Whilst they beaver away putting the final preparations in place (and aren’t there so many of them) you can just sit back and look forward to what’s shaping up to be a wonderful weekend of festivities. And while much recent news from Galtres HQ has been about of bands, or beer and ciders, and the lovely food we’ve got planned, this newsletter is mostly about fun stuff for families and young people. Whoop! So much to do… Oh and also our response to the riots – the Galtres Path of Peace through Angel Gardens. Read on, dear readers …

FESTIVAL FOLK FOR PEACE!

Angel Gardens will be joining the Forest of Galtres festival in a few weeks with a beautiful space of crafts, activities and chilling spaces. In response to the riots we have seen in the last few days and an overwhelming urge for peace, we will be opening up our PATH OF PEACE in the gardens. We are inviting everyone to bring plants, objects, candles, messages or other items to line the path near the entrance to the festival and Angel Gardens. On Friday night of the festival we will opening the gates and we invite you to place your items along the ground to create the path. You will be able to add to it throughout the weekend at any time and we will invite you all to help us light the path up every night, making sure it stays tidy and lovely all weekend, every time you walk through you can be proud you made your mark.
Join us as we light the campfire and path’s candles at 9pm on Friday night and open the festival with an Angel Gardens ceremony. You are welcome to help us light the candles at this time… bring jam jar lanterns ( we will bring glass paint for you to decorate on Friday from 6.30pm), bring plants, things for the floor, stones, pebbles, personal offerings, art work, sculptures or whatever you can think of…be creative and lets make this happen. We will create a central space for a book for you to write your messages, prayers and thoughts.
Festival folk love peace!!!
See you then
Angel Sam ( Angel Gardens)

LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!

The family entertainment area gets bigger and better! There’s almost too much to mention; what with custard pies and shaving foam, canons, a wild rumpus and pantos, talent shows, art and crafts, music from the hugely popular Wee Folk.

We have story tellers and poets of international renown sharing traditional stories and original tales based on their life experiences and the people they meet along the way …listen carefully you might just recognise yourself!

We are very excited to announce that the ever marvelous Anneliese Emmans Dean will be joining us on Sunday 28th August to fill the night air with her original poetry . She will expect you join in….so dust off your sonnets and limericks and join Anneliese Emmans Dean, the sparkling York poet fresh from her radio performances on BBC radio 2 & 4.
This wonderful entertainer never fails to delight and guarantees an evening of verse, verve and mirth.

The irrepressible and ever popular Adrian Spendlow Poet, story teller, musician and part woodland Toll has returned from Norway after entertaining the Vikings with tales of the forests and fiords (talk about taking coals to Newcastle) as ever is guaranteed hold young and old spell bound with his stories and poems. A truly unforgettable performer

Fresh from the ‘notpartof’ festival in Manchester popular York storyteller and poet Helen Sant presents her acclaimed show Keep the trees free. . perhaps better known as Gothic Molly join Helen for her evening performance of stories and poetry.

Talented young performer fresh from the Manchester fringe festival….Ilaria Passeri will bring her own brand of fun and laughter to Galtres. Join Ilaria and her puppet friends as they try to decorate enough cakes and gingerbread men for all the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men, things are just not going to plan and they will need your help.
Bring your ticket decorate your very own gingerbread man to take home.

Lara McClure specialises in irreverent twists on classic fables, and the weaving of fanciful yarns around everyday items, often found on the ground [sound as a pound] – sticks, stones and abandoned gloves make great starting points for audience-participation story building. Drinking tea with a sea horse helps too. Luckily, small children instinctively know all this.
Join Lara at her Story Café …Choose from the ‘story menu’ or see what she serves up.

At the very centre of a giant web we have a not so wicked witch (Mary Passeri) in her nest waiting to tell you tall tales and spin you along! Children young and old and those with the gift of the gab welcome, but watch out because Mary will probably get you joining in with storytelling whether you like it or not

Appearing at Galtres for the very first time Chilli Bon Bon community theatre group will get your toes tapping at their dance workshops and entertain you with shadow puppets…they keep saying to keep your eyes open for Blob…There is a reward for anyone finding him!

G-ZONE : beatbox artist ThePetebox; breakdance; hip-hop and G-FACTOR

Top beatbox artist THePETEBOX will be performing at Galtres Festival this year on Sunday, alongside a programme of music and street dance.

If you’ve not seem him before checkout this YouTube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhjA2nvVD7U  which has had more than 1.2 million views and was the most played video in the UK in April. Galtres scouts caught up with him earlier this year at Bearded Theory and were so impressed by his talent they booked him up straight away.

Pete’s performance will be followed by the winner of our talent show G-FACTOR, and then by a series of performances by York breakdance crews in the Little Top.

Not only is THePETEBOX one of the world’s finest human Beatboxers, he has spent the past two years crafting a whole new approach to using his vocal dexterity to create music.

His performances are more similar to that of a full band as he builds each layer of his tracks live using a loop pedal to construct fully crafted songs before the amazed audience. They are taken on a journey of real time music production which builds up and delivers a full frequency spectrum of sound, from deep bass, to high pitched trumpets and multiple vocal harmonies – all made with his mouth!

This pioneering endeavour won THePETEBOX a Channel 4Talent Award, placing him alongside some of the country’s most promising creative and innovative individuals and adding to his earlier gained title as Radio 1 Beatboxing Champion.

He has taken his show around Africa and Europe as well as a host of UK performances, which have mesmerised crowds at Glastonbury, Isle of White Festival, Bestival, Creamfields and V Festival amongst many others.

His breathtaking abilities to create, and re-create sounds and arrangements encompassing many styles of music from hip-hop to drum & bass, jazz, house, garage and rock have established him as an explosive live performer and seen him play at countless club nights and festivals around the world over the past three years.

He has toured and collaborated with Jay Sean, Foreign Beggars and Diversity, leading to notable appearances on MTV, and E4 Music – while he has also supported heavyweights like Grandmaster Flash, Will Smith, Pendulum, Mystery Jets, Grooverider, Tim Westwood and even The Human League.

Guest appearances on national radio – Kerrang! and Absolute – and across BBC radio and television have helped him gain widespread recognition, on top of a career highlight performance in front of over 10,000 people in Trafalgar Square at the World Free Running Championships, where he of course smashed it.

Hold tight for what will be an amazing action packed performance by THePETEBOX at Galtres Festival.

THE ANGELS ARE IN THE BUILDING!! (WELL FIELD ANYWAY!!)

The Angels of Angels gardens are more than excited to be joining the Galtres family this August bank holiday weekend. With our lovely garden full of fun and frolics we will bring you loads of activities and crafts to join in with.

Now don’t you go thinking this is just for kids!! We have designed our activities so everyone can get something from them! So come and explore and make something or just have a chill by the camp fire.

You will find our Angels (look for purple t-shirts and silver badges) we are here to help if you are lost or need any information, we also will be hosting Trixie the caravan who will be the lost kids point during the day.

With daytime activities in the bell tents and the gardens and evening activities including bedtime stories, marshmallow toasting, Ukulele Karaoke and campfire jamming, you will find something going on all the time. Bring your instruments to join in and don’t forget to get dressed up… glitter available from all Angels as standard.

Come play in the paddling pools, borrow a vintage board games, boys ( and men) have their own play tent with trains, pacman, space invaders and castles and girls( ladies) have fairy hair garlands to make and tutus to sew and that is just the start… come on.. Come and see… you know you want to!!!

See you on Friday at 6.30 for our welcome party, free face painting, sweeties, dancing, custard pies and marshmallow toasting kicks off the weekend with tons of smiles and Angel Flutterings! Grab your kid’s wrist bands too and visit the lost kids point for your free car sticker.

Check out the boards and programs for activities

See you in a bit!!
Glittery sprinkles and shiny love…
Angel Sam x

Upload your photos on www.facebook.com/angelgardens for a chance to win festival tickets for next year.

VISIT www.galtresfestival.org.uk now for you last chance to buy tickets!!!!

By Andy on August 12, 2011