Deborah Curtis and Gavin Turk will once again open the gates to the magical House of Fairy Tales, set deep in the woodland rhododendron garden. Amongst the expanded literary line up for the House of Fairy Tales this year is Angie Sage, author of the bestselling Septimus Heap children’s books and storyteller Rachel Rose Reid.

The House of Fairy Tales’ Caravan of Fairy Tales has been a huge hit at events across the country – from the Brighton Fringe to the Big Chill to London’s Zoo Art Fair – but we’re proud to say it was born here at the Port Eliot Festival…

Gavin had performed at the Port Eliot Festival for three years in a row (including his ‘Waiting for Gavo’ puppet show) before, in 2006, he and Deborah talked to Jago Eliot about doing a child-friendly, creative tent together at the festival. Tragically Jago Eliot died at Easter that year, but the tent went ahead as a tribute to him. The notion of The House of Fairy Tales was dreamed up in response to the childlike, playful, magical nature of Jago’s charismatic personality. This was a very positive experience and the following year Gavin and Deborah did the children’s area of the festival and The House of Fairy Tales was born.

www.houseoffairytales.org

“Tucked away behind the hedges, in the Rhododendron Gardens was the House of Fairy Tales… a delight for children of all ages. A festival within a festival, it had several spaces; The Enchanted Forest, a House of Mirrors, an Alice in Wonderland tent and the Living Books Project…”
Londonart.co.uk

House of Fairytales links:

• 2007 write-up on Londonart.co.uk
• Guardian Culture-Vulture blog

The project will run in conjunction with The Living Wall, which, inspired by the Situationists’ psycho-geographical adventures, will grow with content over the weekend as children produce their fanzine souvenirs. Launched with great success at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, it will be overseen by Dark Times editor, Paul Sakoilsky, with his illustrator son Joe Sakoilsky, with assistance from Ella Hammond, editor of her school magazine and graduate of the Guardian Young Journalists Prize, illustrator and HoFT Live Arts Curator Josh Knowles, magazine editor Kate Jago, art director Byron Broadbent, artist and set dresser Anne Charlotte Morgenstein, and photographer and journalist Rick Morris Pushinsky.

Readings in Grandmother’s Bed will include:

• Poet Luke Wright reading from a specially commissioned fairy tale poem.
• The Idler’s Tom Hodgkinson reading Fairie Queene.
• Jim Bob reading The Very Friendly Giant.
• The Idler’s Matthew De Abaitua and his daughter Alice reading from a specially commissioned, jointly written fairy tale.
• Angie Sage reading from Moonfleet.
• Author Mark Cairns reading from his jazz age mystery novel The Glass Trumpet, alongside a selection of vintage childhood tales.
• Jessica Albarn reading from her enchanting tale The Boy In The Oak.
• Author Phil Bowen collaborating with children to read from his new story, Cuckoo Rock, in addition to readings from his Top 20 favourite children’s poets.

There will also be a chance for children to write and read anything they create during one of the Grandmother’s Bed storytelling workshops.

Special Workshop
Gavin Turk, back for the 7th Port Eliot Festival and fresh from successful exhibitions in CAS Malaga and lead artist for the Fleet Project, the international contemporary artist and House of Fairy Tales co-founder will be bringing a surprise project to the Art Trail this year. In previous years he delighted children with Spaghetti Poetry (intellectual pasta fight) and a Dada Maze and string performance. The House of Fairy Tales director, writer and illustrator Deborah Curtis, will be leading the art trail with a special package of tasks and challenges.

Effigies and Totem Poles
Ana Boyle and Jake Clarke, theatrical costumier and filmmakers Ana and Jake will be re-creating last years popular North American village of Totem poles, with the audience.

Mexican Shamen and the Faery Houses
Artist Raul Pina will combining performance art with miniature art as Mexican and Celtic Folk art meet.

Nonose Potato Talismen
Teacher and artist Tony Brennon assisted by his son Milo will be creating an open-air sculpture park with his ever-popular potato satellites.

Zeltbahn Camouflage Workshops
Stephen Whitehead, assisted by artist Dmitri Galatzine, with Nancy, Taliesin and Samuel Hunter will be bringing the art of several Birmingham schools to the gardens of Port Eliot with his exceptionally inspiring camouflage experiment. Artist and performer Mark Hammond, aka DrAuDio will be inventing sound drawings with his students.

Dreams and Nightmares Cave
Invent and learn about your dreams with artist and subconsciousness expert Kate Walters. Assisted by Andrew McDouall, musician and poet William Fontaine will be bringing a maze project to the landscape of the Rhododendron Gardens, Sophie Windsor Clive will be bringing her creative directors magic to the gardens.

Rachel’s unique style has brought her international press plaudits, and acclaim from arts events across the world, from The Barbican to the Burning Man Festival, The Soho Theatre to Latitude.

www.rachelrosereid.com
Go to Rachel Rose Reid’s Facebook page
Follow Rachel Rose Reid on Twitter

“Has the audience hanging on her every word”
The Times

“A glimpse of magic”
Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

After studying Graphic Design and Illustration at art school, Angie worked as a book illustrator before progressing to writing – first with books for toddlers and then the first Septimus Heap book Magyk (2005). When Magyk reached the top of the New York Times Bestseller list Angie was thrilled to be able to fulfil her dream of becoming a full-time writer. She has published five books in the Septimus Heap series and a further five books in the Araminta Spook series.

Although Angie lives in Somerset, Cornwall is the inspiration for the landscape of the Septimus Heap books, where she often escapes to her sailboat ‘Annie’ to write.

Angie is currently writing the sixth book in the Septimus Heap series, Darke, which is due for publication in 2011. Plans are also underway to make a film of Magyk.

www.angiesage.com
www.septimusheap.com
Septimus Heap blog
Angie Sage’s Facebook page

“Her yarn scoots along like a dragon-boat with the wind in its sails.”
Sunday Times

“Warm, funny and humane, Sage takes care with the destiny of even her smallest characters, and is a real discovery.”
The Times

Links:

• KidsReads Interviews Angie Sage
• Interview on Book Browse with Angie talking about the world of Septimus Heap

Video:

Annie Sage talks about the Septimus Heap series.