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Find out what went on during weekend two and weekend three
Welcome to The Big Tea Party
Saturday, 12 June 1 to 6pm, Chatham Riverside, library and high street
Come join us on Chatham’s urban village green for an afternoon of hands-on fun, frolics and entertainment for all the family.
Appearing throughout the afternoon…acts will perform regularly throughout the afternoon. To find out when visit this website a couple of days before the event or pick up a timetable on the day.
Pif-Paf… a grumpy ringmaster, a stage-shy elephant and a band of Kamikaze chickens; it can only be Pif-Paf back in a show full of mad-cap inventions, live music and a stunning water display finale. Find out more…
Hoodwink…two waiters try to serve lunch to a solitary diner but are thwarted by exploding fish, runaway puddings and a table that literally walks off in disgust. Find out more…
Jon Hicks…Jon is a speed painter extraordinaire. In a flurry of brushes, paint and controlled, flailing limbs he transforms large canvases into iconic artworks. Find out more…
Bureau of Silly Ideas…meet Gladys, the eccentric, large plant pot that loves to chat, dance, squirt water and shake her foliage to the rhythm of life. Find out more…
Dizzy O’Dare presents…roll up for The Tiny Travelling Tightwire Show. Poppet wants to show you the delights of her tightwire skills but she is shy and needs your help and encouragement. A fun and entertaining roaming tightwire show for all ages incorporating Poppet the puppet and Alana Jones, one of the UK’s leading tightwire artists. SPARK – Local Arts Commission
Frumpid Stumplestone…the mad cap circus performer who will amaze and astonish the young and old with feats of acrobatic skill, merry-some mirth and danger. Find out more…
Brook Youth Theatre presents ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
“OFF…WITH…THEIR…HEADS” says the The Queen of Hearts at her deadly game of croquet. Are you brave enough to join her or would you prefer to have tea with the Mad Hatter and The White Rabbit ? You may end up wetter than you ever imagined. Come and meet Alice as The Youth Theatre invites you to enter wonderland.
The Doctor’s Daughter – preview show
Presented by Students of Drama, Applied Theatre and Education at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama
Join us for all the fun of the fair, with lively games, music and dance. Created especially for Fuse Medway Festival and set in the 1940s against a wartime backdrop The Doctor’s Daughter is a love story with a mischievous twist. A comic tale of trickery and infatuation, this interactive family show is packed with cheeky banter and colourful characters.
Enjoy the activities and bring a picnic for the first hour and then sit down to watch the performance. Entry is free…bring something comfy to sit on and all children must be accompanied by an adult. See the Doctor’s Daughter throughout the festival:
-
Upnor Castle, Sunday, 13 June 4 to 6pm
- Capstone Farm Country Park, Saturday, 19 June 4 to 6pm
- Cliffe Woods Community Hall, Sunday, 20 June 4 to 6pm
- Cuxton Community Junior School Amphitheatre, Friday, 25 June 4 to 6pm
- High Halstow Recreation Ground, Saturday, 26 June 3 to 5pm
Note: Booking is essential at Upnor Castle as space is limited. Please phone 01634 338319 to book or for more information. Limited parking at some sites. No need to book for shows at all other venues – first-come first-served.
Sparky’s amazing performance relay
Chatham High Street to the riverside 4-5pm
Come and meet Sparky, Medway’s own Imagination our Nation puppet, who will be wandering the riverside all afternoon. Then join him as he leads a performance relay with primary schools from across the area, from Chatham High Street to the riverside, where he will team up with his massive, older brother, Atom. A young Sparky was first introduced to Medway during last year’s festival. Since then he’s discovered so much and is now a champion for health and fitness. Come and find out what he’s learnt.
Imagination our Nation - find out more about the project
Workshops and storytelling
The following workshops and stories will be repeated throughout the afternoon. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Entry on a first-come-first-served basis.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic with Shona Pellet and Richard Pemberton…enjoy gentle stories from the comfort of lazy deckchairs and picnic blankets, then make and decorate your very own teddy ears and get a face-paint nose and whiskers. Feel free to bring a picnic and don’t forget your teddy. Suitable for under-eights.
Circus Skills with Will Ashwell…try your hand at a variety of circus skills and wow your friends; from juggling to diablo and stilt walking and unicycling. Suitable for all ages.
Bunting decorating with Friday Greenrod…create bunting using special fabric paints, stencils and sponges. Take it home or donate it to the festival. Aprons and gloves will be provided but beware, materials may stain clothes. Suitable for over-eights.
Cupcake decorating with Lizzie Hodge…decorate cupcakes with all sorts of colourful icing, sprinkles and sparkles and then make greeting cards, decorations and special boxes to carry them home in. Suitable for all ages.
- Competition – win tickets for Jack and the Beanstalk at The Central Theatre this Christmas…make and decorate a cake at home and bring it to our Hello Cupcake tent by 3pm. There will be categories for under-11s, 12-16-year-olds and adults. Winners receive a pair of panto tickets.
Also on during weekend one…
Hidden Door Productions present
Sparkle
Sat, 12 June, Strood Waterfront play area, Canal Road 12noon to 4pm
Artists from Hidden Door Productions will be bringing a touch of colour, joy and celebration to Strood Waterfront with a profusion of sparkly and colourful mobiles. The magical and fun kaleidoscopic art installation will transform the amphitheatre into a theatrical backdrop. Workshops for this Saturday include:
12noon – 2pm
Hidden Door Productions presents:
Art workshop for all ages and abilities, make your own Sparkle.
1.30 – 3pm
Curious Planet Presents:
Music and theatre workshop based around opera…but not as you know it. Come and take part and then perform what you have learned. This project is funded by the Creative Campus Initiative, the University of Kent and supported by Curious Planet. Spaces on the workshop are free but limited. To book a place on the workshop please contact info@curiousplanet.org
3.30 to 4.pm
Opera performance by international soloists Tania Marie Williams and Peter Grevatt, accompanied by Robyn Sevastos.
SPARK – Local Arts Commission
And on Sunday…
Fabio Paolizzo presents
Velodrone
Rochester Castle Gardens, Sunday, 13 June 5.30pm and 7.30pm
A unique performance event that needs your pedal power! Bring your bike and join us on a cycle around the gardens; the movement will create music. No bike? No problem, simply turn up with a picnic, relax and listen as the concert unfolds. This project is funded by the Creative Campus Initiative, the University of Kent. Find out more about the project.
