The Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature 10th - 18th May 2024 begins today
The Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature 2024 begins this evening. The Festival starts as it means to go on with highly acclaimed The Overtones in concert at 8pm in Fowey Parish Church. The Overtones is a hugely popular four-piece group that has appeared at venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium. Look forward to a feel-good, showstopping performance.
Throughout the week, there will be a fantastic programme of events, including talks, walks, workshops, reading groups, music, comedy, and so much more. This year, we are delighted to say that the Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature has a physical programme again, something that has been missing for the last couple of years and is now back by popular request. You will be able to pick up a copy of the programme at The Royal Fowey Yacht Club, Fowey Parish Church, Fowey Town Hall, and many of the shops in town. You can also see the brochure online and download it by clicking on this link and then scrolling down: https://www.foweyfestival.com/
The Fowey Art Trail runs in conjunction with the Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature. This collaboration started in 2015 and continues to be a hugely popular annual event, aided, no doubt, by the beauty of Fowey and the magnificent estuary, which provides a perfect backdrop to both the Festival and the Art Trail. Those of you who follow the entire Art Trail route will be able to attend 30 exhibitions in 17 locations around Fowey, Bodinnick and Polruan. To download the Art Trail Programme and the Art Trail Map, please go to the Fowey Festival website here https://www.foweyfestival.com/art-trail/
We are delighted to tell you that Secret Gardens returns to the Fowey Festival of Arts and Literature once more. This year, the gardens will be open on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th May, and you will be able to visit your favourite gardens in Fowey, Polruan and Bodinnick, with new gardens for you to explore in both Fowey and Bodinnick. You can pick up a map showing you the locations of all the gardens, from shops and galleries around the town.
You can also download the Secret Gardens map and Secret Gardens listings here https://www.foweyfestival.com/secret-gardens/
Opera in the Garden is part of the Secret Gardens this year. Fowey Festival welcomes Thomas Martyn, who will perform four operatic interludes during the two days of the Secret Gardens. Thomas is an impressive tenor and graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He now performs at various charity events around the country. He has also played a number of roles in amateur theatre productions, including Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and Tom Collins in R.E.N.T.
Thomas will perform two twenty-minute sets on both Friday 17th and Saturday 18th May, in the gardens at Porphyry Hall and Broadstairs, Fowey.
Set timings:
Friday 17th May:
Broadstairs garden: 1pm – 1.20pm
Porphyry Hall garden: 4pm – 4.20pm
Saturday 18th May:
Porphyry Hall garden: 1pm – 1.20pm
Broadstairs garden: 4pm – 4.20pm
These are not ticketed events. Access will be capacity-controlled on a first-arrivals basis.
Both gardens will offer tea, coffee and cakes throughout the day.
All donations and refreshment proceeds will go to the Festival.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the steep nature of the area, some gardens may have difficult access. Visitors may also encounter a range of hazards, e.g. steps, slippery and/or uneven ground, and other trip hazards. Neither the Festival nor the garden owner can accept any liability in the unlikely event of an accident. Please make a risk assessment of your and your group's capability to safely manage these risks before deciding to enter a garden.
As usual, the Royal Fowey Yacht Club, with its beautiful views of the river, will host the Festival Café, serving morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and pre and post-event suppers. You can also buy your tickets at the box office, and your festival books from Libby and her team at the wonderful Waterstone bookshop, all at the Yacht Club.
Also, this year, at the Royal Fowey Yacht Club, there is a very special book sale in honour of Collin Langley. Many of you will remember Collin, a huge supporter of the Fowey Festival and a Daphne du Maurier expert. Sadly, Collin died last summer. His family have generously donated his du Maurier-related archive, which we will be selling throughout the Festival to raise festival funds.
To have a look at the book catalogue, go to the Fowey Festival website here https://www.foweyfestival.com/book-sale/
For all Festival-related information and to book your tickets, go to the Fowey Festival website here https://www.foweyfestival.com, or call into the Royal Fowey Yacht Club.