Garforth Arts Festival 2010
Interview with James Jelliman, one of the team responsible for Garforth Arts Festival, July 2010

I've been the Performing Arts Technician at Garforth Community College for just over 12 months, working on shows, events providing support to the Performing Arts Department, as well as engineering sound light at last year's festival. At the start of 2010 I was asked by Dave Evans to assist with the planning operation of the Arts Festival, doing promotional work and supporting the community projects that take place in the run up to the 2 week festival itself.

There’s a varied nature to this job, which means I'm always busy, using lots of different skills which I find immensly satisfying. Seeing the projects where students, local young people, produce new works alongside professional artists coming to fruition, also filling the programme with exciting events created just for the festival, is so rewarding makes all the effort worthwhile. The downside is lack of sleep! This two week festival takes so much planning, dedication and enthusiasm it is run by only a handful of people who give it their all because they believe in supporting the arts in the local community.

We've got an exciting varied line-up for the Playground Party on the 10th July, featuring some of the hottest acts in their genres. it might sound cliched, but there really is something for everyone at this year's festival, with music, dance, comedy, cabaret the main event has to be the best value outdoor festival day in the UK at only £15! Folk star Seth Lakeman will headline, before that we've got indie/emo act Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, the fantastic London Community Gospel Choir the highly entertaining Oompah Brass, playing popular songs using bavarian brass! The Garforth Jazz Rock B will of course be there expect an African-themed extravaganza with a fully costumed procession, with hundreds of performers playing drums and other instruments which will climax in a huge dance piece from Phoenix Dance Theatre in the centre of the arena.

WHO’S ON?
Mercury Music Prize nominated Seth Lakeman is one of the fastest-rising stars on the folk roots scene. His 2006 album ‘Freedom Fields’ has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK alone and has helped Seth build on his traditional cult following, finding a whole new audience for his rhythmic, captivating brand of indie-folk song writing. Seth was named Folk Singer of the Year and ‘Freedom Fields’ was awarded Album of the Year at the prestigious Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2007. His 2008 album ‘Poor Man’s Heaven’ charted at number 8 in the UK on its release. The album represented a progression for Seth’s sound – while remaining firmly rooted in folk, it moved from a more acoustic-based feel to a fuller, rockier sound, underpinned as ever by emotive lyrics - story telling. It is also the closest representation on record of Seth’s live show yet, capturing the rhythmic, raw energy seldom seen in any other acoustic band.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. is 23 year old Sam Duckworth. Duckworth was signed to Atlantic Records in March 2006, and after playing many gigs, both with punk rock band Silverskin shared stages with bands such as The Flaming Lips, The Magic Numbers, Funeral for a Friend, The Kooks and Feeder.

The Chronicles of a Bohemian Teenager Get Cape's debut album, has been described as an indie/emo fusion. The album was very well received by critics even made the top 100 albums of 2006 lists of Q and NME. In October 2006, he performed as part of the BBC Electric Proms. He has played at a number of major festivals throughout his career, including Oxegen, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds Festivals and SXSW. In January 2007, Duckworth was nominated for best solo artist at the annual NME Awards, up against Lily Allen, Jamie T, Jarvis Cocker and Thom Yorke.

Largely recognised as the pioneers of Gospel music in the UK, The London Community Gospel Choir was founded in 1982 by Rev. Bazil Meade, with the help of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis. Initially, the idea was to stage a one-off concert: The 120-strong choir concert was staged before an audience of more than a thousand. But what started as a one-off event soon matured into a legacy of over 25 years traveling and performing worldwide. The choir’s success quickly led to enquiries for appearances in television, radio and various corporate functions across the UK and Europe. The choir’s debut television performance on Channel Four's 'Black On Black' proved a resounding success and led to calls and requests from popular artists to work with the choir.

“You can't listen to the London Community Gospel Choir without moving or smiling. Everyone was singing clapping along within minutes. The music just gets you that way”

The Guardian Oompah Brass started out in 2006 with the firm intention of being a traditional German oompah band, playing all the famous waltzes, polkas and marches that none of you will have heard of. Very quickly they realised that it was much more fun for the audience, especially themselves, to play tunes everyone knows and can sing along to. Thus they began to arrange classic pop songs with a slight Bavarian lilt, Oompop was born!

They’ve spent the last four years oomping all over Europe, playing to 60,000 people at the Belgrade Beer Festival, taking oompah back to its spiritual home in Bavaria and astonishing passing skiers halfway up the Alps at the Snowbombing Festival. Back in the UK, pub, clubs, bars, theatres, weddings festivals nationwide have thrilled to the “expert horn blowage” of this indefatigable fivesome.

The Oompop songbook now numbers over 100 rock and pop classics, ranging from Michael Jackson to Motorhead, by way of James Brown, Dolly Parton and Britney Spears. “Absolute genius! Spectacular expert horn blowage from Oompah Brass. “Their version of Bohemian Rhapsody is even better than the original.” - Shaun Keaveny, BBC 6Music .

Main Event:
Playground Party on Sat 10th July

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR BELOW.
N.B. There is NO PARKING on site. Alternative parking will be signposted on all routes into Garforth.
VENUE: Garforth Community College Grounds
TIME: Doors open: 2.30pm
TICKETS:
Single: £15.00 (Stard)
Single: £10.00 (Concession)
Family: £30.00
(Discounts available for Families Local Residents – information to follow.)

TICKETS ONLINE FROM TICKET MASTER
Buy direct from
Garforth Bookshop,
15 Main St. Garforth
Tel 0113 286 3534

Jumbo Records, St John’s Centre, Leeds

Email: enquiries@garforthartsfestival.co.uk
Web: http://www.garforthartsfestival.co.uk

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/ilq7v


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