It’s Hackney WickED festival time again, the 4th annual festival so far at Hackney Wick.
It’s a kind of open studio artists festival, combined with lots of street food and music events, and his quickly become one of London’s most popular fringe festivals.
There’s also a Coracle Regatta on the Sunday.
Coracle Regatta
This year’s Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (24 June – 2 July) broke all previous records with over 200 performances from 46 companies taking place over a nine day period. Events across Greenwich, Woolwich, Mile End and Canary Wharf were attended by more than 75,000 people, here is just a sampling of some of the enthusiastic comments:
“Spectacular. Unlike anything I have ever seen and
completely amazed that it was FREE!!”
“Wow, it was stunning. Enjoyed every second –
great performance, movement, storyline.”
“An absolutely fantastic festival… the disability access was first class (thank you), best I’ve ever seen and so many integrated performances too.”
There are some dedicated cider festivals all over the UK, not always at the best time of year for holding a cider and perry festival, and of course there are many real ale and cider festivals. But the real ale and cider festivals don’t always have any decent real cider at all, or else it all sells out in the first day. But where are the cider festivals in London?
I looked through the UKCider list of cider festivals and events and I couldn’t see any this year taking place within the London area except the Builders Arms back in May.
Cider Festivals - Real Cider and Perry at ukcider
It’s the London Mela Festival today, Sunday August 8th so get along to Gunnersbury Park for some great music, dance and culture from the Asian sub continent
The London Mela Festival 2010 takes place at Gunnersbury Park, West London from 1pm – 8.30pm, Sunday 8th August 2010. The festival is free to attend. Nearest tube: Acton Town.
via London Mela 2010 – London Mela at Gunnersbury Park, Mela 2010.
the London Mela Festival
The London Festival of dragon boat racing 2010 had over 40 dragon boat teams competing and an entertainment programme to keep all onshore viewers entertained throughout the day. There was support from a number of corporate teams from financial sector and commercial retails sector which added to the competition action. Included in the programme were staged live entertainment and full children’s play area, Chinese cultural and curiosity stalls as well as stalls serving food and beverages throughout the day.
Dragon boat races are traditionally held as part of the annual Duanwu Festival observance in China. 19th century European observers of the racing ritual, not understanding the significance of Duan Wu, referred to the spectacle as a “dragon boat festival”. This is the term that has become known in the West.
Dragonboat festival racing, like Duanwu, is observed and celebrated in many areas of east Asia with significant populations of ethnic Chinese living there e.g. Singapore, Malaysia, and Greater China and now also in London as part of the London festival scene.
GRAVITY
OPENING NIGHT SPECTACLE AND FIREWORKS
Presented in association with Greenwich Dance
Thursday 24 June, 10pm (Gates open 9.30pm) FREE
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
This dance extravaganza will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief as Catalan choreographer Toni Mira creates gravity-defying magic in the grounds of the National Maritime Museum.
For one night only, Greenwich’s iconic Queen’s House will be transformed into a giant play house for 10 local dancers, accompanied by original music from composer Jules Maxwell, exquisite imagery from film maker Roswitha Chesher and fireworks. Previously only seen in Spain, Toni Mira’s innovative concept receives its UK premiere at GDIF, in a brand new production created specially for the Festival’s opening night.
Paradise Gardens Festival is back transforming Victoria Park into a 21st century pleasure garden. A FREE multi-art form festival presenting the best of East London and International talent and packed with activities for all ages.
Tower Hamlets Council presents
PARADISE GARDENS IN VICTORIA PARK E3
SAT 19th & SUN 20th JUNE 2010
Midday – 10:00pm
Paradise Gardens Festival is back transforming Victoria Park into a 21st century pleasure garden. A FREE multi-art form festival presenting the best of East London and International talent and packed with activities for all ages.
TRAVEL
Travel to Victoria Park, Grove Road, E3 – Tube: Mile End (Central Line)
Rail: Cambridge Heath Road & Hackney Wick
Buses: 277, D6, 30
For latest travel info go to www.tfl.gov.uk
Parking:Victoria Park is in a controlled parking zone. We advise you to leave your car at home.
paradise gardens festival
ACCESS
Paradise Gardens is a green field site with sheltered areas (marquees) and non-sheltered areas. Weather and ground conditions may be variable.
In 2009, We were welcomed to the beautiful environs of Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, transformed into a pleasure garden for the 21st Century. Once again the partnership of Remarkable Productions and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets bring you a FREE festival weekend packed full of amazing activities for people of all ages.
We present this showcase of the best cultural offer from Europe and around the world as our flagship Cultural Olympiad event. Please come and join us!
This year we are proud to present the London outdoor premiere of ‘La Cucina dell’Arte’ by the renowned Belgian circus, Circus Ronaldo. Those of you who caught No Fit State’s Tabu last year will know that we specialise in presenting a world class circus each year. There are only 900 tickets – when they’re gone, they’re gone, so book now!
The music programme features a partnership with Barbican’s Cuba50 programme on the Paradise Stage on Sunday which includes the seminal Charanga group Orquesta Aragon. Other musical highlights, programmed by Continental Drifts, include The Dynamics and Soothsayers.
New commissions include The Bar of Ideas, newly developed into a full performance piece from last year’s installation, now featuring street theatre comic magicians Cocoloco – the show is ticketed so make sure you book your place when you arrive on site. The Bar of Ideas is part of our programme of Sideshows, which this year includes one the last remaining Wall of Death shows in the world, as well as Miniscule of Sound, the world’s smallest nightclub, and Bored Brand’s Digital Funfair.
Remarkable Productions has teamed up with The Circus Space, in a new partnership, to co-produce East London hip hop dance pioneers Avant Garde Dance working with Chinese pole artists in a new commission for the Festival “The Silver Tree”.
We are delighted to present the Tea Dance once again, this year housed in a Spiegel Tent “Salon Perdu.” In the evenings we present steam punk innovators White Mischief on Saturday and Variety specialists Toot Sweet on Sunday.
This year’s historic moment will be the very first full outing of The Beautiful Octopus Club, the club led by artists with learning difficulties, at a mainstream festival – check it out on Saturday. On Sunday the same venue is taken over by local festival favorites Solution Sound System. Also new this year is the People’s Palace, a spectacular 5 ring tent, presenting a nu folk line up from Magpie’s Nest on Saturday, and Instigate Debate on Sunday. It just remains for me to thank our supporters – Tower Hamlets Council 2012 Unit and Arts Council England and wish you a fantastic weekend.
“More London” is the name of the development on the south bank of the river Thames near Tower Bridge and next to the City Hall and Mayor’s office, and there’s a More London Festival Fringe event this summer, along with everything else.
The Scoop at More London is an outdoor sunken amphitheatre with seating for 800. Throughout the summer months it regularly hosts a variety of free events – from free films, free music and free theatre to local community events and activities. The Scoop at More London is open to everyone.
The Scoop, More London Riverside, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, London, SE1 2DB
The riverside outdoor amphitheatre on the south side of Tower Bridge hosts a season of cultural happenings. Fringe festival shows take place in June, there’s music in July, theatre in August and open-air films in September.
This week, families and teens can watch The Pantaloons perform their version of ‘Macbeth’, which includes puppets, audience interaction and fast-paced fun (June 2-6). Then it’s choirs week, starting on June 9 with the Singology gospel choir.
Also on at The Scoop:
Until Sun Jun 6 Theatre FREE
If the Globe’s bloodbath is a bit gristly for you, a distinctly more oddball ‘Macbeth’ is promised from The Pantaloons, who return to The Scoop this year in what one imagines will be typically pop culture-laden style.
Jun 16-18 Theatre FREE
The return of this work from Palladini productions, in which eight very different characters each tell a story of their experiences living in the UK’s storied capital.
Jun 23-25 Theatre FREE
Unexpected Opera rewires Jacques Offenbach’s ‘Orphée aux Enfers’ giving it a quirky, antipodean-themed twist, as Orpheus’s gal Eunice is lured to Australia by a perfidious folk singer. Company Artistic Director Lynn Binstock directs and adapts, alongside Tim Riley.
Aug 5-Sep 5 Theatre FREE
Boris’s City Hall moonlights as Toad Hall in The Steam Industry family-friendly, puppetry-assisted adaptation of ‘The Wind in the Willows’. In rep with ‘Don Juan in Love’.
Aug 5-Sep 5 Theatre FREE
Riotous company The Steam Industry returns with its eighth season at The Scoop with an adaptation of José Zorrilla’s play about the knife-weilding, ladies’ man Don Juan. Phil Willmott adapts. In rep with ‘Toad Hall’.
The London Festival of Theatre takes place in July each year, so if the London Festival Fringe idea goes ahead for August, then there will have to be some accommodation with the dates I would have thought.
LIFT, the London international Festival of Theatre, is one of Europe’s most adventurous and influential producers of international contemporary theatre, creating extraordinary festivals and programmes of work that transform London into a stage and inspire everyone to participate in the stories of the world.
LIFT’s rich and varied programming of international work in London has had a major influence on the development of British theatre – challenging its conventions, introducing new forms of theatrical expression and bringing fresh perspectives on audience, communities and spaces throughout the city. In anticipating our future we are excited to take LIFT’s legacy forward, connecting the world’s boldest and brightest theatre makers with the people of one of the world’s great capital cities.
The Greenwich and Docklands London Festival (Greenwich+Docklands International Festival) takes place each summer in the two locations. Last year, 2009 it was from June 24th to the fourth of July.
Docklands London Festival
Looking ahead to 2010, plans are now being developed for exciting new commissions, breathtaking London premieres from international companies and a host of spectacular treats for GDIF’s growing and enthusiastic audiences. Following the 2009 Festival’s focus on the theme of Water, next year our featured element will be Earth, with events and performances exploring the environment, together with Greenwich and East London’s global connections. The full programme will be announced in April 2010.