Root is a concept we all strive to reach and have been caring about in recent years. We associate knowing our roots with knowing ourselves better. While yield is a concept we’d like to link with fertility, it actually means “from the root.” Hybrid Community has realised, during the pandemic, that “thought yields” are very productive. Those who embraced change and development were the ones to make a difference, inspiring us and everybody else. In this regard, we tried to spread inspiration and goodwill with concepts that will do the world some good. Change can be a source of both excitement and concern. We’ve all been there. We’ve turned to nature in order to remain calm, to breathe, and to be flexible in this period in time. Meanwhile, we’ve had the chance to think about and to question what kind of a world we want to live in and what kind of people we want to be. Opinion leaders provided great content to this end and initiated amazing gatherings. Think about amazing gatherings, we have two highlight projects. One is “Harvest Kaplankaya” which is far from Istanbul but makes us feel one with nature, and the other is “Eco Love Fest,” held in the heart of the city at Zorlu Center for the first time! Participated by global opinion leaders and quirky minds and presenting magical speeches and mind-broadening workshops, Harvest Kaplankaya took place away from the city, in a unique atmosphere in the bosom of nature. Held under the themes of wellbeing and nature in the past, Harvest Kaplankaya’s latest edition focused on rediscovering the bond among people, thinking about significant global problems, and celebrating human potential. Roman Carel, one of the founders of the event, says that Harvest was initially designed as a conference which enables interaction and closeness between guests and speakers; this year, the event was organised in a way to reflect and utilise its transformation during the pandemic by always looking forward and beyond previous editions. Held along the hidden and magical Aegean coast, Harvest Kaplankaya has become an inspiring meeting of ideas, discovery, music, and connection which caters to all senses. It reminded us that humans are social beings with dancing, meditation, mantras, and workshops and that they can reach their full potential by celebrating life in social environments.
Curated by Hybrid Community, Eco Love Fest was at Zorlu Center.
On the same dates, Eco Love Fest gathered enthusiasts of good living and facilitators of change in the heart of the city at Zorlu Center and embraced all the concepts around sustainability. Those who believe in living in harmony with the cycles of the planet had the chance to partake in workshops, panels, performances, and various experiences at Eco Love Fest, curated by Hybrid Community. This time, we saw how much there was to say when people, who are running around different parts of the city but think the same way, came together; we’ve experienced how beneficial our ideas can be when we share a platform and enjoyed watching ecologically responsible brands express themselves. We saw the innovative T-shirt manufactured by Tencel, one of the festival sponsors, as part of the “Dress for Nature!” campaign, completely disintegrated in nature and became compost, and the artistic presentation of 100 reasons to plant trees by Yves Rocher Foundation which has so far planted over 100 million trees. We also learned about Adidas, which invites us to “Run for the Oceans!”, and its products manufactured by the plastic waste collected from the oceans and seas. We were delighted to hear about the sustainability approaches of Nefes Assos, the first sustainable living village in Turkey, with global brands WMF and Miele whose products bring style into our lives and kitchens. This time, our speech and thought balloons were green. Every object we saw, every sentence and tune we heard made a different perspective possible. We’ve come to realise that a better future, both for individuals and collectives, is only achievable by praising our roots. We wish a productive yield to all conscious minds as we go through strange times. We hope that 2022 is a wonderful year, during which we focus on thinking about how we can make ourselves, each other, and the planet better and to learn more!