Why do we burn a giant paper mâché fish on the waterfront in Lorain OH?
Why do we spend upwards of two weeks gathering bamboo, cardboard, and pallets, collectively and meticulously designing and crafting an ever-expanding giant FireFish sculpture, only to celebrate it by setting it ablaze and watching all of our efforts disperse into ashes and smoke?
“Because all of our efforts do not disperse into ash and smoke. When we come together to build something spectacular and beautiful, we build relationships and connectivity which long outlast the pile of ashes we clean up the day after. Every year, we demonstrate the inextinguishable abundance of creative energy that we all carry within us all the time. We show the power we have to act collectively and to create again and again no matter how many times what we build is knocked down, destroyed by disaster, taken away by economic decline or automation of labor, or torched in a glorious fireball of our own design.
Every year that we build and burn the FireFish we affirm with our joy and celebration that we will come back the next year and build an even bigger one. We affirm that we have the power to make the world anew from any and all ashes which may consume it. Our message when we parade and process to the burn circle, perform our music, fire dancing, singing, and puppetry, and then watch FireFish transform into memory is a message of hope.”
FireFish Finale Artistic Director Daniel McNamara
