The line-up for the Beach Festival has been revealed, including theatre, music, workshops and talks. This year’s event puts ocean conservation in the spotlight.
From 15 to 16 June, Watergate Bay Hotel’s free Creative Family Weekend will bring the drive to protect our oceans to life through an imaginative series of live theatre, music, dance, creative and performance workshops and talks. The roaring spring tide sets a vast beach stage for all things sea and blue, with a dazzling display of talent and artistic creativity igniting curiosity and stimulating conversation and action on climate change and plastic pollution.
A highlight of the inaugural festival in 2023, the playful sea spirit Eko (a 13-foot-tall giant puppet created by Johnny Odeon Dance Theater and star of the company’s Out of the Blue show) will once again entertain crowds at Seaway this year Shuttle through.
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Johnny Autin, creator and choreographer of Eko, said: “In Out of the Blue, the sea giant Eko searches for a little girl named Violet to talk to her about the ocean, plastic pollution and Stories of the Biodiversity Crisis The show’s message is to listen to the voices of the natural world and find a way out of the climate crisis.
Another deep-sea behemoth to appear on land is an 18-meter-long inflatable whale, guided to shore by the all-female troupe Circo Rum Ba Ba. Crawling on hands and knees through a small gap in the whale’s side, up to 40 young explorers can enter its massive belly at a time.
Safely nestled in an enchanting underwater idyll, they will embark on a mission to help a lifelike leatherback turtle survive – lovingly crafted by War Horse puppet master Jimmy Grimes – and learn about single-use plastics along the way danger.
“We try to let kids feel that small actions can make a big difference,” said Marianne Groves, co-founder of Circo Rum Ba Ba.
Dance duo H&T Creative will share the whale’s beach stage to highlight the far-reaching impact of plastic pollution. The two will perform a thought-provoking piece “No Time to Waste”, using mesmerizing movements to express the devastating consequences of discarded plastic on the environment. , Use ghostly plastic trash tendrils as props. This vibrant dance performance sparks conversation and urges action toward a more sustainable future.
Dancing to the beat of their own drums or the kitchen sink, “Britain’s greenest trash band” Weapons of Sound will serenade Watergate Bay with their sustainable rhythms. The innovative Plymouth-based band will turn funk to trash with a motley orchestra of instruments ranging from gas pipes to wheelbarrows, ending the weekend with a raucous Sunday afternoon finale.
The campaign to create art from waste continues with not one but two new artist residencies as part of this year’s campaign. Beach4Art will use the sand as a canvas to craft beach materials to create a lobster mural, while artist Georgina Peters will be armed with paintbrushes to paint a nature-inspired storm, while also inviting beachgoers to collaborate.
To complement the performance line-up and bring the message of ocean conservation to life, a series of workshops and creative sessions will engage festival-goers. Busy hands can help plastic pollution warriors Beachkeeper learn how to make mermaid tails from recycled plastic waste.
Upcycle Kernow’s workshops are also giving ocean plastic a second life and will show children how to turn rubbish into magical sea creature costumes – get ready for Sunday’s costume parade with a giant lobster made by the City of Truro over the weekend Lantern leads the way. After taking a breather after performing No Time to Waste, dance collective H&T Creative will offer young people the opportunity to learn some of the moves in the piece and delve deeper into the theme of plastic pollution.
From the story of adopting a crawfish to the power of community beach cleanups, new short presentations from Beach Keepers and the National Lobster Hatchery are sure to spark the imagination and inspire budding conservationists. The two days of June are filled with days worth celebrating, including two National Ocean Awareness Days – National Lobster Day on Saturday, June 15, and National Sea Turtle Day on Sunday, June 16, which is also Father’s Day.
The popular Watergate Bay Beach School will be set up on the coastline, giving children the chance to do something different with dad – from wild wood chipping to making mallets.
Helen Bishop, Head of Sustainability and Engagement at Watergate Bay Hotel, said: “As we continue our B Corp journey, we will be focusing on our sustainability efforts and the impact we have as a business. .I’m very proud that this year’s fantastic Beach Art Series uses creativity to raise awareness of the threats to our oceans and the urgent need to protect them.
“As well as telling these important stories, the festival is also about community, from supporting local charities and homegrown talent, to inviting the local community to enjoy a weekend of fantastic performances, workshops, talks and music for free.”
For more information, please view the online schedule.
