First foot
The first person entering a household on New Year's Day setting the tone for the year is a tradition celebrated by the Scottish and Northern English people. National First Foot Day, often associated with "Hogmanay" in Scotland, dates back over 1000 years, possibly introduced by invading Vikings. The custom involves the belief that the first person stepping into a house on New Year's Day brings good luck for the entire year.
It was exactly 100 years ago, in 1924, that walking arts became what it is today, with surrealists walking about chance encounters and meetings, meeting with strangers at the core of their artistic walking actions.
Our century is and will be defined by forced migration, together with the problems emerging from climate change. The archetype of the migrant in our time of global crises is a walker. Climate change and global conflicts displace people and communities, causing mass migrations in search of safety, food, and shelter, many of these displacements happen by foot between continents.
Walking arts in the 21st century can help to mitigate the impacts on displaced people and communities, with great importance given to local hospitality towards walkers of all origins. Walking arts is a universal practice and places the refugee/migrant and the local citizen in a shared space of hosting and being welcomed. It creates an inviting environment for reciprocity and cooperation between the ones who are hosted and the ones who host.
And that may well be the legacy of walking arts, when looked back upon in 2124.
Happy New Year!
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co-founder of walk · listen · create
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Upcoming events
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05 Jan · Fri · 10:00 (UTC)
· Online
Walk the new year in with a difference!
Does January feel endless and stodgy?
Want to kickstart fun into January?
Walk this way! Step into fresh thinking this J... Keep reading
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06 Jan · Sat · 16:00 (UTC)
· Héroes Park, Jirón Las Mimosas 231, Lima 15063, Peru
Join Ursula Franco Block for a 2 hour in-person Street Wisdom Walkshop, meeting at Parque de los Heroes, Jiron las Mimosas 231, Lima 15063 (Google map here) on Satu... Keep reading
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From our network
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Écoute, territoires liquides 2024, comment sonneras-tu, comment te fera-t-on sonner, ou pas ? En ce tout premier jour de 2024, je me demande quelles seront les orie... Keep reading
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I am a bit stuck for the annual “year in review” post. In … Keep reading
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J’aime les bords de nuit, les lisières du jour, les entre chiens et loups, les interstices glissants, fondus enchaînés de lumière et de son, moments de bascule apai... Keep reading
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Day 181 - History Adjacent and 3.6 km drawing.Optimism and 2.0 km drawing. Keep reading
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Poet-in-residence Shani Cadwallender provides an introductory text to the new year. Keep reading
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Stuff we found
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Hear what musings coming alive in the dark. Source: Podcast: Nightwalking with Bianca Giaever – Atlas Obscura Keep reading
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