BBC introducing bands to play and exciting new workshops.
Just 43 days to go until Wychwood 2010! Have you got your tickets yet?
The BBC Introducing Stage
We are very pleased to announce that our third stage will be partnered with BBC Introducing to provide a unique platform for emerging artists at the festival. BBC stations in the six counties that border Gloucestershire have submitted bands from their Introducing shows on BBC Radios Oxford, Bristol, Wales, Warwick & Coventry, Wiltshire, Hereford & Worcester and, of course, Gloucester.
The judges who include BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson and BBC Radio 1′s Bethan Elfin, will pick the final line-up of 28 bands from the 70 submitted. Find out more here.
The partnership is the first time that a number of regional BBC Introducing outlets have joined forces to provide through the judging panel a direct route for emerging artists to BBC Introducing at a national level- and alongside that an opportunity to be included in the line-up at the festival. BBC Radio Gloucester’s Introducing presenter Rob Champion said, “We’re so happy to be working with the Wychwood Festival as well as our colleagues from the six bordering BBC regions on such an innovative partnership. I can’t think of a better opportunity, not only for our up and coming artists in Gloucestershire, but for those in the wider area. Wychwood is a big deal for local bands here, it represents a major achievement to play at such a prestigious, vibrant and eclectic festival and I can’t wait to be there!”
We’ll be announcing the final line up in just a few weeks time!
More Band Announcements
We have yet more bands to announce! The Geees emerged from the Oxford Canal at Wolvercote, a hairy band of narrow-boaters brandishing strange instruments including bagpipes and percussion. The band pride themselves on their ability to get people dancing and will be performing in our Big Top on Sunday as does Noush Skaugen; Take smooth British nuance combined with passion reminiscent of Joan Jett, and you get the mesmerising style and sound of Noush Skaugen. Noush was recently crowned the number one Independent/Unsigned artist on Twitter and has over one million online followers. She was awarded ‘Alternative Pop Artist of The Year’ at The Los Angeles Music Awards, and ‘National Independent Rock EP of The Year’ at The Hollywood Music Awards. “From the opening chords, the reasons behind her million strong Twitter following quickly became apparent”, The Daily Mirror.
Noush Skaugen Also in the Big Top on Sunday we welcome Baraka, the Bristol-based world music band who take their inspiration from the music of West Africa, South Africa, The Caribbean and Ireland, to produce an diverse and original sound. Their music is a heady mix of global beats, intricate rhythms and soaring melodies. “It’s a blue-skied blend of calypso, gentle reggae, jazzy highlife and lilting soca”, Venue Magazine.
Rob Cowen & the Dissidents join us in the Big Top on Saturday with their infectious, impassioned epic folk. Their debut single ‘Heartache’ smashed its way onto Radio 1, Xfm and 6Music, with support from Huw Stephens, Kissy Sell Out, Bethan Elfyn, and Tom Robinson. “A rollercoaster across the English landscape seen through a poet’s heart”, BBC Radio 2.
In the Big Top on Sunday, we also welcome Theo Altieri who started song writing whilst in a band at the age of 8 and soon went solo with a collection of his own songs. “At just twelve years old, Theo Altieri, has within him the ability to embarrass the rest of the music industry with his astoundingly developed talent for songwriting and performing”, efestivals.co.uk.
Finally for this edition we also welcome to the Big Top on Saturday, Senegalese master musician Jali Fily Cissokho. Jali Fily comes from a family of musicians, the skills and traditions passed down from generation to generation. Yet, as a citizen of 21st Century, he is also attuned to the rhythms of the present and future, creating a unique natural musical blend that spans centuries and continents. He has just finished a recording session with top Bollywood music producer and composer A R Rahman.
Also a quick congratulatory mention for The Leisure Society, who you can see on our mainstage on Friday, who were nominated for yet another Ivor Novello Award yesterday for their song “Save it for Someone Who Cares” from the band’s debut album.
Workshop News
As always, there will be plenty to keep all ages entertained in our workshop area; in this newsletter we would like to highlight just one of the 4 venues up on ‘The Green’. Alongside all the other workshop venues, ‘Hawthorn’ is our ‘Performance Cafe’. Along with a gallery, comfy sofas and an interactive art exhibition (working alongside Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum) it will have a full programme of shows (including Sir Randolph Ramsbottom), singers (like Nick Cope), puppetry (eg Mouse Tale – with Wink Taylor who writes for Basil Brush, Sooty and CBBC) and storytelling.
A place to kick back, relax and be entertained in the daytime, the mood changes in the evening with a jam session, live bands and finally poetry performance into the early hours.
Elsewhere on ‘The Green’ we have lots of new additions and old favourites for you to enjoy. New additions for 2010 include The Poetry Pod – an interactive silver caravan where experienced poets will help you find your muse and The Yarnsmith’s Medievil Storytelling Tent with a rolling programme of exciting stories. We also welcome for the first time the Silly Science workshop – create a rocket with fizzy pop power alone and Contemporary Dance workshops. For the Circus Skills workshops we welcome Circus Kaos for the first time and Mirage Belly Dancers will get you shaking your stuff. Also look out for Electric Cabaret’s Pop Up Circus making it’s UK festival debut.
New workshops this year include Samba with Bath School of Samba, sessions in Musical Theatre for all you fans of Saturday evening TV shows and Ukelele workshops too.
We also welcome back some regular favourites – Inta Africa’s Drum Circle, Tango, The Musiclab Open Mic Sessions, Folk Unplugged, Static Trapeze, Computer Animation and more. And that is before we get to the making/craft tent with 10 different interactive activities! Find out more here.
Ticket Info
If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, you can find out how by visiting our ticket page.
Remember under 10s are free, and we’ve got special prices for 10-15 years olds and concessions too – Day and Weekend Tickets are now available.
Alternatively you can call us direct on 01993 772580 to order now.
More news to follow in early May!
