An Urban Astronaut ‘space-walking’ 20 feet in the air, a roaming Grassman wearing a suit grown entirely from real grass, and the UK première of a “thrilling, energetic” French dance performance by Collectif A/R outside the Great Hall: these are just some of the highlights at Winchester’s Hat Fair this weekend (July 1-3).
Acrobats manoAmano from Argentina - shows each day
Over 60,000 visitors are expected to converge on Winchester for the annual Hat Fair, which is the UK’s longest running festival of outdoor arts.
There will be 234 performances in twenty different outdoor sites around the city centre on Friday and Saturday, and the free festival culminates on Sunday with the traditional picnic and continuous entertainment at Oram’s Arbour.
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As always, top street theatre performers from around the world will also busk, or ‘hat’, in the High Street, The Square and in Abbey Gardens, maintaining the long tradition that gives the festival its name. Hatters for 2016 include acrobats manoAmano from Argentina and Les Dudes from Canada.
“Hat Fair is a melting pot of international artists but it’s important that we showcase local talent too,’ said Hat Fair’s Artistic Director Michelle Walker. “Winchester favourites Blue Apple Theatre are creating a roaming piece based on Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky, and the Fringe Festival in The Brooks Shopping will present shows by Winchester students and recent graduates.
‘One of the special things about Hat Fair is that it provides free and unfettered access to arts and culture for anybody and everybody,” she said.
For full details of the festival programme, visit hatfair.co.uk