Camping Available this year

Tuesday, 09 August 2011 15:02

Fantastic news, we have camping available at the Bridgnorth Rugby club Edgar Davies ground over the bank holiday weekend.

Camping is available for £10 per night for tent, caravan or motorhome. There will also be portable toilets on site and it may be possible to use the shower facilities in the pavillion for an extra charge.

Please contact 07401 348797 or email contact@bridgnorthfestival.org to book. Many thanks to Bridgnorth Rugby club for organising this.

Celebrity Charity Auction Update

Written by Simon Golding Friday, 10 June 2011 15:43

Once again as the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival grows in stature, now in its sixth year, the town is a stage for some very interesting celebrities.

On Thursday 1st September at The George we are holding a Celebrity Charity Auction. The music will be supplied by the talented singer/songwriter Dan Grenaway. Dan has been enjoying much success, not only with his solo career, but also as guitarist and front man for the indie band, Rase.

Our special guests during the evening include the powerful actor & director John Forgeham.

Some of the memorabilia up for auction includes items from Geoff Bridges, Tim Roth, Jayne Seymour, Steve Guttenberg, Hazel D’Jan, Robert Lindsay, Ross Nobel, John Forgeham, Bruce Forsyth, Richard Briers, Melanie Sykes, Joe Pasquale, Ed Byrne and many more.

Please come and support our special event and help raise money for both The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Dry Bar (a non-alcoholic bar/disco for teenagers) situated in the heart of Bridgnorth.

For more information please contact Simon Golding sigold999@btopenworld.com, check back here, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bridgnorthmusicandartsfestival, Twitter http://twitter.com/bnorthfestival or by phone 07401 348797

Bridgnorth Walk team fund raising in 2011

Written by Christy Tuer Tuesday, 24 May 2011 12:45

Holiday centre wins desperate funding from Bridgnorth Walk team

A new holiday centre for people with special needs is set to benefit from this year's Bell & Talbot sponsored walk team.

The 17-strong team will be putting their best foot forward at this year's Bridgnorth Sponsored Walk, which is held each year on May Bank Holiday.

Each year a team for the pub completes the 22-mile walk to raise much needed sponsorship money for the annual free Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival and another charity of their choice.

This year the funding will be split 50/50 between the festival and the Centre Algarve – the first ever centre to open in Europe dedicated to providing holidays for people with special needs.

Two team members Becc Green and Rob Cooper volunteered at the centre in February and aim to go back to add more vital support before it officially opens next year.

"It's the first centre of its kind in Europe. I volunteered there for two weeks in February and we are hoping to return in July! Fantastic people and the guy that's funded the majority of it is amazing," said Becc.

The Bell & Talbot pub are the current holders of the Taverners Trophy for the pub/club raising the most money for charity.

Hopefully the trophy will be back in it's place of honour above the fireplace in the Bell for another 12 months after this year's walk.

T-shirts for this year's team are sponsored by Ollie Jones of JL Sameday Couriers.

For more information on Centre Algarve visit http://www.centrealgarve.org/

Performance Poetry at the Festival in 2011

Written by Glynis Madden Monday, 09 May 2011 21:50

An entertaining evening of performance poetry is planned to take place in the relaxed and friendly setting of Costa Coffee Bridgnorth on Wednesday 31st August from 6.30 p.m. The event hosted by Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival will feature perfomances by several published local poets/writers and follow with an open mic session for budding poets wishing to recite their work to a friendly audience.

Writers providing the entertainment will include Paul Francis, author of Various Forms, his first full collection of poems which was launched at Much Wenlock Poetry Festival last year; Wolverhampton based performance poet and stand-up comedienne Emma Purshouse, winner of the Much Wenlock Poetry Slam 2011; Paul Hayden who will recite work from his recently published My Little Book of Bugbears; and Theo Theobald, a stand-up comic poet and Much Wenlock Poetry Slam 2011 finalist.

The Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival runs all around the town from 26th August until 4th September 2011. For more information keep checking back here, or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bridgnorthmusicandartsfestival, Twitter at http://twitter.com/bnorthfestival or by phone on 07401 348797.

Photo of Emma Purshouse at last year's festival by photographer Chris Rollason

Animation Festival in 2011

Written by Glynis Madden Sunday, 08 May 2011 18:25

Bridgnorth is set to become animated this summer when the Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival, currently in its 6th year, hosts its first Animation Festival on Saturday 27th August. The one day event, to be held at the town's historic Majestic Cinema, will showcase short films by local animators and feature a special screening of an internationally renowned animated film, details of which are to be announced shortly. Demonstrations by professional animators will run throughout the day giving visitors the opportunity to try their hand at animation.

The animation event will also see the return of Brighton-based graphic novelist and artist, James Pearson, to the festival. Following on from his successful graphic novel event last year, James will be back to conduct a second workshop at the Majestic Cinema. Author of several published sci-fi and horror comics including The Reckoning, The Melting Man and The Heart of War, James will offer advice on how to publish a graphic novel  and provide writing and art tuition.

Festival spokesperson Glynis Madden says, "We are thrilled James is returning to the festival to host another fantastic workshop. We're calling for all aspiring comic book artists and writers to come along to the event with their art folios for James to review together with any questions they can pose to James about getting into the exciting world of comic books. The atmosphere at last year's workshop was amazing and it was lovely to see everyone creating/create their own comic hero strips with James. Everyone who left was filled with newfound inspiration and we look forward to recreating that feeling* this year".

The Animation Festival and Graphic Novel workshops are aimed at ages 14+ or younger children if accompanied by an adult.

Keep checking back here for more details of the exciting events planned for this year's Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival. We can also be found on Facebook http://facebook.com/bridgnorthmusicandartsfestival, Twitter http://twitter.com/bnorthfestival or phone 07401 348797

Open Air Rock Fest

Written by Christy Tuer Friday, 06 May 2011 14:15

A Shropshire music and arts festival is adding an exciting new dimension to its line up this year after organisers secured artists to perform at an open air rock gig.

The event, which will be the first of its kind for the Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival, will take place in the Edgar Davies Rugby Ground next to Severn Park, on the first Saturday of the festival – 27th August 2011.
Rock lovers will see acts take to the stage throughout the afternoon from 12pm until 9pm with long established rock band Stray headlining.

No strangers to performing at festivals, Stray was formed in the late 1960s by founder member Del Bromham and have performed at the Reading and Weeley festivals, appeared on television and supported such names as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Kiss. One of their songs "All in your Mind" was covered by veteran rockers Iron Maiden as the B side to the 'Holy Smoke' single.

Other bands confirmed for the new rock gig are local bands Shebangg, Clear Vinyl and The Dreaming Tree, plus Eastroad and The Picture.

The event will also include an acoustic area, marquee, beer tent, barbeque and pig roast.
Another first for this year"s event is that festival goers will be able to camp at the Edgar Davies Rugby Ground for the duration of the Bank Holiday weekend. More information on 07401 348797.
Festival organiser Linda Mason, and lifelong Stray fan, said today the new stage would be an exciting addition to the annual event and would create a mini festival in itself on the rugby ground.
"The bands we've got signed up for the outdoor rock gig are all fantastic and will add an extra dimension to the festival this year, not to mention creating a real buzz at a festival within a festival on the rugby ground," she said.
"We hope people will grab the opportunity to camp down at the ground as well and help turn it into a real mini Glastonbury with acoustic stage, bbq, beer tent and pig roast, as well as the brilliant line up, to keep them entertained!"
The Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival runs all around the town from 26th August until 4th September 2011. For more information keep checking back here, or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bridgnorthmusicandartsfestival, Twitter at http://twitter.com/bnorthfestival or by phone on 07401 348797.

Bands Line up:

Stray: http://www.stray-the-band.co.uk/
Shebangg: http://www.shebangg.co.uk
The Picture: http://www.myspace.com/hearthepicture
Clear Vinyl: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59032174542
EASTROAD: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EASTROAD/19186993176
The Dreaming Tree: http://www.thedreamingtree.co.uk/