"The Pagan Federation warmly supports Pagan Pride
Arts Tent 2016
Our Arts Tent first appeared in 2014 and has been a hit every year since!
This gorgeous structure will provide a fantastic place to relax when you need a break from the busy bustle of the rest of the festival. It’ll also be home to acts from across the performance spectrum and we plan to have one or two community projects on the go there too.
This year, there'll be a crochet-based community art project going on all day in the Arts Tent- see Ami Carter's workshop below for details. Current crochets are also welcome to bring along any of their own projects to work on.
Please note that the stories told in the Arts Tent will be family-friendly, but not necessarily aimed at children. For child-focused storytelling, please check out what's on in our Family Fun Area.
The Arts Tent will be hosted this year by Corvus
The programme is as follows:
13:00 - Steve Mercy
Join Steve Mercy as he opens the Arts Tent with his fantastic acoustic music!
With influences ranging from country greats such as Johnny Cash to heavy metal giants including Megadeth, with a healthy dose of gothic sentiment and folk spirit, Steve Mercy has established himself as an accomplished and original solo artist.
He has released albums worldwide with bands Omega, Holy Rage (featuring Judas Priest founder Al Atkins) and as frontman of Midlands gothic metal band Abigail’s Mercy. He has shared the stage with Levellers, Ricky Warwick & Damon Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders), Toyah and Dogs D'amour to name but a few.
13:30 - Bellydance from Queen Cobra
Enjoy the beauty of bellydance with Queen Cobra!
Quirky Queen Cobra first developed an interest (read: insatiable appetite) for bellydance eleven years ago, after being inspired to look into it by her grandmother—who’s been instructing her in the art of performance and stagecraft since she was small! The family talent’s clearly strong in Queen Cobra, whose Egyptian and Cabaret Bellydance performances have delighted and amazed audiences around Nottingham and elsewhere, whether she's performing as a solo artist or leading her troupe, Cobra Mystique!
Though she’s been ‘going steady’ with Egyptian bellydance for some time now, Queen Cobra picks up inspiration from all dance forms including classical music and rock! As any fans of her performances will know, her dance tends to tell a story- driven by characters as fantastical and wonderful as she is.
13:45 - Learn to Crochet with Ami Carter!
Crochet is a traditional form of fabric weaving which has been passed down through the generations for hundreds of years. This workshop will show you the basic skills needed for making 'granny squares'. Guests will create these beautiful squares which will be used to create a unique Pagan Pride patchwork throw! A wonderful, visual representation of the diversity of the UK Pagan community.
Both total beginners and experienced crocheters are welcome, and those with experience can learn a more complex 'pentacle' square to add to the collection.
Materials will be provided for the project, but if you already crochet and would like to bring your own supplies then feel free to do so! You can either sit and work on your own project, or, if you'd like to make squares for the throw, please bring a 4mm hook and wool in shades of green and purple.
Ami Carter is a self-taught crocheter who's keen to share the woolly love! She'll be crocheting away in a corner of the Arts Tent after the initial workshop, so do pop in at any point during the day and join her to create a wonderful piece of art for the community.
14:15 - Lily-Rose the English Mermaid
Listen to this beautiful mermaid and talented performer as she sings a selection of her favourite songs! All approved by the population of the Atlantic ocean.
14:45 - A Midsummer Night's Dream by Southside Shakespeare Ensemble
In the first performance of its kind at the Pagan Pride UK festival, the Southside Shakespeare Ensemble will be performing an abridged version of A Midsummer Night's Dream; their high energy knockabout comedy.
Join them for a story of eloping lovers, mischievous faeries, and bumbling fools, featuring a fantastic sock puppet finale. Family fun for all ages!
15:30 - Burnt Paw
Burnt Paw is a songwriter, guitarist and oral historian. Using layered fingerstyle approaches to the guitar, his looping ragged tunes are influenced by aspects of the ‘American Primitive’ school, pioneered on Takoma Records.
Closer to home, his songs emerge from fragments of oral histories, conversations and stories encountered while loafing around the streets of the Midlands.
16:00 - Tribal Fusion bellydance performance by Acacia
Drawn to the darkside of dance, Acacia regularly performs her uniquely-crafted routines at haflas and events around Nottingham. Her dance and musical choices reflect strong Gothic influences, and her performances are imbued with aspects of tribal fusion. A skilled choreographer and accomplished dancer, she also dances with Cherry Acacia, Black Peacock Belly Dance and Tribal Fusion troupe Pavonix.
16:15 - Learn to Crochet with Ami Carter!
Ami will be repeating her 13:45 workshop for beginners who'd like to crochet a square for the Pagan Pride UK community art project.
16:45 - Storytelling with Tales from the Fireside
Join Tales from the Fireside to hear their wonderful tales!
Tales from the Fireside consists of three chaps drawn together by a love of stories, and showing off in public. Part fantasy, part mystery, part folklore, and part Pythonesque mayhem, the stories of Locksley, Strider and Dumbledore will take you on a journey. Their tales are drawn from lore and the ancient tales of Britain, as well as more contemporary stories from around the world, and some stuff they've plain made up.
Tales from the Fireside are an experienced Storytelling troupe, who've performed with organisations like Pagan Pride UK, Greenpeace and at private events such as weddings.
17:15 - Corvus
Corvus are an acoustic duo with neo-folk tendencies and a love of the earth, who write memorable, meaningful & melodic songs. They've performed at events up and down the country, from the Faery Festival to Staffordshire Pagan Conference to the Wandering Witches' Fair, and this year they'll be headling the Pagan Pride UK Arts Tent, as well as hosting the venue all day.
Find out more about their incredible music on their youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCplaWFoBhoX_NzU1bghHruA
