BIG BANG!

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF
MILITANT MARCHING BANDS

Come act, interact and make merry...

hosted by the Front Musical d’Intervention,

a marching band from Paris.

27 APRIL to 1 MAY 2002 in PARIS

email: bigbang2002@free.fr Telephone : 33 1 420 892 84

Site: http://fmi2.free.fr/

This is an open invitation to all marching bands that actively support social struggles by becoming musically involved, while remaining politically and economically independent (non-affiliated, non-funded).

The Front Musical d’Intervention: Who are we?

A melodious blend of cultural and political activities has created a special hybrid of festive, feet-stomping activism! Our musical "interventions" enable us to literally come out, on an ad hoc basis, for different social justice causes (undocumented immigrants, the homeless, anti-globalization, anti-militarization, etc.), to thus actively contribute, and yet remain autonomous.

The Big-Bang In Movement!

Marching bands in others areas, in other countries, participate in similar experiences. What do we all have in common? What views and perceptions? What is the potential for musical action?

The aim of this initiative is to bring together musical groups that have a certain affinity in terms of their approach to activism and which are involved in social movements in their respective countries.

This will be an opportunity for us to share our personal and collective experiences as marching bands, to exchange songs, to discuss the perspectives and issues surrounding the anti-globalization movement in which we are involved.

Finally, to go out with a big bang, a festive rally will be organized with everyone playing together on May 1^st, International Workers’ Day.

Grassroots Traditions

Each band keeps alive a certain legacy of protest music. This get-together will allow us to exchange local grassroots traditions of popular resistance and revolt through music and song.

Proceedings…

Exchanging our musical scores beforehand will enable us to play together and prepare for the collective May Day event.

A possible schedule of daily activities might be:

- Late morning: rehearsal time

- Lunch followed by discussion sessions

- In the evening: "concerts", parties, get-togethers

We plan to provide lodging, breakfast and one meal a day for each participant. All other expenses, including local transportation and travel costs, will be up to you.

For organizational purposes, please let us know if you would like to participate and the approximate number of musicians in your group before the end of January 2002.

We are expecting bands from London, Madrid, Berlin, Bologna, Milano, Geneva...