Electric Grannies storm Electric Picnic

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Tuesday August 26, 2008 12:40 by Amnesty 1 - Amnesty International

As part of Amnesty International’s global celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Amnesty is hosting a wide range of exciting activities and events at this year’s Electric Picnic.

Located next to the Comedy Tent all weekend, the expanded Amnesty marquee is offering festival-goers the chance to try their luck and win the bingo jackpot. Celebrity bingo-callers will be running games every half-hour and there are big prizes for anyone who scores a full-house. And after the bingo ends a selection of top DJs will be playing until midnight each evening. Check out our YouTube video with the Electric Eileens preparing for Bingo at Electric Picnic.

The popular Freedom Café will be returning to provide some respite and relaxation for those who need a break. Serving Fair Trade tea, coffee, muffins, snacks and chocolate, it’s the ideal spot to chill out.

Elsewhere, the Leviathan Political Cabaret is showcasing eight top Irish-based writers, including Booker Prize winners Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright, who will be reading their contributions to The Irish Times-Amnesty International series. The series comprises 30 short stories and essays by Irish writers exploring the 30 articles of the declaration. It will be followed by a panel discussion on human rights issues hosted by Hugh Linehan.

Scattered around the festival site all weekend will be 30 large square boxes. Branded in Amnesty International’s yellow and black the five-feet tall structures are designed to serve as meeting points with each one prominently displaying a number and the text of one of the 30 articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The celebration will climax on Sunday night, with artists, musicians and fans joining in a huge Happy Birthday sing-along on the main stage just before the Sex Pistols performance. Immediately following the sing-along there will be a birthday party in the Amnesty tent, running late into the night.

Sixty years ago the UDHR laid out all rights for all humans. Celebrate at Electric Picnic with Amnesty International.

Caption: Video Id: FXqH4W5nrQ8 Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video