Goats, a live band, shadow puppets and the King of Vegetables will take to York on Thursday (September 26) – and it promises to be a party like the city’s never seen before.
The Incredible Movement – or TIM – is bringing a flavour of the Edinburgh Fringe to York’s Food Festival, with performers, musicians, artists and live animals providing the entertainment for a walking tour and party celebrating community food and culture.
Part one: the tour
Beginning at the Barbican vegetable beds at 4.30pm, the walking tour is launched with a performance by the surreal specialists Adam Ekin and Joel Dean of Jamhed Theatre.
The hour-long guided trail takes in more sites nurtured by Edible York, the group dedicated to creating more food growing spaces in the city.
It will includes performances by My Brother My Captain My King showcasing their new play The Backwards Dog and Four Shadows Theatre as The Secret Mariachi Band.
The tour will take in other Edible York veg beds and local food enterprises including Melton’s Too, which champions local produce, and El Piano, which is creating an Incredible Edible wall.
The tour winds up with a display of sculptural work by arts collective Salt+Powell at the Peasholme Green beds and also in the sensory gardens at St Anthony’s Hall, where pygmy goats Rizzo and Rolo are likely to be a star attraction.
The goats’ award-winning handler, 23-year-old Poppy Cottrell, will be available to answer questions about keeping small livestock at home.
Part two: the party
The party, from 5.30pm, takes place at New School House Gallery, adjacent to the gardens, and includes a shadow puppet show by BlueBird Theatre, live music and a cocktail workshop.
Refreshments include freshly pressed juice from apples harvested by Abundance York and snacks using local ingredients prepared by YUMI cooks.
Tour organiser Lydia Cottrell, who responsible for the innovative line-up of performers and artists, said: “Bringing art and theatre off the walls and the stage and into the streets is key to this event, which marries art, food and community.
“Food and performance art are a great place to start creating change in our lives and our Incredible Party and Tour aims to do just that.”
Who is TIM?
The event is organised by TIM – or The Incredible Movement – a York campaign working at grassroots level to improve people’s lives.
“This ‘Festival Fringe’-style event will be a fun way of demonstrating the principle at the heart of TIM in York: that we can create simple acts within our communities that can make life better for all of us,” said Imelda Havers, coordinator of TIM in York.
“The fantastic partnership of organisations and individuals that has come together to create this one-off event is in itself a demonstration of the power of community action, and is our way of kick-starting conversations and actions which can create real social change in our city.”
- Bookings are limited to 20 (tour) and 100 (party). The event is free to all who attend but donations are appreciated
- Bookings are via the Food Festival website
- For all Food Festival events, click here