A poem from the volunteers

THE message to and from Just Festival 2013 on behalf of the volunteers was a prose-poem summing up their experience over three extraordinary weeks.

Here's a snippet. We will try to upload the whole presentation shortly...

TONIGHT AT 8pm: Just together... a celebration!

TONIGHT at 8pm, we celebrate what has been another extraordinary and record-breaking Just Festival (formerly the Festival of Spirituality and Peace) with a 'wrap event' at St John's Church.

Scots pipers will welcome us in and see us out. There will be a swansong or two for Just from the amazing Africa Entsha - of course - along with dance from Ragmala, Polish music, a cameo from Creepie Stool, a reflection from Rabbi Rosen, the Just Festival volunteers bursting into song, and more...

We also look forward to hearing from festival director Katherine Newbigging and chair of the hard-working board, Raymond Baudon.  There will be refreshments in the church hall afterwards.

But don't get the idea that this is the end of Just for 2013!

We will still have a full day left, Monday 26th August. That will be your last chance to see the moving Tejas Verdes, to reflect on Living Our Values, to meet Young Peacemakers, to hear the Canto del Paradiso, to be moved by Sacred Earth, to hear Africa Entsha, to see Creepie Stool... and to answer the question (in a multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-belief society), "More Tea Imam?"

Also, of course, you can have a final peak at the remarkable In Sight of Peace photo-exhibition: Ian Berry of Magnum offers a unique view of South Africa, past and present, in its quest to leave apartheid behind - without forgetting the torment, and while learning the lessons.

Further previews of all of those events coming up soon here on Just Festival News...

Meantime, Just Together, the official closing event - tonight, 8pm, St John's Church Edinburgh (corner of Princes Street and Lothian Road, venue 127).

It's free, but donations to our charities, Mary's Meals and Waverley Care, and to the ongoing work of Just, will be welcome.

Just Festival Volunteers Ensemble... yay!

YEP, you're going to get their world premier tonight... the Just Festival volunteers have kept the whole show on the road, and now they're going to sing about it, just for you. And a few hundred other people.

Just Festival News has not enjoyed an exclusive preview ahead of the Just Together event (tonight, Sunday 25th August, 8pm at St John's Church Edinburgh, refreshments at 9pm)... but those who have tell us that X-factor can eat it's heart out. Welcome to Just-Factor!

Not much more to say, other than BE THERE!  But thanks to Adam Millerchip for this little video of the percussion section tuning up over supper. It's going to be awesome, folks...

Just volunteering...

AS well as a dedicated staff team, the Just Festival gives people from across the world rich and rewarding opportunities for volunteering.

Indeed, without the volunteers, there would be no Just!

Duties undertaken by our amazing team include, stage organisisation, front of house, box office, social media, photography and filmmaking.

We also have a dedicated kitchen which we encourage everyone to get cooking together.

Here at the Just Festival we are committed to providing a wonderful volunteer experience, and to make sure everyone is fully involved, there have been training sessions taking place this weekend... because the Festival is now only a few days away!