but if it did…

Everyone would be able to see and understand our constitution — and everyone would have a say in it. With a week and a half to go before the State of Happiness is officially launched, we are asking potential citizens — if you were running the country, what would our laws be? As part of Bristol Harbour Festival 2013 on 27 and 28 July, Happy City, the charity whose purpose is live more, share more, enjoy life for less, is introducing the State of Happiness — a country founded on goodwill, positivity and shared inspiration.

The State of Happiness will come to life at the Amphitheatre during the Harbour Festival, and part of its mission is to create a Cartoon Constitution — a system of laws that will be conceived by the visitors to our country and then brought to life by a team of artists before our very eyes.

‘Last year we asked visitors to think about the things that make them happy and the artists recorded this in a fantastic artwork ‘cartoon’ that lived on long after the event was finished,’ says Happy City Director, Mike Zeidler.

‘This year we’re taking it a step further, getting people to think about laws they would make if they were running the country. There’s one law to rule them all — happiness at the expense of others is not allowed. So if you have positive suggestions about how a State of Happiness should be run, get down to the Amphitheatre at Bristol Harbour Festival and make sure it becomes law!

‘It’s amazing what people say when they are asked to think about what makes them happy. Of course lots of people say cake, beer, holidays and parties, but when you look a little deeper at what underpins these things, it’s the importance of family and friends, a sense of community, helping neighbours, individual fulfilment, dignity and self respect.

‘It’s not around having pots of money or having loads of stuff. Stuff doesn’t make us happy — people and dignity makes us happy. Work that fulfils us and empowers us makes us happy. It doesn’t seem too much to ask that everyone should have that.’

If you think you could help us capture some brilliant laws for happiness please come along to the State of Happiness and help our artists create a cartoon constitution.

Or you may be an artist yourself and like to contribute to the artwork.

Either way, you’d certainly be part of the bigger picture and we’d love to welcome you to the State of Happiness…

So please – get in touch.