Edgbaston gardens set for family event.
Pirate tales on the Shipwreck, Bavarian bread stories around the earth oven and an Alice in Wonderland dance are all on the programme for the third Martineau Gardens Storytelling Festival.
The Gardens and the Traditional Arts Team have joined forces to create the Martineau Gardens Storytelling Festival, a family friendly day of storytelling plus arts, music, dance and crafts taking place on Saturday 21 June, from 11am–7pm.
There will be a full programme of storytelling taking place throughout the two and a half acre leafy community garden – in the marquee and in locations around the gardens, from woodland glades to the sundial lawn. Performers include Graham Langley, Cath Edwards and Catriona Heatherington.
Fun for children includes environmental crafts, baking and stories: they can join the Krasnoludek Story Trail (follow the friendly Polish gnome through the woods and help to make his house with Kika Kozar); get crafty at Roots and Seeds (interactive storytelling and mask making with Pyn Stockman) or bake a dish at the Wonder Tea Party (where younger visitors can make a Zwetschgendatschi a special German sweet fruit dough with Birgit Kehrer of ChangeKitchen).
There will be live music from Moseley Village Band, performances from Beorma Border Morris dancers and the chance to join in with a Ceilidh workshop with Dan Longley of The Burdocks. Local artist, Tom Jones, will be ‘a wandering artist’, making instantaneous drawings of visitors and performers as souvenirs and children from the Liquid Dance school will be performing an Alice in Wonderland dance.
A festival wouldn’t be a festival without the food – delicious tapas, cakes and salads will be available all day from ChangeKitchen CIC, winner of Birmingham’s Green Restaurant Award 2012. A special activity, Bavarian Bread Stories will invite festival goers to make lauchkuchen bread around the earth oven – the bread is eaten in Bavaria during the new wine season – and listen to the legends behind the custom.
Graham Langley, of the Traditional Arts Team said: “This is a chance for people to experience terrific storytelling and more in a beautiful location.” Caroline Hutton, Director of Martineau Gardens added, “We’re looking forward to welcoming new faces to Martineau Gardens through this Storytelling Festival.”
Tickets on sale now (www.wegottickets.com) or on the gate, £6 adult, accompanied children free.
Martineau Gardens is located at 27 Priory Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B5 7UG. Further information at www.martineau-gardens.org.uk, on 0121 440 7430 or twitter@martineau27.
