3rd September 2021 – 4th September 2021
After three Lockdowns, many of us can’t wait to engage with as many cultural opportunities as possible. In just over 4 weeks, the pioneering “Women in Arts and Music Festival” or WAM Fest, will take place in Felixstowe. The Festival, which will run for approximately 30 exhilarating hours, has a diverse, wide-ranging series of events chaired by Felixstowe Radio’s Laura Locke of Trimley St. Martin, assisted by a team of women volunteers. WAM Fest has been about eighteen months in the making and is a double by-product of the Ferry Fest held in 2018 and Laura’s inspiration during the first national Lockdown in Spring 2020. Originally, Laura had hoped WAM would take place on International Women’s Day on 8th March 2021 but the third lockdown was still underway and the events were pushed to September 2021.
The Programme
Festival events are wide ranging and include offer an amazing variety of music, singing, dancing, literature and art. The Festival’s launch party will be held on Friday Night 3rd September at the fabulous 2 Sisters Arts Centre when Big Mama Funk (https://www.bigmamafunk.co.uk) and The Ukelele Ladies hit town and start the festival. Guaranteed to wake you up with a bang.
On Saturday 4th September, there will be two author sessions with five different writers: Ruth Dugdall, Amanda Hodgkinson, Cassandra Parkin, Jeanette Hewitt and Kate Sawyer. Interwoven with these are three outdoor musical performances on The Triangle from Felixstowe Harmonies, Stellar Acapella and Essentially Swing. Indoor performances will take place in The Orwell Hotel and include the Common Ground Band, Christina Johnston (international Soprano) and a lively Festival Finale. There are also three art exhibition/display events.
Prior to September there will be a pre-fest event at the 2 Sisters Art Centre on 14th August 2021 when Gloria Gonzales Picton will run two afternoon Flamenco Workshops for Children or Adults. (http://twosistersarts.co.uk/2021/07/12/flamenco-workshop/ )
The Festival may have a compact time span but its contents will help attendees to recharge as they leave Lockdown Languish behind. Day passes to all the events at the Orwell Hotel as well as tickets for individual sessions, will be available as from 4th August 2021:
Tickets for the events at 2 Sisters are also available from 4th August 2021:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/st-marys-church/two-sisters-arts-centre
To keep in touch with Festival developments, sign in to:
https://www.facebook.com/WAMfestFX/
Additionally, the WAM website is now up and running:
If you are interested in attending the two author sessions, you might like to catch up with their books in advance:
Ruth Dugdall
Humber Boy B
The James Version
Nowhere Girl
My Sister and other Liars
The Sacrificial Man
The Things you didn’t see
The Woman before me
Jeanette Hewitt
Eight year lie
The hunger within
The life she wants
Night Caller
The Quiet
Reckoning point
Amanda Hodgkinson
22 Britannia Road
Spilt Milk
Cassandra Parkin
New World Fairy Tales
The Slaughter Man
Soldier Boy
The Summer we all ran away
Underwater Breathing
The Winter’s Child
Kate Sawyer
The Stranding
Laura Locke
For more information about Laura, go to:
https://trimleystmartinrecordersblog.com/2019/04/05/laura-locke-learning-enthusiast/
Trimley St Martin Recorder's Blog 