10-26 May
Become a FriendWelcome Weekend
Saturday 13 May 1-10pm & Sunday 14 May 12-5pm
We’re popping-up across the city centre with a programme of free performance. From theatre and dance to circus and comedy, we bring a little playful fun to the city’s streets as we celebrate the opening of this year’s Festival. Grab your eats and treats in the city’s cafes and restaurants to make
Important information
The Shows
Akademi - Pravaas
Sunday 14 May, 12.30pm & 4pm
Norwich Cathedral (assembly point entrance to Norwich School playground)
Pravaas is a performance inspired by the climate migration of people from the Sundarbans across India and Bangladesh and explored through the beauty and poignancy of South Asian dance forms and classical Carnatic vocals. It invites the audience to follow an evocative experience of migration. Through this promenade performance, you will witness the lyricism, fluidity and symmetry of ancient South Asian dance forms, rooted in rhythm and gestures (mudras) and uplifting song.
Shows on Sunday 14 May will be Audio Described
Avanti Display - Crow & A Bit of Crow
A Bit of Crow
Sunday 14 May, 12pm, 1.45pm & 3.30pm
The Garth (behind St Andrew’s Hall)
Live music is at the heart of this comically beautiful performance where you are invited into a dreamlike world of illusion, that owes more to Tommy Cooper than David Blane. Three musicians arrive at a gig that seems to be not entirely safe. Corners have been cut, rules are being bent, and reality seems slightly warped.
Crow will be captioned using The Difference Engine
Dulce Duca - Um Belo Dia
Sunday 14 May, 12.45pm & 2.30pm
The Garth (behind St Andrew’s Hall)
Surrealistic comedy juggling.
An oniric, metaphoric and surrealistic piece, using physical Theatre, circus, dance, juggling/ balancing of clubs. With live music.
Jones & Barnard - What Price Dignity?
Sunday 14 May, 12pm, 2pm & 3.30pm
Westlegate
Street theatre inspired by the cost of living crisis.
Candoco Dance Company - I think we should start over
Sunday 14 May, 12.15pm, 2.15pm, & 4.30pm
The Forum
Candoco Dance Company and international award-winning choreographer, Jamaal Burkmar, present this striking and playful duet. Created especially for unusual and outdoor spaces, the piece strives to connect with its public audience, whether they choose to watch the whole performance or are simply passing by.
Glass House Dance - Time Machine Disco on the move
Sunday 14 May, 12pm
Starts top of London Street
Sunday 14 May, 2.30pm
Starts St Gregory’s GreenSunday 14 May, 4pm
Starts Gentlemen’s Walk
The Sisters of Stylus need your help to get them time-travelling once again. Calling all foot-tappers, dad dancers, disco divas, jumping jivers, old school ravers & shake- your-money- makers help our renegades get moving with the power of dance!
Just More Productions - Fussy Foodies: The Game Show Part 2
Sunday 14 May, 1.15pm & 3.15pm
The Forum
Play some games and learn how food can tell histories.
Trigger - TEABREAK
Sunday 14 May, 12pm, 2.10pm, & 4.20pm
Tombland (Outside Zizzis)
Catch your breath and enjoy a free, freshly made brew in this heart-warming new show by Trigger. Have a well-deserved teabreak and as you stir your cup, gently glide through an audio journey of tea and how it’s found itself into our tea pots.
Blind and partially sighted viewers will still be able to experience the beautiful audio work and drink a cup of tea, and for D/deaf and hard of hearing audiences there is a captioned video available.
Working Boys Club - Serving Sounds
Sunday 14 May, 12-2.30pm & 3.15-5pm
St Gregorys Green
Serving Sounds is a multi-sensory sound installation that creates connection through music – a bar that serves bass rather than beer. The installation is an interactive work, playful and joyful with spaces for up to four people of all ages to interact with the bar at any one time, each experience lasting up to the length of a song.
Action Hero - Oh Europa!
Sunday 14 May, 12.30pm–4.30pm
Chantry Place
Since 2018, Action Hero have been travelling through Europe in their motorhome, recording strangers singing love songs. They invite you to come along and sing a love song to add to their archive and to be featured on BBC Radio Norfolk. Listen in on BBC Radio Norfolk on 22-26 May.
Lost & Found Films of Norfolk
Sunday 14 May 12–5pm
The Forum
Enjoy a selection of films on Norfolk’s imagined history from children from the following schools: Norwich Primary Academy, Mile Cross Primary School, North Walsham Junior School, Ormiston Victory Academy, The Locksley School, St Nicholas Priory Primary School, Hewett Academy & Taverham High School.
Cat and Mouse Theatre - Blockbuster Factory
Saturday 13 May, 1pm
Starts on Gentleman’s Walk
Saturday 13 May, 2.45pm
Starts on London Street
Blockbuster Factory is the new show from Cat and Mouse immersive theatre company.
At great expense, they have flown the great American Movie Director Martin Beilsperg to the UK, and teamed him up with legendary playwright Charles Bexley Heath. Together they are, as Martin says “Makin Movies Here!”. Out on the street they recruit stars and crew for their latest Blockbuster, with a little help from Phil the boom guy. Phil, unfortunately, has forgotten all the props, but did manage to bring a whole box of bananas; all kinds of movies from horror to comedy to war to thrillers are played out with every prop replaced by a Banana!
Una Palliser - MUSIC CHAMBER
Sunday 14 May, every 20 minutes from 12–2pm and 3–5pm
The Guildhall
The Irish-born singer-violinist takes you on a unique ten-minute musical journey of improvisation, song and sampled sounds of the natural world.
Soul Stew DJs
Saturday 13 May, 6pm-9pm
Festival Gardens
Festival favourites Soul Stew bringing everything soulful.
Perhaps Contraption
Sunday 14 May, 12.45pm
Starts London Street
Sunday 14 May, 2.45pm
Starts Gentleman’s Walk
Multi-award winning, progressive brass band from London.
Gorilla Circus - Unity
Saturday 13 May, 9pm
Festival Gardens, Chapelfield
Unity is a large-scale production that merges immersive theatre, circus, and community stories in a powerful but intimate way. This aerial-spectacular features aerial acrobatics and dance, wire walking and hair hanging artists.
Poet Cai Draper will is creating a new poem that will accompany the piece.
Performance will be captioned using The Difference Engine
Freshly Greated - Joyland Snails
Sunday 14 May, 12-5pm
Across the city
The iconic snails from Great Yarmouth’s Joyland have taken a spring break to the sunny climes of Norwich. Can you find all six?
Gallery
Tickets: This is a non-ticketed event
FREE
Welcome Weekend Sponsored by
Gorillia Circus Unity Sponsored by
Norfolk & Norwich Festival is a partner in Without Walls, a consortium of festivals and arts organisations bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across England. Find out more on www.withoutwalls.com
Shows at the Welcome Weekend are co-commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and a number of other partners.
Akademi
Pravaas is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Brighton Festival.
The R&D for Pravaas was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund.
Avanti Display
Crow is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival.
The R&D for Crow was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund.
Candoco Dance Company
New Work by Jamaal Burkmar is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Brighton Festival.
Gorilla Circus
UNITY is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Certain Blacks.
Just More Productions
Fussy Foodies: The Game Show part 2 is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Certain Blacks, Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Just So Festival.
The R&D for Fussy Foodies: The Game Show part 2 was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund.
Trigger
TEABREAK is supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Timber Festival.
Working Boys Club
Serving Sounds is supported by Without Walls.
Image credit: Unity, Out There Festival 2021 – David Street.