Star-Studded Line-Up Announced for Fal River Festival 2015
The 10th annual Falmouth University Fal River Festival has announced its full line-up, revealing a programme packed with diverse and entertaining events in celebration of the area’s cultural and natural riches.
The festival runs for 10 days between 22nd and 31st May 2015.
Anna Druce, the festival’s Creative Director, explained the thinking behind the impressive programme: “Everything is tied to the river and how it shapes our lives; creatively and physically.”
She added: “The Fal River defines the landscape and how we travel, it inspires our artists, helps shape our food culture and motivates us to live active, outdoor lives; the festival is our way of celebrating all of that.”
An undisputed highlight will be a performance of ‘Down by the River’ by Swamp Circus at Feock: A family-friendly story told with acrobatics, mime and live music.
This energetic piece of immersive theatre features a professor of stupidity, a leaking boat, aerial ballerinas dancing on sails, acrobatic African pirates, dancing trees, a sea monster, fire-eating fairies and a lost dog.
Another star-studded performance of a different nature will be held at Trelissick National Trust Gardens on the 29th May from 9pm, where Cornwall Astronomy Society will have a range of telescopes set up for observing the night sky.
At the head of the Fal estuary, Trelissick is a great spot for star gazing; amateurs can expect to see the many craters of the moon, the rings of Saturn, star clusters, nebulae and constellations.
Another major local attraction taking part this year is the National Maritime Museum, who will host ‘Thor’ themed activity days as part of their major Viking season, as well as storytelling and craft sessions.
Falmouth Art Gallery and The Poly will also get stuck in with exhibitions and films planned as part of the festival, while artists along the breadth of the river will be throwing open their doors for the annual Open Studios event.
Another creative contribution comes from Kernow Education Arts Partnership (KEAP), which has created a mesmerizing pop-up performance of Cornish and English folk songs and poetry to regale visitors in various locations across Falmouth.
The food culture of the area will not be neglected, with a food and craft festival taking place on Events Square in Falmouth on the 23rd – 25th May, and a foraging walk on the 28th May with local expert Rachel Lambert starting at St Mawes Harbour.
There will also be plenty of opportunities to actively explore the river – through sailing, navigation challenges, swimming, canoeing, walking and diving.
The Festival will be launched with the annual Beer Fleet Sail on the 22nd May, and brought to a close by a Mardi Gras themed street party on the 31st May organized by students from Falmouth University – which is sponsoring the festival for the second year in a row.
To find out more about the festival visit the website or follow the festival on Twitter @FalRiverFest
