Late bookings and more funding ...

With the festival nearly on us, we were just about to decide the pairings between venues and artists, when we had more bookings by artists wanting to join the festival, and one of our funding applications came through, which means we have been able to book extra activities in the form of story telling and african drumming - brilliant!

Read on ...

Here are the latest batch of artists who will be at the festival for you to meet.

Lyndsay Latimer

Watercoloured greetings cards and pretty gemstone jewellery.

Steve Slack

Wooden items which are hand carved or worked by hand on the lathe. Docks, bowls, stools, tables and other ornamental pieces. He uses only British wood from sustainable sources.

Sue Loveridge

Sue works with her camera focusing on landscapes, natural forms and abstract subject matters.                                       

Louise West

Louise will be demonstrating traditional lacemaking techniques

Out and about around the venues will be:

Sophie Snell - Story Teller

Sophie is a professional storyteller based just outside Derby. She is a warm, engaging and lively performer entertaining both children and adults at public events, festivals, storytelling clubs, schools, libraries, museums and community settings.
Sophie has a wide repertoire of stories, based on traditional tales plucked from the stones and bones of the British Isles, northern Europe and around the world. She loves tales that twist and turn, finding the unexpected, comical and intriguing.

Joliba Drums

David Woolley studied West African Djembe and Djuns under the guidance of Drum/Dance master Almami Kamara aka Maitre Samsou during his time in the Gambia, he also played with members of Allah Tantoo, Follocoh, Canella and African Ballet.

David is based in Stoke on Trent and delivers professional workshops throughout Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, West Midlands and surrounding areas.

When Dave is not guerrilla drumming around the other festival venues he will be found here to give you a go at drumming or for you to listen and dance.

 'Take Flight'

The special trail within the trail for children is  called 'Flight Path', young visitors will be able to take part in special activities, play I-spy and get a prize for taking part. This is sponsored by the East Midlands Airport Community Fund, so it is FREE to join in - you can't say better than that. Thanks to Nicki Dennett and her helpers for organising this.

A big thank you to the local businesses too, see the 'support' page for who they are and what they do.

So ... see you in Draycott, Derbyshire on the 6th and 7th May between 12 noon and 5pm. 
Get to the Beetroot Tree for your programme and have a wonderful afternoon.

It's getting closer ...

Still more artists to tell you about today, here are another group of wonderful artists and creatives who will be at the festival (6th and 7th May, 12 noon till 5pm):

Rachel Warren

Rachel simply enjoys the process of making things – working with traditional tools and materials.  She has always loved jewellery and now spends her time, out in her workshop, combining metals, glass and polymer clay into customised beads and bespoke jewellery.

She tends to work within a fairly limited colour palette – mostly in the cool part of the spectrum, blues, greens and purples, all of which perfectly complement her preferred metal, silver.

She is fascinated by folklore, myths and legends, talismans and amulets, and has an obsession with water, be it the powerful crashing waves and life of the ocean, or the silent stillness of frost and snow.

She will be demonstrating some of her techniques for you.

Wonderful beads from Rachel Warren, reminding me of beach finds ...

Mel Anderson

With information this time ...

Mel produces bright and vibrant, hand felted textile art work, homeware, jewellery and cards, 

using bold, iconic images, tactile fibres, natural and manmade. Incorporating vintage and dress jewellery, beaded embellishment and other interesting treasures. Commissions welcome. 

Bold felted designs from Mel Anderson

Christine Grey 

I am a Mother, a Partner and an Artist, living and working in Derbyshire. I enjoy exploring my creativity through different mediums. My creative output is usually matched by the appropriate medium at that time, whether this is a photograph, a mixed media painting, a mosaic or a textile piece depends on the what needs to be created.

Bright, bold colours and surfaces by Christine Grey

Jessica Noutch

Jessica says:

 I love trying to capture the movements and features of passers-by, celebrating their unique and sometimes surprising shapes.  I hope my drawings express the inherent value of each person who appears in them. The best ones are elegantly fluid but also gently humorous.

Jessica will be an 'itinerant artist' during the festival, recording the event with her  sketches which will be shown at The Beetroot Tree as an exhibition later.

Buskers by Jessica Noutch

Gail McGregor

Gail, an art therapist, presents 'Don't stand at my grave and weep' which is a series of works based around coming to terms with the death of her mother.

 She is showing an installation  which is based around the burial customs where a body is dressed in fancy, favorite or ceremonial clothes. Personal objects, such as a favorite pieces of jewelry or photograph, of the deceased may be included with the body.  

For Gail the process of collecting grave goods was cathartic, she will be with the work to discuss the culture of 'Grave Goods' and to talk if you have stories to share.  

Detail from 'Don't Stand at my Grave and Weep' by Gail McGregor

 More:

We also welcome back Kathy who sells her homegrown plants, Honeycombe will be present to talk to creatives who want to learn and network, and I will tell you more about our special Childrens activity and treasure trail very soon ...