilion building.
From Wrexham/Chester...
Follow A483, leave bypass at Ruabon heading along A539 towards LLANGOLLEN. On reaching Llangollen continue towards Horseshoe Pass (do not turn over bridge into Llangollen). Pavilion entrance will be seen on the right approx 0.5km. Enter ground through wooden gates, parking area to the left adjacent to Pavilion building.