The Creators Project: Why are you so interested in solar power and renewable energy?OFFtheGRID: Interested? We’re obsessed! It’s beautiful, logical, and inevitable. What’s not to love about renewable energy?What inspired you to throw your first solar party back in London?In 2010, we were volunteering at The Big Chill Festival in the UK, charging mobile phones with the sun, with all proceeds going towards renewable energy in remote communities in Africa. We liked the concept but thought it would be even better to get people to boogie to solar powered beats.How did you choose the bands/musicians for OFFtheGRID—was it just based on their music, or do they also share the same interests as you guys?We asked our good friend Edd Fisher to select the tunes and all agreed that local energy needs local tunes, so all the artists are from Melbourne… We’re all so excited about the tunes at the party, the variety, the build up from the start to finish, and most importantly the bunch of legends that are coming together to make sure it’s a fun day in the sun.
Sui Zhen at one with nature. Photo courtesy of Marley Pasinetti
How hard is it to actually throw a solar powered party?It’s pretty easy actually—build a sculpture out of solar panels, fill some batteries up with sunshine, plug in some speakers, pour some sunshine into peoples ears, and watch them smile. One thing is for sure, it’s a lot easier than digging fossilised organic matter out a mine and building a coal-fired power plant to plug into.
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How did you come to work with Vivienne Westwood?We were in London interviewing Julian Assange on the renewable energy revolution in the Ecuadorian embassy and Julian’s big recommendation was to influence the influencers. Then, out of nowhere, the very next day colleagues of Vivienne Westwood contacted us and asked us to throw them a solar powered fiesta to help them raise funds for renewable energy projects through crowd funding. Viv’s a legend.
What does your utopian version of the future look like?It’s self-sufficient and it comes with an atmosphere like no other. Car-free, pedestrianised cities, where people feel safe to style it around on a bike without a helmet. Community-owned renewable energy power plants surrounding the city to power the city through a mix of solar, wind, biomass, hydro, biogas, and more. The rivers and lakes will flow with drinking water. Food is all grown within 100km of the city—fresh, seasonal, local, and delicious. There is no such thing as waste, just valuable resources. The cool thing is that this future is not a dream, it’s coming faster than you might think.Any hints about what we can expect on the day at OFFtheGRID?We have a few surprises lined up to make the day really memorable. It might sound cheesy, but the feeling is the best part about these parties; it’s more of an experience than a party. It’s really hard to explain that feeling—collecting a group of incredible people together, watching such talented artists, and then connecting a sound system to the sun… there becomes a lot of emotion behind the tunes being played. It’s not like something you’ve been to before; it’s not a hippie vibe or a typical renewable energy vibe, it’s this incredible combination of art and technology that feels like an inevitable future has arrived.
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Battery packs ready to get turnt up. Photo courtesy of OFFtheGRID
Can you give us a tip for being a little more environmentally conscious and contributing to a more renewable world at home?The most important part is to find a way to make your life better through the change, it’s not about compromise. Self-sufficient cities are better in every way, they’re not just better for the environment. Generally, we prefer to inspire and empower people to create the future and think for themselves. The last thing we like to do is preach, but you asked for it! Fuck cars, ride a bike—the journey is more fun anyway. Buy less new stuff—op shops are where it’s at and you’ll meet more interesting people there. Every choice you make in life is a proxy vote for the future you want to see in the world, so think about that before you buy anything. Cut back on eating animals and animal fluids; you’ll feel healthier and happier… Switch over your power bill to a renewable energy supplier, it might cost you a beer a month but who wouldn’t want to buy the environment a beer a month? Don’t be complacent—the government is there to hear your voice, but if you don’t have a voice it can’t be heard, so protest, write a letter, be loud and proud about the future you want to see in the world. And most importantly, have more fun while you do it, it will inspire everyone around you to do the same.
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