UK: The Greenpeace field at Glastonbury this year aims to highlight the plight of Earth’s oceans, demonstrating the scale of the monster trawlers that hoover up vast quantities of fish.
This year, Greenpeace are working to defend the Great Barrier Reef from coal companies destroying the sea bed – home to humpback whales, turtles and clownfish. Greenpeace have built a huge fish that festivalgoers can walk through, and are collaborating with production company Snowbusiness to create a lifelike coral garden. Within this area – in addition to interactive exhibits – the environmentalist activist network will discuss the problems that the Barrier Reef is facing and how listeners can help to save it.
Factory fishing vessels travel around the world catching huge amounts of fish from the oceans. Greenpeace this year has created a trawler for festivalgoers to climb up, drink and dance in, as well as hear the voices of sustainable fishermen whose businesses are at threat from these huge ‘monster boats’. Greenpeace’s very own fishing vessel, the Rising Tide, will be on the field after its election tour around England and Wales, gaining support from parliamentary candidates for a higher catch quota.
The ship also houses The Engine Room – a music venue and bar. Day and night, the venue will host music and speakers, ranging from ordinary fishermen to The Guardian’s Lucy Siegel. Visitors can climb onto the top deck and watch the sunset with cocktails, try the climbing wall which hangs off the front facade of the ship, or descend down the nine metre drop slide.
A skate ramp will be situated behind the flagship, the biggest mobile ramp in the country made entirely from forest-friendly FSC-approved wood.
In addition, a local vegetarian farmer’s market that looks like a traditional fishing village will welcome thousands of hungry revellers over the weekend, with all of its traders from the South West. Festivalgoers can sit down in boat-shaped picnic tables and dine on freshly baked bread, pick up a ploughman’s lunch from local cheese-makers, try some homemade cakes and chocolates, and / or a basket of Somerset fruit.
Carbon neutral showers will also be onsite courtesy of Greenpeace, powered entirely by burning wood.
