EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR VILLAGE GREEN 2016

July 6, 2016 by Joanna Harrison

VILLAGE GREEN 2016

Saturday, 9th July 2016. If the date doesn’t already conjure excitement in you then you should get yourself down to Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea for a superb variety of native and international talent.

Art, music, literature and a variety of cultural and creative enterprises will be on display in the urban park, with something that will appeal to audiences of all ages and from all walks of life.

Some of the musical highlights include Billy Bragg, Stereo MC’s, Rag ’n’ Bone Man, Tiggs Da Author, Youth Club, Asylums, Longy, Tony Dudu & the Gumbe Jazz, Arcaves, Mahalia, Charlie Cunningham, The Turbans, Dream Themes, Sharon Rose, the Sundowners, Sound of the Sirens and Primo Nelson to name but a few!

But it isn’t just for the music that people are flocking to the festival (over 25,000 are predicted this year), as festival director Sean McLoughlin has said ‘This year’s festival is set to highlight some of the most eclectic international, national and regional talent. We are absolutely delighted with the range and breadth of outdoor arts on offer’.

Just some of the highlights include the all-new mini village for children under 5. The area, complete with chill out zone, boasts an assortment of kid-friendly activities with a basis in arts and performance. The Buttercup Club will be there with projects that the whole family can get stuck into, while Mrs H & the Sing-Along Band will be on hand performing live. Just outside the mini-village will be acrobatics from A Step Ladder and a Goat - this dance-based performance from choreographer Kate Flatt combines ancient tradition and urban context, encouraging audience participation and displaying an energetic company of international performers.

Wandering the festival grounds, you will be likely to spot Angela Auphery, a down-and-out debutant, who lives in a skip and will be sharing her darkly comic tales. The performance, by Izzie Major, will shine a light on the “invisible people” of our towns, providing an educational and inspired take on an important topic.

There will be the chance to try your hand (or feet) at traditional dances from Africa, Brazil, Hungary and India, alongside Indi Sandhu’s interactive Bollywood dancing lessons. While Pluto Jugglers will be displaying and teaching juggling, tight rope and stilt walking in their circus skills workshops.

There will be drama aplenty in the form of Goya Arts’ curious and mesmerising show, which combines live music, movement, swordplay and some marvellous costumes. Postal Service - the latest dramatic production from the Atlas Movement Theatre, incorporates storytelling, street theatre and outdoor performance.

Seminal yarn-bombers the Craft Club will be back by popular demand displaying their wares, and Southend Adult Community College will be hosting creative workshops including Brain & Body Messages. Essex Wildlife Trust will be educating and entertaining with information and activities exploring bees and pollinators.

The Jacqson Diego Story Emporium are on hand to share stories and inspire children and adults alike to create their own, be it spoken, written, performed or imagined. Guests include James Carter, Joshua Siegel, The Storycycler, Archie Kimpton, Duncan Rendall, Justin Coe, Tiny Tales Storytellers and J.D. Irwin, while T3G and the Wrinkly will be performing their particular masked brand of commedia dell’arte.

So come on down to Village Green festival this weekend, and be a part of one of the most eclectic and dynamic arts and culture events in Essex!

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

Tickets to Village Green remain at the same price as last year for Early Bird! (so make sure you get them early!)

FREE for 10 years and under; 
£5 for 11-17 year olds
£12.50 for an adult ticket (Early Bird price)

Tickets are available online 24 hours at www.villagegreenfestival.com or by telephone from the Skiddle Ticket Sales hotline on 0844 884 2920 (open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm).

For further information on Village Green 2016 phone 01702 470700 or go to: www.villagegreenfestival.com