Taking Mistakes to the Dock

‘Mistakes are the portals of discovery’- James Joyce

It is Trailblaze time again soon. This time we are putting our failures on trial, and taking our mistakes to the courtroom. We are back in Green Street’s former Special Criminals Court on May 1st.

So often we only show our successful side to the public, the sparkle and the glow. But within the shadow side, the lowlights and the errors, there is so much richness and learning. So, we are swinging things around, and talking about the role of mistakes and failure in our lives, rolling out the ‘opps’ to the spectacular fuck-ups.

As my friend Peter aptly described it, its is ‘Failblaze’ rather than ‘Trailblaze’!

It has got me thinking about mistakes and failures in my own life. And boy, there has been a litany of errors along the way. There was a degree I didn’t finish, books that didn’t get published, courses that flopped, a photoshoot that went horribly wrong, trains that brought me to the ‘wrong’ place, things I’ve said that have hurt people. I’ve fallen for the wrong guys and have had my heart twisted and burned. And again. And again.  I’ve pissed some people off, stayed in jobs too long, ignored advice I should have taken. I’ve launched ideas into the world that just haven’t taken flight, not grasped opportunities that were clearly there for the taking, taken the safe option, not listened to my gut.  All in all, I’m becoming fairly accustomed to failure.

But, honestly and openly, I regret none of it. It has made me who I am and who I’m becoming. If anything, I wish I’d tried more and failed, risking not just my head more but my heart, going out on a limb and climbing from there.

There is a lot to be said for failures. And as Joyce would agreed, they are routes to discover.

So, come along on May 1st. You never know who or what you will discover.

Also, wondering- if you were speaking on May 1st, what mistakes would you share? What failures have led you to discovery? Feel free to share in comments below.

The Trailblazery website is currently in construction. In the meantime do come and say hello on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheTrailblazery

(More about the event)…

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May 1st, 7:30 pm
Green Street Courthouse, Smithfield Dublin 7

Please note that this is a ticketed event. Tickets available from Entertainment.ie here:
http://e1.ie/2xn

Entry: €10 (plus €1 booking fee)

Our venue is The Green Street Courthouse (the former Special Criminals Court), Green Street, Dublin.

A map to the venue can be found here: http://g.co/maps/6uf8h

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The Trailblazery crew is back in style with more courthouse drama on May 1st, the festival of Bealtaine. This Trailblaze intervention asks a diverse team of DIY change makers, artists, social entrepreneurs, provocateurs and activists to dig deep and riff on the theme of mistakes from the oops to the spectacular using the famous Joyce quote above as thematic inspiration.

The Trailblaze Series is a pop – up cycle of inspiring spoken word events and live performances. The May event will be the 5th Trailblaze to be held since Oct 2011 at The Office of Non- Compliance.

Participants include Mary Nally (Third Age Ireland), Dominic Campbell (Bealtaine), Margaret E Ward (Journalist and Founder of Women on Air), Kaethe Burt O’ Dea (Lifeline project), Michael Barron (BelongTo) , Maeve Higgins (Comedian/artist) Fiona Hallinnan (Artist) Colm Keegan ( Poet, Writer ) and more.

A magical mix of sonic wonder from Katie Kim will accompany this series of innovative and intimate 6 min talks.

Trailblaze will be celebrated at The Special Criminal Courthouse, Green St, Smithfield Dublin 7. We are examining the role that mistakes have played in our individual lives, in Irish society at large and in the world around us. We aim to get personal and political as we inhabit this significant space in our national psyche. The Special Criminal Courthouse was the venue of several noted trials including Robert Emmet and Wolfe Tone. We will also open up a guest slot for audience members to step up and contribute ideas and insights on the spot.

Trailblaze is a dynamic platform showcasing and promoting creative and socially engaged ideas, people and possibilities alive in Ireland right now. We need a population that is willing to rock the boat, stand up and be non-compliant with the status quo. Trailblaze presents what is possible when individuals stop asking for permission and step into making their own dreams and ambitions a reality. We are inspired about opening up active conversations that invite audiences and participants to engage with the extraordinary times we occupy individually, locally and globally. We are inspired by the collective and collaborative potential of a community of we.

What previous attendees say about us….

‘We need big ideas, we need big conversations, and we need new methods of engaging with all of those ideas, conversations and structures. And most importantly, we need to be Non-Compliant’. Una Mullally, Trailblazer

‘I came along last night and listened, entranced to each of the speakers share their experiences and Aha moments. So much of what they spoke about resonated with me, I cried and laughed and felt…comforted and inspired at once’ . Audience Member

‘What comes through strongly is a huge sense of possibility and not listening to other but being true to yourself and your passions’. Audience Member

‘Change is upon us, events like this help us to embrace the change’. Audience Member