In this article, we continue to celebrate the amazing success of this year's Festival. The second week enabled even more people the chance to go beyond the realms of artistry, creativity and possibility.
Festival goers were able to take a little time for themselves with the continuation of wellbeing sessions, from Pilates and wild swimming, to running, belly dancing and mindfulness. A huge thank you to all the early rising session hosts who so kindly gave their time to run these brilliant sessions.
There were also many more art workshops across each day, giving the chance to get creative and have fun learning new skills. From making recycled fabric baskets, trying out pen and wash sketching and acrylic landscape painting, to Indian block printing, Japanese woodcut printing, willow weaving, and even ceramics! We are so lucky to have so many talented artists kindly willing to share their skills, and put on these fabulous workshops for you to enjoy.
True crime author Helen Saxton brought an excellent evening of mystery and controversy on Monday 10th June. Interviewed by Goring resident, journalist and writer Sarah Meyrick, Helen shared multiple viewpoints on the involvement of Amanda Knox in the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher in 2007. The conversation was interspersed with excerpts from news articles and online commentary about the case from actors, which made for a fascinating and captivating evening.
Tuesday saw a particularly lively talk from botanist and horticultural expert Timothy Walker. Four hundred years of garden design certainly didn’t drag through the ages, as Timothy had the audience laughing with his anecdotes and gardening experiences. We’ve heard on the grapevine he’s already in demand to come back and do another talk sooner than the next Festival!
Mid-way through the week, one-woman show 'Where is Mrs Christie?' performed a dramatic recount of a mysterious moment in Agatha Christie’s life. Agatha’s crashed car was found and she was reported missing, presumed dead in 1926; found eleven days later claiming she remembered nothing. The sold-out audience was welcomed by a 1920s Model T Ford (not crashed - thank goodness!), which set the tone perfectly for the intrigue of the performance.
Sadly with any event, you just can’t plan the weather! The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle - an outdoor production by the same company that brought us Peter Pan in 2022 - had us watching our weather apps all week! But on with the show - in true British style, for those that did risk it to come, they were treated to a magical performance with incredible puppetry and costumes! Brollies were only needed luckily for the interval, and whilst wrapped up, both young and old alike were entranced by the spectacle in the beautiful garden of Friars Ford.
Thursday evening saw a fantastic turn-out for a special Goring Unplugged at The GAP Festival. Alongside other ‘Fringe’ music events popping up at local venues, many Unplugged favourites took to the stage, offering Festival goers the chance to sit back and enjoy a wide range of sounds - from individual performers to full piece bands - with a drink in hand.
Friday was the opening night of this year's spectacular GAP Opera: The Marriage of Figaro, running for three nights across the final weekend. Streatley Farmhouse was the epitome of a perfect setting for this special, bespoke production. And the volunteers, staging team, professional singers and musicians blew audiences away with a top class experience from arrival, all the way through to the curtain call.
The final weekend was also filled with family fun too, from comedian Helen Arney who had the audience participating in her science musical madness, Meet and Greet the Owls at Withymead Nature Reserve, young musical talent Anoop Sira and Evergreen, and a chance to try bell ringing with the Goring & Streatley Ringers.
Over 300 people attended the 'Celebration of Community' art exhibition held in the Streatley Morrell Room to view and enjoy the efforts of many of the 40+ talented local artists and community groups. A wonderfully creative community has emerged since we started the Festival and it was impressive to see the quality and creativity in many forms.
Many more people dropped in to browse the stalls and activities available at the ever popular Festival Market Day on Saturday, or brought a picnic along to enjoy the Goring & Streatley Concert Band and Goring Primary School on the Sunday in Rectory Garden. And the toe-tapping jive class and vintage night, had all ages up on their feet dancing the night away with The Ding Dong Daddios.
Wow! What a jam-packed ten days! You can watch the fabulous wrap-up video on our website at www.thegapfestival.org to see the full cultural extravaganza that was this years’ GAP Festival!
And finally, but most importantly - Thank you - to everyone who attended, volunteered, sponsored and supported this years’ GAP Festival - we couldn’t have done it without you!
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