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Port Eliot Flower Show 2010 will see an eclectic and colourful new area added to the festival – The Flower Show, in the Orangery gardens – curated and designed by internationally acclaimed production designer, Michael Howells. Paying homage to the traditional British summer flower show but infusing it with Michael’s own unique style and magic, the Port Eliot Festival Flower Show will feature demonstrations, displays, music, art and fashion – all on a horticultural, floral theme – with everything from flower arranging classes to floral hat trimming workshops with Stephen Jones; Todd Longstaffe-Gowan on ephemeral indoor gardening in Regency London to expert ...
Grayson Perry Back in 2003, as the annual ‘Call This Art!’ tabloid storm raged outside, Grayson Perry – hardly dressed for the weather in a delicate £2,500 silk dress – accepted the prestigious Turner Prize and said, “Well, it’s about time a transvestite potter won the Turner Prize.” He remains one of the most memorable Turner Prize winners. Quite aside from the fabulous dresses worn by his alter ego, Grayson is the creator of seductively beautiful pottery. Grayson's work fuses classic ceramic forms with bright colours, graffito drawings, handwritten texts, photographic transfers and rich glazes. Combined with the wit and satirical sharpness ...
Port Eliot Festival has been making a big impression across the local, national and international press. Here's a round-up of some of the nice things that have been said about the festival recently: “Since beginning its love affair with the paying public in 2003, this Cornish festival has been proffering magical doses of literature, music and the visual arts, in loving ode to the concept of unchecked creativity.” – The Guardian Guide "...a relaxed, cool, truly clever affair" – Grazia "An alfresco festival for the senses" – The Telegraph "Think Big Chill meets Hay on Wye and you’ve got this boutique literary festival.” – ...
The Boathouse Sculpture Park The Boathouse Sculpture Park, curated by Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski, will transform the area along the banks of the river, with new site specific artworks and contemporary sculptures. Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski are artists who live and work in London. Their artistic collaboration has produced a diverse and experimental practice, including books, films, happenings, installations, interventions, music, photography and writing. They have exhibited their work nationally internationally, most recently at Grey Area in Paris. They have been involved with Port Eliot as artists since 2006. In 2007 they launched The Boathouse, as an area focussing on experimental ...
The House of Fairy Tales The now-legendary House of Fairy Tales explores the world of myth and legend through play, with a programme of workshops and performances throughout the weekend by characters appearing from a vast array of magical, surreal and mythical tales. Expect ceremonies, tea parties and parades as well as weird and wonderful objects and dreamlike encounters – whether you’re 2 or 92, entering the House by day or night, we guarantee you’ll be enchanted. 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. ...
Songdog Celtic folk noiristes, Songdog combine acoustic and electronic instruments to create soundscapes and vignettes on life, love and loss. They'll be enchanting us with their heartbreaking and magical songs at this year's festival. Songdog are Welsh-men Lyndon Morgans and Karl Woodward, and Dave Paterson from Dundee. Their albums include A Life Eroding (2010), A Wretched Sinner's Song (2008) and The Time Of Summer Lightning (2005). They have received great reviews from Jonathan Ross and Janice Long of BBC Radio 2 and Gideon Coe of BBC 6Music. Their influences form an eclectic mix of musicians and authors including: Leonard Cohen, James Joyce, Joni ...
If you have an unbridled creative imagination, enjoy experimenting and love the colour, scent and texture of flowers, then why not try your luck in our inaugural Port Eliot Flower Show? Go on, have a go, you might surprise yourself! Curated and designed by internationally acclaimed production designer Michael Howells, the Port Eliot Flower Show pays homage to the traditional British summer flower show but is infused with Port Eliot's own unique style and magic. The Flower Show will feature flower arranging classes, competitions, demonstrations, displays, music, art and fashion. A special tent is being erected in the Orangery Garden, with ...
Alabama 3 Unplugged Brixton-based nine-piece Alabama 3 bring their eclectic brand of chaos to Port Eliot, in a new unplugged form. Flirting with an array of unique sounds from acid house to delta blues, the band are perhaps best known for their song ‘Woke Up This Morning’, which featured as the title track for cult US show The Sopranos. Their most recent album Revolver Soul (2010), is described as “soul music with a gun against your head”. Now on their eighth studio release, Alabama 3 rose to fame on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to success with Exile to Coldharbour Lane ...
If you fancy hanging out around a warming campfire, lounging on soft cushions and blankets, and chatting with good friends, then why not splash out on a tipi or yurt and enjoy the ultimate festival experience? We've hooked up with Hearthworks, providers of the finest selection of tipis, yurts and bell tents at UK events, to bring you fantastic comfort and fun that is perfect for a big group of friends. You can find out more about staying in a tipi or yurt at the festival here.
An eclectic line-up of live music, DJs, cabaret acts, dance and other performers set to fire up the Port Eliot party will be announced just after Easter. From big-name musical legends to fresh new talent, these additions will inject yet more fun, intrigue, laughter, dancing and general raucousness to our diverse line-up. On another note, check out this beautiful photograph of the Port Eliot Estate taken in the middle of the latest burst of gorgeous spring weather. We call it the view from heaven... Photography by Barry Gamble ([email protected]), part of a series of aerial photographs portraying Devon and Cornwall’s world-class mining ...
From the windows of my study I look across acres of verdant parkland where I can see only a single person, a shepherd with two dogs and 400 sheep. Normally not even he is there. Once a year on the last weekend in July from the same window I see thousands and thousands of festival goers. Both sights are equally rewarding. The first affords a single person with something approaching the view from heaven; the other shows a myriad of festival folk receiving an equal pleasure from the same spot.
We cater to the high and the low brow and those with no brow at all, and uniquely have managed to bring the craic of a music festival to a literary event. Next year’s festival will be our eighth. We don’t aim at becoming any bigger - only better and better. It is very gratifying to us that so many festival goers return year after year.
Our Early Bird tickets, released today, are our way of saying thank you for your continued support - priced at £110 (adult) and £55 (child) they’re your chance to save £30 on the standard Weekend Ticket (including tent camping). We are limiting this offer to the first 1,000 tickets, which are being sold on a strictly first come, first served basis.
Click here to buy yours now.
By purchasing an Early Bird ticket you will automatically become a FRIEND OF PORT ELIOT FESTIVAL which will entitle you to a gold wristband on arrival and various related benefits (more details to be revealed shortly).
Looking forward to seeing you all next summer.
Yours,
Peregrine St Germans
You can browse the 2010 photo gallery here.
Browse the Performers pages from the 2010 festival
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