Put your money where the hat is

Winchester Hat Fair, Thursday 1 to Sunday 4th July 2010

The UK’s longest running and most exciting street theatre festival is 36 this year. This year’s programme looks like another round of innovative and beautiful outdoor performances, exciting, unique and highly skilled small-scale shows and an engaging programme of community arts and education, woven right into the heart of the beautiful city.

This year’s Hat Fair offers four fun-filled days will be jam-packed with hundreds of breathtaking performances from over 45 national and international companies taking place throughout Winchester’s ancient streets. The best thing about Hatr Fair is all performances are free,  though donations for the artists are massively welcome(look out for those stewards with their collection buckets).

Highlights on the small scale line-up this year include the incredibly talented and hilarious The Pitts, Pete Sweet and The English Gents and many more circle acts that you will not have seen the likes of before. Over the weekend there will be wonderful and interactive Installations around the town, Cathedral Green, The Great Hall courtyard and Close including, Little Lupin, Once Arts’ Picnic, BOSI’s ‘Squirt or Shirt’ and Akedemi’s new show, ‘TBC’ to name but a few. Also look out for Motionhouse and Urban Playground’s breathtaking new shows, and also the wonderful Wired Aerial Theatre plus the long awaited return of Winchester favourites ‘Skate Naked’ and ‘Stickleback Plasticus’.

The Hat Fair has also linked up with French festival partners in the ‘ZEPA network’ to present the fantastic ‘Les Trois Points de Suspension’, ‘Acid Kostik’ and ‘VO Compagnie’. Over the weekend there well also be many other festival treats and surprises.

In addition, the programme includes innovative community and education projects including Inside Out Day on Thursday, culminating in a procession through the city, where local school children ‘knock on the doors’ of civic buildings, asking senior representatives of the City to ask any questions they wish.

Friday is traditionally the unofficial ‘Festival Warm up Day’ and Schools Day, with a colourful procession of over 1000 children in costume with music and dance, culminating in outdoor theatre, circus and craft workshops in the grounds of the city’s famous cathedral. A great way to involve local kids, and get them excited about the whole Hat Fair experience.

Last year, we had a great write-up from Steve Cluett about an encounter with Mikey the Monkey at Hat Fair. Sums up the whole experience really.

See the Hat Fair website for more up to date information – www.hatfair.co.uk.