The doors opened on the ZephFest 05, eight hours of words, music, art, comedy and fun!
The afternoon programme was packed full of performers, workshops, exhibition, children’s programme, display stands, food and more, before things were pared down for the evening’s headline acts.
The main stage was opened by the sublime vocals of Clayton CE Primary’s award-winning choir, who won praise from the audience with their performance. They were followed by new songwriting talent in Jenny Harold (joined onstage by Cath Froud) and Martin Flett, before versatile dance troupe TranscenDance gave visitors a taster for their upcoming workshop.
Next, Immanuel’s own teenage rock stars took to the stage with bands Catch 22 and Something’s Missing, before Bradford’s premier hard hitting nu-metal band Sneek delivered an excellent set with “the best onstage sound ever!”
Poet Rob Dunsire revealed his talent as a wordsmith when he delivered a selection of his poems to the audience. He was followed by the electric folk of Birmingham’s own Mr Johnson, who’d entertained visitors earlier by busking on “the Street”.
The musical talent was continued with the specially-formed TBC, featuring Zephaniah’s old friends Mark & Lydia Drake and Alex & Yvonne Froud, plus John & Jenny Biglands. Urban Circus’ Daryll and Cat then wrapped up the main stage with a breathtaking display of circus skills.
Drums were the order of the day on the acoustic stage for the first two hours, as Zephaniah’s own Mark Drake, and John Biglands, led a popular drumming workshop, sandwiched between the debut performances of two of Mark’s Re:percussion groups, from Clayton CE and Bowling Park Primary. Next, performing to much acclaim, were Three Men & a Table, rising talent on the local comedy scene who packed out the room until the audience spilled out into the corridor! They were followed by trophy-winning recorder group Prints Consort, who blended their instruments beautifully. The acoustic programme ended with a dance workshop from TranscenDance, much-praised afterwards for making movement and dance accessible to all.
Children and families were entertained by the afternoon’s Children’s Programme, featuring the visual spectacle of puppets from Lee Mount Baptist Church, who attracted a cluster of interested adults around the doorway! They were followed by traditional tales and fairy stories from Julie Wilkinson, the ever-popular silly songs from John and Yvonne, and ZephFest banner-making with volunteers Katy and Natalie. The programme was greatly enjoyed—so much so that one parent wished it could go on all afternoon!
A series of workshops provided the opportunity for festival-goers to release their own creativity, with something on offer to tempt everyone!
The “words” stream of workshops featured Public Speaking with Mark Greenwood, Poetry with Stewart Henderson (praised afterwards as “excellent—a real highlight”), and Creative Writing with Jo Hackett. The “arts” stream gave visitors the chance to hone their singing skills with Lydia Drake and Jenny Biglands; experience for themselves the much-anticipated carrier-bag weaving with Jenny Cousens; and create a fabulous communal banner with visual artist Katie Jones. DJ Lee Jackson offered workshops throughout the afternoon, much to the interest of some of our younger visitors, while those wanting to try something more physical could opt for circus skills with Daryll Hackett or skateboarding in the courtyard with Andy Milne.
Visitors were also given the opportunity to view the work of artists Katie Jones and Julie Jones in the ZephFest exhibition. The displays included paintings, sculpture, and stained glass work, plus the opportunity to buy Rob Dunsire’s poetry book William the Conker, featuring illustrations by Julie Jones.
The exhibition was set up in the dining area where guests could also enjoy refreshments to the strains of symphonic concert band, Hot Aire, who played throughout the afternoon.
Linking the different areas of the festival, “the Street” featured display stands from ten different organisations, including Christian Aid, Tear Fund, The Leprosy Mission, and the Shaftesbury Society, giving people the opportunity to learn about a range of ministries and shop to their hearts’ content!
The programme was relaxed for the evening, which was shifted to the acoustic stage to make up for a breakdown in the heating system. Mark Greenwood warmed things up though, with much laughter, making his debut as a stand-up comedian. The evening continued with headline act, poet Stewart Henderson, and our own John Froud, who performed two sets each. Stewart’s poems were much-appreciated by the audience, as he took them on a journey through highlights from his published work. John was joined onstage at various points by band-members Mark Drake, Lydia Drake, David Wilkinson, and daughter Cath, performing a range of material in his own inimitable style.
The ZephFest 05 has been a huge step forward for the Trust and we hope it can become an annual event. We’d like to thank everyone who was involved in any way—performers, artists, volunteers, guests—and thank all of you who have given us feedback on the event. We’re reading your comments with great interest and they will be invaluable in planning for next year’s event—Saturday 6 March 2006—get the date in your diary for the ZephFest 06!
Thanks to our fabulous ZephFest photographers, Scott, David, & Jonathan—great work!