Mitcheldean Festival

We are proud to continue to offer a wide range of family fun and entertainment that is free for all to attend and join in – come on down!

The Brewery Tap, Jolter Press, Lamb Inn and the White Horse will all be open, as well as the village’s many takeaways

Events over the July weekend are beginning to look like this:

FRIDAY 15th JULY

Acoustic concert in the parish church 7- 9.30pm
Music and song session in the Lamb from 8pm

SATURDAY 16th JULY

Young Poets and Storytellers in the parish church, noon
Busking and Morris dancing in the village during the day
Fete on the playing field 1 – 4pm, with entertainments:
• Pillowell Silver Band
• Mitcheldean Primary School
• Morris Dancing
• Harmony All Stars majorettes
• Tug O’ War between the two village pubs
Poetry recital in the Jolter Press from 4 – 6 pm
Concert in the parish church 4 – 9pm
Dancing and song in the community centre 7-30 – late

SUNDAY 17th JULY

Folk walk from 12 noon to 6 pm, starting at the White Horse
Music and song session in the White Horse from 2pm

We’ve had a great response to our last post – watch this space!

As well as the parish church concert on Saturday 16th July from 4 – 9pm, we have a great line-up for the acoustic concert the previous night, headlined by our good friend Dick Brice. With informal music sessions every day, Morris and ceilidh dancing on the Saturday as well as the Fete, the Poetry Festival and the Young Poets and Storytellers Competition, we’re looking forward to another great weekend – come on down!

We will be having a live concert in the parish church on Saturday 16th July as part of this year’s Mitcheldean Festival.

We have a great emerging line up, including our good friends Mice in a Matchbox, but there are four slots still unfilled.

If you or anyone you know would like to put together a 25-minute performance spot, please get in touch via talktous@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk – Many thanks!

The spectacular success in adverse circumstance of this year’s Young Poets & Story-tellers Competitions will be celebrated at the online Poetry Festival from 2pm on Saturday 17th July, with the full awards ceremony and presentation of prizes held later in the year.

The advance programme looks like this:

2pm Introduction to the Poetry Festival including news of the competitions (but not yet the winners)

2.10 – 2.50 – Readings by Forest poets Annie Caville, Roger Drury, Val Ormorod and Carol Shepherd.

2.50 – 3.00 Paul Manning to introduce Maggie Clutterbuck and Dick Brice who will read from their new books due in September.

3.00 – 3.20 – Maggie Clutterbuck then Dick Brice.

3.20 – 4.20 – Readings by modern poets Tess Biddington, Ziggy Dicks, Jonathan Edwards, Ben Ray, Anna Saunders.

See the Mitcheldean Festival Facebook page for more details on how to log in.

There will be some evening singing performances online on Saturday 17th July 2021, but no concerts in the church due to the pandemic as already announced. Looking ahead to 2022, we would like to have your views on what kind of music you would like to come and hear in the future. There is a short questionnaire attached, please let us know your thoughts and preferences and email your reply to talktous@mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk – we look forward to hearing from you.

Mitcheldean Festival flier and questionnaire June 2021.

We’re sorry to announce that, in view of the continued uncertainty around the ending of lockdown we have decided to abandon plans for our two showcase concerts this year. Although we had a number of artists who were interested in performing live the availability of the venue and terms of its use are still unclear.

We did consider a virtual concert like last year but several of our artists were unable to perform virtually this year so we have decided to skip the concerts.

Other elements of the festival will go ahead in a reduced or virtual format and we will tell you more about that in the weeks to come.