Pillow fight sparks curiosity

On a mild Saturday afternoon in March at Dundas Square, twenty-two year old, Kevin Bracken, the organizer of the large outdoor pillow fight which is to take place, waits calmly. Within a number of minutes, there are a few more people gathering. The pillow fight is set to start at 3pm, and so far only twenty of the more than 2700 facebook event ‘Yes’ RSVPs are there.

Kevin says unapologetically, “I think everyone had a late night last night. We try and make our events late so that people have time to go out to a party the night before and sleep in.” But he adds, “We want to be conscious of our communities. We don’t want to scare kids and parents away.” So, he said, they do their events before the sun goes down.

Torontonians proved to be happy clickers for the event, and fewer people turned out than expected. Kevin explained, “They RSVP easily and they aren’t super committed.” But, when all was said and done, it was clear that an eclectic mix and significant number of people came out to enjoy the pillow fight. It’s hard to tell how many, but a conservative estimate might be 350 pillow fight participants, another 200 spectators engaged in laughter and curious delight, and many more people passing by.

The crowds coming out of the Eaton Centre that day saw the spectacle from the street and many had no idea what was going on. One middle-aged man said, “I am glad they are enjoying themselves. Toronto needs more free events like this.” And, even though a costly permit is now required by the privately owned Dundas Square, the pillow fight event did not have one. But, the organizer, Kevin, who took the risk, had no trouble from the authorities. Kevin, who moved from Toronto back to his home, New York City, several months ago said, “I used to be walking on egg shells because I did not want my visa student to get revoked, but now if I get arrested I just want to be bailed out of jail in time for the after-party.”

Since 2004, Newmindspace, the collective Kevin and Lori Kufner co-founded, has been the group behind many public interventions in Toronto and New York City. Kevin says that when he moved to Toronto for the rave scene and to attend University, there was a real need for reclaiming public space in Toronto. According to Kevin, Newmindspace picked up where several other groups left off – people doing train parties, Reclaim the Streets, and the Toronto Public Space Committee. He said, “We were originally inspired by massive public art installation like ‘The Gates’ in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne -Claude….We wanted to transform the landscape with something bright and colorful. We hoped to grow to that grandeur but we took a different direction with people instead of objects.” Kevin said that unlike events by groups like Improv in Toronto, which are geared toward the spectator, his events are geared toward the participants. He said, “Flash mobs have a goal of bewildering passersby. Whereas, I think the laughter we want to get is one created by a genuine feeling of joy and pleasure…Experiencing the peak experience, in the Maslow sense of the word. Being in a pillow fight is euphoric. There is no denying that.”

In addition to Newmindspace’s most recent pillow fight here, they’ve gathered nearly 5000 people at a pillow fight in New York City’s Union Square. In Toronto, their largest event was a light saber battle in front of the ROM in November 2007. Coming up next, on April 4th they’re organizing a pillow fight on International Pillow Fight Day. This time they’ll be bringing signs that say, “Pillows Before Profits” and “Bail Out Newmindspace”. They’re piggy-backing their event onto the protest against the bail out, that same day on Wall Street. Kevin says they decided to do so, after getting criticism from an activist who said, “If you really wanted to reclaim the streets for people – not corporations – then you would work with the Wall Street organizers.” They considered and decided it wasn’t a bad idea. However, Kevin remains skeptical about traditional activism. He said, “We get criticism that we don’t ally with traditional causes. But, the reason they have trouble getting people to go to protests is because sometimes they alienate people…”

Although the Newmindspace project is about reclaiming public space, inventing new ways of having fun, and creating community, the idea is to include as many people as possible without having an explicit political agenda. He says, “We are deconstructionists. We want people to take their own meaning. I don’t want to set out on a course and persuade people to agree with us…. The entry level is low to include anyone who wants to participate… It’s not our job to tell people why they want to come… Some people come for the message, others to loose weight, others to meet girls. As long as some people come for the party and stay for the cause, then it’s ok.”

After the two hour long pillow fight at Dundas Sqaure, exhausted pillow fighters lay down in a large huddle, which Kevin referred to as a “cuddle puddle”. The event was over, and the clean up commenced. With garbage bags and brooms, the group cleaned up the pillows that lay scattered all over the square. By Monday morning, when students and people are off to work, the square will be turned once again into the mundane spot it once was. Maybe memories of the euphoric pillow fight, engraved into the minds of Torontonians, will remain.