COOKHAM FESTIVAL 2009 

A Celebration of Arts and Music

Friday 24 April 2009 - Monday 4 May 2009

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Welcome to the 2009 Cookham Festival! 

Click here for the Highlights so Far

********************** LATEST NEWS - STOP PRESS ***********************

Mandy McAllen in her studio annex!Take advantage of this lovely weather for a tour around the open studios this weekend. There are 16 studios open today tomorrow and some on Monday.  A Google map of locations is on the artists studios page of this web site. The artists are waiting to chat to you about their work and techniques. if you are inspired to have a try yourself come along to May Day on the Moor where some of the artists will be guiding you in a painting Masterclass. There will be four sessions lasting about an hour for £5 including all materials. Many other crafts to take part in including clay, paper-making and embroidery. Lots of fun so make it a date!

 

Local Poets Herald Spring at Festival 

It's still not too late to get tickets for the Festival's poetry evening on Tuesday 28th April..  Local poets and poetry lovers will be sharing their enthusiasm for all things Spring at the WI Hall in Cookham Dean starting at 8pm.  Local poet Mike (appropriately) Springate will be host for the evening and you are invited to bring along your own poems or your favourite poems with a Spring theme.  It's all accompanied by a delicious home-cooked supper and tickets for the whole evening are just £12.  Bring your own wine!

 

GREEN GRANNY APPEARING LIVE ON 4 MAY 2009

Barbara Walmsley, Oxfam's green Granny will be appearing live at May Day on the Moor on May 4th. She will demonstrate her famous potato salad and give tips for frugal times!

She will also be presenting  the prizes for the competitions etc. 

 

COUNTDOWN TO THE FESTIVAL

The Private View for Gail Dorrington's Art Exhibition which can be seen during the Festival gets everyone into Festival mood.  Left to right: Timmy Mallett, Gail Dorrington and Rolf Harris.

 

 

 

Local Boatyard Comes to the Aid of Mole

Local boatyard Heyland Marine is providing a traditional rowing boat for Kenneth Grahame At Home - A local view of life in The Wind in the Willows. This is a new entertainment devised by Jean Hedger from material concerning the Grahame family and readings from the children's classic The Wind in the Willows. The setting for this will be Herries School , the very house in which the family were living when stories were written which would later form part of Grahame's famous book. Jean, who previously adapted The Wind in the Willows for dramatised readings on Cookham Summer FM, will be working with some of the local actors who took part in those programmes. The performance features a traditional rowing boat as a well as Ratty and Mole stuffed portrait toys made by Sally Jane Miniatures

Sunday 3rd May at 3.00pm  Tickets Adults £4, Children £3

 

 

AND ALL THAT JAZZ!

Modern Jazz comes to the Festival for the first time, with rising tenor saxophone star

Vasillis Xenopoulos who is bringing his quintet to Pinder Hall for an evening of modern jazz. The hall will be arranged in cabaret style to enable patrons to bring their own food. Drinks will be available from the bar. The evening will be compered by local jazz trombonist Clive Burton. Tickets £8 from The Stationery Store, Cookham.

 Award Winning Film Director Jan Dunn's Festival  Workshop

Cookham Festival Comedian Tom Rosenthal wins top award

 

 

The Box Office is at the Stationery Depot, Station Parade, Cookham Rise.

 General enquiries about the festival to Mike Copland on 01628 630375.

 

Tickets can also be obtained from Louise Wood by filling in the Booking Form.

Cheques payable to 'Cookham Festival'

 

Tickets for 'Let's Rock the Moor' on-line click here

 

   

The Festival Committee offers its thanks to Louis Baylis (Maidenhead Advertiser) 

 

Charitable Trust for its financial support.

 

AND THANKS TO

Artspace

BBC

Robert and Deborah Behrman

Cookham Library

The Cookham Society

Elizabeth House

Holy Trinity Church

Holy Trinity School

John Lewis Partnership

Liz Kwantes

CIM Moor Hall Conference Centre

St John The Baptist Church

The Design Quorum

The Odney Club  

… and all who are taking part as the Festival’s performers, artists and helpers.

 

 

  

  

This is, above all, a truly local Festival.  Almost every one of the activities and events draws on local talent and encourages us to appreciate the wealth of such talent we have in our community.  We have music, theatre, art and comedy to delight you.  And you can join in too: it's about You exploring your own talents - discovering abilities and interests that have maybe lain dormant awaiting this opportunity to shine out!
We have many acts that are new to the Cookham Festival - a modern jazz evening, a stand-up comedy event, an outdoor sculpture park, performances by some of our best young bands and our first rock concert.  And we have attracted some award-winning performers who, of course, have close links to Cookham and the surrounding area.
 
We have tried to make it all as accessible as possible: there is something for every age and many tastes.  And we have aimed to keep the prices at a level that allows you to attend as many activities as attract your interest.
 
The Festival closes with an all-day event on Cookham Moor: we hope that the whole community will come out to enjoy this.  During the daytime it's free with lots of fun activities for all the family, leading up to our spectacular rock concert with Nick Heyward and a number of local bands.
 
As in past years, we expect that many of the events will be sell-outs so do book early, especially for the rock concert on the Bank Holiday Monday.  Above all, get involved.  Attend some of the workshops, use your voice at Cookham Sings! and visit some of the more than 20 local artists who are opening their studios to us all.  And if you can spare some time to help, we can use it!  Click here to offer your support.
 
The Festival only happens every two years: make the most of it!

Mike Copland - Festival Chairman

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