Harleston Festival opens with a May Day extravaganza!

On Saturday May 1st – May Day - the people of Harleston and the surrounding villages will come together to take part in the traditional maypole dance. It is the culmination of four weeks of dance workshops, and part of the Harleston and Waveney Festival, which formally opens on that day.

At 11am with a background of street music from Norfolk Wherry Brass, Richard Bacon MP, Helen McDermott of Anglia TV, South Norfolk Council Chairman Mrs Vera Alexander and other officials, will formally open the festival.

And at 2pm the Maypole dancing begins! Two very different groups of residents will be performing:

Over 60s East Anglia Traditional Music Trust has been working with villagers, aged 60 and over, teaching them about the history of circle dances as well as how to perform them. As a result, on Saturday, this group will be performing three dances which reflect that history - a medieval circle dance without ribbons, then a Victorian circle dance which is when ribbons were included, and they will end with a Maypole dance of their own creation.

100 local school children

Norfolk Dance has been holding workshops with six local primary schools, exploring the circle dances of various cultures. Around 100 pupils aged between four and eleven, will be performing their maypole dances, based on what they have learnt.

And using South Norfolk Council’s mobile bandstand as its stage, community clog dancers Fiddlesticks will also be strutting their stuff!

Meryl Harding, Cultural Partnerships Manager at South Norfolk Council said:

“The dance event will be a real spectacle – it will reflect the hard work and enthusiasm of the local people of all ages who have got so thoroughly involved in the workshops and performances.

The maypole project is only a small part of this fantastic festival of arts, which has grown and developed over the last three years. This year’s festival is crammed with exciting events – there are so many highlights, including big names performing alongside community performers.”

Judith Osborne, the Director of the Festival said:

“In only its third year, the Festival has taken a number of big steps forward, thanks to huge input from a variety of people in the area.

I am really delighted that Wingfield Arts have come in as partners, in a collaborative scheme with South Norfolk Council, Eastern Orchestral Board and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, bringing these top class musicians to Harleston and Wingfied in a developing scheme which should make the Academy familiar and welcome visitors to the area.

South Norfolk Council is not only our main sponsor this year, but has given invaluable advice and support on every front. I believe the council see these community festivals as providing potential economic, as well as individual personal benefits, to residents of South Norfolk.

The festival has something for everyone - it should be a really exciting week - do come and join us!"

A few Festival highlights:

Sunday May 2nd 2pm to 5pm - Join the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in an orchestral music workshop, learning about the instruments of the orchestra, building your own instruments and creating a piece of music.

Monday May 3rd 7.30pm

Enjoy a Literary evening with broadcaster and writer Libby Purves and author Louise de Bernieres.

Friday May 7th 7.30pm

The Academy of St Martin’s in the Fields Quintet in concert. An evening of Mozart, Bach and Haydn.

To find out more please contact Harleston Tourist Information Centre on: 01379 855066 or pop in if you want to buy tickets. Tickets are also available from Wingfield Arts on 01379 384505.

The festival runs from Saturday May 1st to Sunday May 9th, and includes music, dance, drama and the visual arts. Prices and venues vary.

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