Arts & Culture
Wychwood festival announces family programme for 2017

Wychwood Festival has unveiled it’s extensive family programme for 2017, featuring a host of workshops, performances and talks.

The offering includes everything from yoga, circus classes and dance workshops to multi sensory music sessions and much more. Arts and crafts will also feature heavily with Absolutely Clay, as well as Muggins Pottery, Pimp My Hat & Wellies and Origami all appearing. The festival takes place on the stunning grounds of Cheltenham Racecourse, 2nd - 4th June, weekend and day tickets are on sale with more information at www.wychwoodfestival.com.

Over the past 12 years Wychwood Festival has cemented itself as one of the country’s favourite family friendly weekends. Welcoming all generations, the festival curates a packed programme year on year with timeless greats, upcoming music, literature, comedy, children’s entertainment, food and drink and more.

Wychwood this year aims to bring out the creative side of family life by running a selection of amazing workshops. Festival goers will have the chance to glamorise their wellies during a Pimp My Hat and Wellies session or transform an old LP into a brilliant festival souvenir with Groovvy Records. Salix Arts will also be on hand to show families how to weave willow and other techniques during their Willow Workshop.

Those looking to get a little bit physical will be able to join in with dance work shops including Belly Dancing, Swing Dance and the 80’s favourite Shim Sham Dance.

BBC 6 Music’s resident poet Murray Lachlan Young will provide an enlightening hour of merriment and mayhem in a ground-breaking show with his Modern Cautionary Tales for Children, whilst Professor Elemental will be running an interactive Rap Workshop for every age and ability.

The question How Can Autistic People Help You? will be explored with fun sessions explaining how the condition has already benefitted the world, alongside this Cheltenham Poetry Festival bring along singer song writer Chris Hemingway to lead a lyric writing workshop in which festival goers will explore ways of using narrative, character and even a little humour to craft punchy lyrics.

For the musical minded Ukulele lessons for all abilities will take place at the festival, not to mention Come and Sing workshops for adults and Open Mic Session. The little ones will also have the chance to explore languages through music, puppets and parachutes with the help of Multilingual, Multisensory Music Session .

Wychwood have also announced new names joining it’s stages, including reggae legends Aswad, north-indian drumming ensemble The Dhol Foundation, indie band The Rah’s, Cheltenham’s own Fawner as well as SHYLO, Jazzy Heath, Pierce Jenkins, Indigo Haze, Duncan Reid & The Bigheads, LEAH, Light Blue plus many more.

The family programme and literature line up join an already amazing musical offering with The Buzzcocks, Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark and The Levellers all set to headline. Revellers can also expect performances from Billy Brag, The Stypes, Thrill Collins, Beans on Toast, CBeebies superstar Katy Ashworth plus new comers InHeaven, Cabbage, Flamingods, Big Boy Bloater and more.

Weekend tickets start from £140 for an adult, £70 10 - 15 year olds and £27.50 for 5 - 9 year olds.  All tickets and more information is available from www.wychwoodfestival.com.
FESTIVAL LINE-UP
WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL 2017 MUSIC PROGRAMME

OMD / Levellers / Buzzcocks / Billy Bragg / The Strypes / Aswad / Dhol Foundation / Jesus Jones / Electric Swing Circus / Kanda Bongo Man / Zak Abel, /Beans on Toast / Smoove & Turrell / Cabbage / The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band / CC Smugglers / InHeaven / Let’s Eat Grandma / Mawkin / Professor Elemental / Thrill Collins / The East Pointers / Katy Ashworth (As seen on CBeebies) / Flamingods / The Shimmer Band / Big Boy Bloater / Trudy and the Romance / Yonaka / Harpers Ferry / Duncan Reid & The Bigheads / The Listening Device / Talk in Code / This Party / Ten Tombs / Fawner / SHYLO / Jazzy Heath / Chris Smee / Pierce Jenkins / Emi McDade / Indigo Rose / The Prohibition Smokers Club / Deadbeat Apostles / The Black Feathers / The Black Hats / Laurel / Girli / IDER / The Rah’s / Nervous Conditions / Ivory Cross / Harry Daniels Band / Indigo Haze / Dan Walton / Conal Kelly Band / Dom Fisher Burrows / Aaron Keylock / Skata Tones / Cherokii / Society / Newton Country / George Montague / Paul McClure and The Local Heroes / Sandtimer / Ben Maggs / Stevie Parker / Bunny / Curse Of Lono / Holly Redford-Jones / The Epstein / Peerless Pirates / Wes Finch / The Brickwork Lizards / Lucas & King / The Jack Cooper Band / LEAH / Will Mackmersh / Light Blue / Dionysus and more!

FAMILY PROGRAMME 

Professor Elemental’s Rap Workshop / Modern Cautionary Tales for Children / Samba
Charleston Dance / Swing Dance / Shim Sham Dance / Yoga / Belly Dance For All
Belly Dance With A Twist / Capoeria / Musical Theatre / Ukulele / Come and Sing
Urban Poetry with JPDL / Improv Comedy / How Can Autistic People Help
Lyric Writing with Chris Hemingway / Open Mic / Circus Workshop
A Musical Journey / Multilingual Multi sensory Music / Tatty Bumpin Yoga
With a Moo Moo Stories / Trains and boats and planes! / Family Circus Show
Pecan Pete’s Wild West Circus Show / Mr WOW / Bruce Airhead Show
Nick Cope’s Family Songbook / Olá Samba Bateria / Mermaids and Mermen / Clay Pendants
BleepHaus / Groovy Records / Stinky Sock Puppets / Arts & Crafts / Mosaics / Funky Pom Poms

Willow Workshop / Time Travelling Toby / Tubetastic / Screen Printing / Knitting
Pimp My Hat & Wellies / Junk Percussion / Origami / General Painting
Face Painting  / Claying Modelling / Wardrobe of Infinite Possibilities / Tassle Bunting Making