Let's get silly
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Let's get silly

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

Rodney Cullen, who is of Polish and French descent, was born in Abu Dhabi but grew up in Spain where he lived for 25 years. He led a conventional life, pursuing a successful career in IT, before realising that the corporate life wasn't for him. For two years, he travelled extensively to broaden his horizons before he eventually moved to Thailand. With the experiences he had with the various communities he got to know during his travels, he has created a special gathering in Chiang Mai where he now calls home. Besides being a co-owner of Overstand Coffee Shop (fb.com/OverstandCoffee), Rodney recently founded Cereal Ravers that throws a morning, kid-friendly rave called Get Silly (fb.com/GetSillyCNX) which debuted on December 17. The second one will take place on January 28. We chatted with him about his unique party which has a philosophical side to it.

Let's get silly

How did the first Get Silly come about?

When I came to Chiang Mai back in January, I had an idea of doing morning raves already. I've been to Burning Man and EDM festivals and what I find is that people just want to dance and connect with others. And just be silly, basically. A friend bought down a brand new sound system from Bangkok to do a party and it was such a blast. I told him if he left it with me for one more week, I would make another party around it and I did.

The first Get Silly came together quite magically. We printed the posters with the date and the time, saying we would have yoga, smoothies, food, coffee, performers, DJs when we had none of that. I basically rode around town, pitching people the idea and finding the venue. Five days later, we had everything, thanks to people and vendors who were open to this new idea. I couldn't do it without their help. It was like the universe was helping us.

Did you have some experience organising parties before?

Burning Man really changed my life. They took me out there (in a desert) and I helped build some of the camps, along with many people, and that taught me a lot about production. While working with PYNK Collective, we'd throw parties for 250 people for three days and that taught me a lot about production and parties. I attended morning raves like Daybreaker and Morning Gloryville as well. So basically I learned bits and pieces from different communities I've participated in.

Let's get silly

What sets Get Silly apart from other parties?

I think it fits Chiang Mai because there's a lot of people who are progressive in their thinking, who lead healthy lifestyles. And, I know for myself and a lot of my friends, that we love going out but we don't like all the drama that comes along with it: people getting into fights or guys trying to get laid. We just wanna dance to really good music.

So the concept of "Get Silly" is a gathering of people for a sober morning rave. It's about creating a safe space where people can let go and have no fear of being judged. We get dressed up in something that is outrageous. I put on a pink wig, tutus, and fairy wings. And then we paint our faces at the door and, as people arrive, we paint their faces too. We hug them and make them feel welcomed.

We start off with yoga to set the mood that it's not only about dancing. We're here to do something a bit more deeper and meaningful. And just because it's a morning thing, it doesn't mean it's not a proper party. We bring in a proper sound system, DJs and performances too.

Let's get silly

What can people expect from your party?

One of the things that we always try and practice is to have no expectations around anything. You should join with the intention of letting down your guard and allowing anything that happens to unfold and be enjoyed. It's gonna be fun, loud, and colourful, for sure, but it's also about having an open mind and checking your usual pre-conceptions and social stigmas at the door.

It sounds like you're throwing a party with a philosophy.

What I've found from living in many cities is that people can feel lonely and disconnected. What I offer is a sense of belonging to a tribe, essentially. It's going back to an older way of living that we've kind of forgotten. We'd also like to think of it as letting go of the idea that you have to be a certain way for people to like you. No, just be yourself and have fun with that. That's what is going to make you likeable.

How has the feedback been?

Every one who was there (for the first party) said that it was one of the best mornings they had and asked me when the next one would be. I received messages from people asking the same question. Already I have some good friends who are MCs or rappers who offered to help me out with the next party too. I really hope that the turn out for the next one is gonna be significantly bigger. So please share our next event when you see it.

Let's get silly
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