BIG NAMES, THE BEST LOCAL TALENT AND EXCITEMENT FOR ALL MAKE 2009 HARLESTON & WAVENEY FESTIVAL THE BEST YET!

 

Big names in music, arts and culture will descend on the South Norfolk market town of Harleston for one week only in August for the 8th annual Harleston & Waveney Arts Festival.

 

The Festival  boasting an impressive and unmissable line up of events including concerts, talks, street theatre, workshops, a musical supper, a weekend of live music and family fun day, is from Monday 24th to Monday 31st August.

 

The nationally renowned Opera Babes will mesmerise crowds at the headline event on Tuesday 25th August in a pioneering coup which will see the event screened cinema style to an audience watching from a different venue in the town, and screened live over the Internet to fans across the world.

 

This stunning technical feat has been made possible through the ingenuity and sheer dedication of the technicians from the East Anglian Film Archive and sound engineer Stewart Orr and will allow more people to enjoy the show, which is expected to be a sell-out.

 

The Festival box office is now open for these and all other festival events on 01379 851917 and 01379 852221 and festival-goers are being advised to book early to ensure they don’t miss out.

 

Other events around the town during the week include guided walks, workshops and talks, rare film screenings, street entertainment, a free music weekend at the Swan Hotel and a free family fun day on the Recreation Ground.

 

Shops and businesses are also getting involved with a three-week ‘Shop Art’ trail which will see original work by local and well-known artists on display in various shop windows around the town. The trail starts on the 17th August and ends on 4th September.

 

Festival Chairman, Margaret Griffiths, commented: “The Festival goes from strength to strength and is pushing boundaries with imaginative, pioneering events such as the Opera Babes show which will reach a wider audience thanks to our innovative use of technology. We are delighted to bring exciting, well- known acts to Harleston for people to enjoy on their doorstep and we urge everyone in the town and surrounding area to come along and enjoy what the Festival has to offer.”

 

Tickets can be booked in advance on 01379 851917 or 01379 852221.

 

For more information see www.harlestonandwaveneyfestival.co.uk

 

The full Festival programme is as follows:

 

Monday 24th

Mediterranean-style evening. Three course dinner with poetry and music at Gurney’s Bistro. Front Porch will entertain with poetry and music. Tickets are £20 and should be booked through Gurney’s Bistro on 01379 855366.

 

Tuesday 25th

Opera Babes at St John’s with a video link to King George’s Hall. Pre-theatre suppers will be available at Gurney’s Bistro. Tickets £20, £15 and £10. Call the box office for information on 01379 851917 or 01379 852221.

 

Wednesday 26th

Market Day will be transformed with walkabout entertainment in the town centre all morning. Free event.

 

12.45 -1.30pm. Waveney Cateracts - a fascinating talk and slideshow from Stewart Orr and Geoff Doggett who took their canoe from the source of the Waveney to the sea at Lowestoft to prove that the county really is an island! This is a free event at King George’s Hall.  

 

Evening. 7.30pm Acclaimed writer Sarah Bower will lead a Writers’ Workshop called ‘life/story’ at the Library. Tickets £2.50

 

Thursday 27th

7.30pm. Craig Brown and Neil Innes at Wingfield Barns. The first appearance together of two legends of British comedy – one literary, the other musical is a major event.

 

Tickets £15 Concessions £10 under-18s. Box Office: 01379 851917 or 852221

 

Evening: World Music at the Swan Hotel. Benefit concert organised by Amnesty International. Tickets £3. Ring 01379 852301. Pay at the door £4

 

Friday 28th

Chief Reporter at the Diss Express, Catherine Morris, along with a photographer, will deliver a writer’s workshop for aspiring young journalists at Exchange 2 at the Recreation Ground. Those taking part will be taken through the basics of putting a news article together and will then work to create a story, which may appear in the Diss Express.

 

Evening: The Music Weekend kicks off at The Swan Hotel with an open mic night for local acts. This is a regular, free event, which usually attracts a talented and lively crowd who not only showcase their music but often end up jamming together at the end of the night!

 

The Sole Bay Jazz Band has been entertaining audiences across the region for almost three decades and they bring their unique brand of trad and mainstream jazz to St Johns Church for a great start to the weekend. Tickets £7.50/£6 conc.

 

Saturday 29th

Entertainers take to the streets again for family fun around the town while the Music Weekend continues at The Swan Hotel from midday and continues until late. Top regional acts such as Magicfolk and Pilots will provide the perfect accompaniment to the Real Ale Festival and delicious food.

 

Children will also be entertained and delighted as they join in The Gruffalo’s birthday party which will also take place at The Swan. This is a free event organised by the town’s Children’s Book Group.

 

11.30am  ‘Trees of Harleston’ talk and walk with Sid Taylor at the Recreation Ground

 

Afternoon. A rare opportunity to see two fascinating films about the area:

      · “Reflections on a River” (1984, Horizon) traces the course of the River Waveney from source to mouth. Horizon chose the Waveney after scouring the country and this film is a wonderful journey through the local countryside as well as an insight into the river’s relationship with the landowners and stockmen who lived and worked alongside it. The film lasts for 50 minutes and includes superb cinematography and photography.

 

· No Lullaby for Broadland (1979, Anglia Television) investigates the threat to the ecology of the Norfolk Broads caused by massive tourist exploitation.

 

7.30pm at Starston Church : A film evening with the East Anglian Archive.

 

Sunday 30th

The free Music Weekend continues at The Swan Hotel from midday until late with more real ales and food on offer.

 

2pm  Harleston Heritage Walk starting from St Johns Church with Gordon Lascelles. Free event

 

All day. ‘History of Sound’ open day at Prior’s Croft Barn, Withersdale Street. A unique opportunity to discover a virtual museum of sound equipment, radios and other memorabilia. This is a personal collection built by sound engineer Stewart Orr who worked with the BBC for many years. Explore the bygone radios and artefacts that line every inch of the barn and enjoy a trip down Memory Lane as well as a fascinating insight into the development of broadcast technology in the 21st Century.

 

Monday 31st

All day. Free Family Fun Day at Harleston’s recreation ground where there will be vintage cars and tractors, a celebration of dance and other events in the main arena, stalls, and barbeque.

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