10-26 May
Become a FriendGarden Party
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 May, 12pm–5pm
Turn-up, kick-back and enjoy the Festival’s free fun family weekender featuring a dazzling array of the country’s finest new outdoor shows, make and do sessions, idyllic bar and delicious food offerings.
Unwind with family and friends in the relaxed garden atmosphere… where you’ll find a little something for everyone!
This year’s Garden Party sees 8 fantastic new outdoor shows… all for free!
MATTHEW HARRISON
COMMUNITY CHEST
Area 2, 12.00pm – 5pm
Venture into this mysterious wooden chest for a treasure seeking, puzzle solving, interactive experience for all ages! Help each other escape in time by finding the community spirit and reviving the heart inside! A collaborative escape room experience for all.
JOLI VYANN
TIMELESS
Area 1, 12.00pm – 12.30pm & 2.45pm – 3.15pm
A beautiful dance circus piece, taking place on a 7m high rotating hourglass. This is a thrilling yet poignantly sensitive representation of the ambiguous nature of time, and the consequences of climate change.
DARYL BEEETON PRODUCTIONS & MIMBRE
LOOK MUM, NO HANDS!
Area 4, 1.30pm – 2.05pm & 3.15pm -4.50pm
A tender performance about friendship and growing up using a combination of theatre, movements and acrobatics.
FATT PROJECTS
BIG GAY DISCO BIKE
Roaming Norwich City Centre, 12pm – 12.40pm & 3.30pm – 4.10pm
Using a distinctive mix of drag, live music and cabaret, Fatt Projects are bringing D-I-S-C-O straight to you – anywhere can be a dance floor!
THEATRE TÉMOIN
FLOOD
Area 5, 12.45pm – 1.30pm & 3.30pm – 4.15pm
A watery, interactive acrobatic adventure that makes a splash! Using circus, music and acrobatics, FLOOD takes you on an epic adventure as you stand under your own personalised ‘sound umbrella’
AVANT GARDE DANCE/TONY ADIGUN
SCRUM
The Forum, 12.35pm – 1.20pm & 2.45pm – 3.20pm
An electrifying hip-hop dance theatre performance. You are invited to bring your mobile phone and scan the unique QR code to access hidden virtual layers to this unique experience.
THE CLAY CONNECTIONS & SUPPLE PRODUCTIONS
LIVES OF CLAY
Area 6, 2pm – 2.45pm
Experience classical Indian dance, live ceramics, original music… and half a ton of clay. Lives of Clay is a vivid and vital theatre experience, full of heart and made of mud.
SAY
THE ALBUM: SKOOL EDITION
Area 3, 12.30pm – 12.45pm & 3.15pm – 4pm
Get together and celebrate the joy of making up dances to new music! Featuring tracks by UK beatbox champion MC Zani and alternative pop artist Naomi Banks, the album: skool edition is an interactive dance for kids and their families.
NORWICH PUPPET THEATRE WORKSHOP
Festival Gardens, 12 noon – 4pm
Join Norwich Puppet Theatre for some puppet making fun under the sea! Create your own ocean-themed puppet, from jellyfish to sharks, and crabs to stingrays. Let your imaginations run wild with Norwich Puppet Theatre’s array of materials.
The workshop costs £5 per puppet. There’s no need to book – just turn up and create!
Important information
Assisted Performances
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22: all performances of FLOOD are BSL interpreted
Sunday 22: Lives of Clay, the album: skool edition and Big Gay Disco Bike performances will be BSL interpreted
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22: a touch tour of Lives of Clay will take place shortly before the performance.
There will be dedicated Access Volunteers present during The Garden Party weekend.
Tickets: This is a non-ticketed event
Norfolk & Norwich Festival is a partner in Without Walls, working with festivals and artists bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across the UK. Shows at the Garden Party are co-commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and a number of partners as below.
Community Chest Co-commissioned and funding support by Norwich Games Festival. R&D supported by Without Walls Blueprint R&D Fund.
Timeless Co-commissioned by: Bournemouth Arts by the Sea, Imagine Watford, Merchant City Festival, Glasgow, The Point, Eastleigh. Additional support by: Pavilion Dance South West, The Point, Eastleigh, Seachange Arts,101 Outdoor Arts. R&D investment through Without Walls Blueprint.
Look Mum, No Hands! Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by FESTIVAL.ORG and Hat Fair. With additional support from The Sparks Arts for Children and Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund 2021.
Big Gay Disco Bike Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Salisbury International Arts Festival, Just So Festival and Hat Fair. Previous development of Disco Nation (including Big Gay Disco Bike, Disco Tea Party & The Disco Nation) has been supported by Home Live Art, Birmingham Hippodrome, Without Walls Blueprint R&D fund, Bearwood Street Festival, and Arts Council England.
FLOOD Developed at 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space, supported by SeaChange Arts and 1 Degree East. Working with Tendring District Council. Supported by Arts Council England and Without Walls.
Avant Garde Dance/Tony Adigun Scrum – an ‘Illegal Dance’ outdoor show has been supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Brighton Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Salisbury International Arts Festival. Scrum has received commissioning support from Strike a Light Gloucester. Scrum is supported by Arts Council England.
Lives of Clay Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Certain Blacks and Brighton Festival. Lives of Clay is presented in association with Supple Productions, supported by 101 Outdoor Arts and Arts Asia with funding from Arts Council England.
The Album: Skool Edition Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Brighton Festival, Just So Festival. Co-produced and commissioned by The Place
Image credit: Masthead © JMA