Howdy A2RU, from Matthew Ché Kowal!
In this video filmed for A2RU, Kowal discusses immersive experiences, Majestic Collaborations, emergency preparedness, and the importance of recognizing the history of land and its people.
Scroll down for a synopsis of the video!
Immersive Experiences
One of Kowal’s first immersive experiences was his combined twelve years of involvement in New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat, a festival comprised of “costumed artful parties in the park, with a potluck-vibe. TDF was truly an immersive, cooperative experience centered around bicycle advocacy. There was a car-to-bike trade at every event, a 1000 person dance contest to win a bike, and a “slow ride” emphasizing the bike’s inherent ability to make people slow down and appreciate life.
Majestic Collaborations
Majestic Collaborations was established in 2016 by Kowal and his wife, Molly. Majestic connects bands, brands, and agencies to their communities through community involved events, initiatives, and policy work. Some of our recent clients are the City of Denver Music Strategy, FACTOR Canada, and Sound Diplomacy. Currently, we are serving a Mellon Foundation grant to do Emergency Preparedness for performing arts organizations.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness can be a way to engage with crowds at festivals and other large events. Hands-on skill sharing events can be helpful in training people to be prepared in all types of emergency situations. This idea came to Kowal while he was at Standing Rock where he noticed a great similarity between emergency planning for large demonstrations and emergency planning for festivals.
Indigenous Recognition
Majestic Collaborations believes in the importance of recognizing the history of a land and its people. In Canada, event producers begin each public event with a call to recognize indigenous history. We hope this idea spreads! And, we’re looking at ways to help ground people and remind them that where they are standing now belongs also to the people of the past.
