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Golowan
Festival Thursday 17th - Sunday 27th June
West Cornwall is one of the few places in the Celtic lands where
customs, originally celebrating the summer solstice on the year's
longest day, the 21st of June, still survive. On St John's Eve,
June 23rd, midsummer bonfires and beacons blaze on hilltops and
carns, maintaining continuity with ancient pagan and Celtic traditions.
Reports
in the 19th century told of Golowan celebrations with lines of blazing
tar barrels along the streets of Penzance accompanied by people
setting off fireworks and carrying burning torches.
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| A
crazy creature works it's way through the town |
The
people would dance in a long line holding hands and every so often
one would shout "An eye!" and the two people at the back
of the line would clasp hands and form an eye of a needle for the
rest of the dancers to run through. The day after these festivities,
on Midsummer Day, the Quay fair was held.
In
the 1850s, bye-laws were passed in a vain attempt to ban Golowan,
fearing damage to property, and Penzance's ambition to become a
genteel resort. It took a further forty years before the bonfires
and torches were finally banished to the Western Esplanade. Distanced
from the heart of the town and robbed of spontaneity Golowan gradually
died.
In
1991, through local archive research and the commitment of a small
group of volunteers Golowan was revived and revitalised with new
imagery and ritual.
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| Crowds
bustle through the main street full of stalls |
One
day of celebration has grown into a 10-day festival of Cornish,
Celtic, and international culture, culminating in Mazey Day's colourful
parades, street entertainment and market stalls, under a canopy
of flags, banners and greenery. Most importantly, Penglaz, the Serpent
Dance, Summer Fire, Quay Fair, the Mock Mayor Elections and Sea
and Sail will always be at the heart of Golowan.
"Scummow"
is this year's theme. The word derives from the Cornish word for
flotsam and jetsam, wreck, things washed up by the tide, which could
include strange creatures and fish, foreign cultures and ideas.
Fourteen schools and community groups involving over 1,000 children
will be taking part in the colourful processions and colourful banners
will be on display throughout the town.
"Scummow",
a collaboration between three Penwith Secondary schools; Mounts
Bay, Humphry Davy and Cape Cornwall, is interpreting the year's
theme in dance, music, strange instruments, imagery, masks, costume
and film.
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| Changing
appearances with the help of one of many face-painters. |
Artist
David Kemp, whose work is inspired by the natural landscape, will
be working with Cape Cornwall, transforming beach and shed collected
flotsam and jetsam into bizarre processional Mazey Day and Quay
Fair Day creations.
There
will be lots of music during the Festival including Cuban young
bloods, 'Asere', some sizzling tango, as well as the traditional
Celtic brew supplied this year from Cornwall, Brittany and Wales.
The
day after Mazey Day, the emphasis moves to the town's harbour area
with music and street performers, a Fun Fair and markets stalls
as well as a flotilla of visiting boats.
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Line-up
of events on at Golowan Festival:
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Thursday
17th June
MUSA
MISTONGA & Tango Oblivion
The Acorn - Penzance - 8pm - £7.00 Adv - £8.00
Door
First visit to Cornwall of ArgentineTango duo featuring
bandoneonist Fernando Rezk and pianist Marcela Pedretti
plus an absolute beginners class led by Tango Oblivion.
UNSUNG
HEROES
Union Hotel, Penzance - 8pm - £6.00
The new Cornwall Songwriters present the story of the lost
Heligan gardeners in songs and music.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 1pm - 4pm & 6pm - 8pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
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Friday
18th
EDUARDO
NIEBLA & HUGO ELIZALDE IN CONCERT
The Acorn, Penzance - 8.30pm - £9.00 Adv - £10.00
Door
A thunderstorm of hot flamenco and gypsy jazz.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 1pm - 4pm & 6pm - 8pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. We always welcome the help of sewers and machinists.
Materials are supplied but we can always use more fabric
scissors, tape measures, needles, and even sewing machines.
Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
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Saturday
19th
BATTLING
AND WINNING WITH CORNISH!
Owth arveth ha gwaynya gans Kernuak!
The Acorn, Penzance 2pm - £3.00
Take the first steps to understand and speak an ancient,
beautiful, living Celtic language.
WALK
THE PENZANCE TOWN TRAIL
With Bryony Rylett from St John's Hall, Penzance at 3pm
- £3.00
Facts and stories, reminiscences - the story of the port
and town.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 10am - 4pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. We always welcome the help of sewers and machinists.
Materials are supplied but we can always use more fabric
scissors, tape measures, needles, and even sewing machines.
Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
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Sunday
20th
GOLOWAN
CIVIC PARADE & CHURCH SERVICE
10.30am from St John's Hall to St John's Church, Penzance.
Service at 11am.
Penzance blesses Golowan and its Patron Saint St John The
Baptist. All welcome.
TAKE THE NEWLYN TRAIL
Meet at The Mission, Newlyn - 2pm - £3.00 (includes
a Trail guide book).
The history and diverse character of the village from its
humble beginnings, with Grevis Williams.
SHORELINE
- SHALLAL DANCE COMPANY
The Acorn, Penzance 2.30pm - Adv £5.00 - Door £6.00
- Suitable for all ages.
Shallal Dance Theatre integrating dance, drama, music and
for the first time film.
THE
BOTALLACK & KENIDJACK CLIFFS
Meet at the Botallack Count House car park at 2pm. £3.00
Adult - Children £1.50.
Guided walk with the National Trust's Paul Bonnington and
Jon Brookes.
THE
GREAT GOLOWAN PASTY CHALLENGE 2004
The Yacht Inn, Penzance. All entries by 4pm latest. Tasting
at 4.30pm
Can you make the Perfect Pasty? Open to all bakers, chefs,
househusbands and housewives.
TONGUE
PIE - STORY NIGHT
The Acorn, Penzance 7.30pm - £6.00
Scummow! Washed up stories, tide lines and wind blown words.
New stories from Cornish writers.
GHOULIES
AND GHOSTIES AND LONG LEGGEDY BEASTIES!
Tourist information Centre, Pz Bus Station - 8.30pm - £3.00
Adults, £2.00 Children
Join ghost hunter Ian Addicoat on a walk to Penzance's haunts.
Be very, very afraid!
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Monday
21st
THE
LONG AND SHORT OF IT - NEW CORNISH FILMS
The Acorn, Penzance 8.00pm - £5.00 Adv - £6.00
Door
PREMIERE of The Wrecking Season (Nick & Jane Darke)
The Carpenter, The Virgin & The Wardrobe (Lucy Fontaine),
An Mor Daskorr (Given back by the sea), Scummow - rough
cut of a Golowan school project, O Region's Rough Cuts.
THE
BLACK WOOD OF MADRON - W.S. GRAHAM IN PENWITH
The Union Hotel, Penzance - 7.30pm - £5.00
Poems and letters crafted during his time in Penwith, presented
by Phil Bowen.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 1pm - 4pm & 6pm - 8pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. We always welcome the help of sewers and machinists.
Materials are supplied but we can always use more fabric
scissors, tape measures, needles, and even sewing machines.
Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
GOLOWAN
CHOIR WORKSHOPS
St John's Hall, Penzance 6pm - 7.30pm £20.00 (for
all the week's sessions)
Bookings - Mary Woodvine - 01736 332596
The Golowan Choir has become an annual institution, taking
to the streets and Festival Marquee over the Big Weekend.
Places are limited, so please reserve yours as soon as possible.
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Tuesday
22nd
KRIS
GAYLE AND THE VIV RODD TRIO
The Acorn, Penzance 8.30pm - £8.00
Penwith's jazz jewel, Kris Gayle with Viv Rodd, Terry Rodd
and Goudie Charles.
PROMENADE
ALONG THE PROM
Jubilee Pool, Penzance at 6pm - £3.00 Adults - Child
(5 - 16yrs) £1.50
Bryony Rylett takes you along the prom to Newlyn - tales
of pubs, painters and peeping toms.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 1pm - 4pm & 6pm - 8pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. We always welcome the help of sewers and machinists.
Materials are supplied but we can always use more fabric
scissors, tape measures, needles, and even sewing machines.
Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
GOLOWAN
CHOIR WORKSHOPS
St John's Hall, Penzance 6pm - 7.30pm £20.00 (For
all the week's sessions)
Bookings - Mary Woodvine - 01736 332596
The Golowan Choir has become an annual institution, taking
to the streets and Festival Marquee over the Big Weekend.
Places are limited, so please reserve yours as soon as possible.
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Wednesday
23rd - St John's Eve
TRADITIONAL
MUSIC - CELTISH
The Acorn, Penzance 8.30pm - £8.00 Adv - £10.00
Door
An explosive mixture of Celtic music - jigs, reels, tunes
and songs.
CORNISH
LADS LOOKING AHEAD
The Union Hotel, Penzance 7.30pm - £4.00
Bert Biscoe, Pol Hodge and Roger Bryant with dialect, songs,
poems and Kernewek.
QUAY FAIR OPENS at 6.30pm
Near the Jubilee Pool, Penzance
From 6.30 pm till late Weds, Thurs, Fri. From 10.30am on
Mazey Day and Quay Fair Day.
GOLOWAN
COMMUNITY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOPS
FLAGGING SPIRITS AND FLYING COLOURS
St John's Hall, Penzance Free 1pm - 4pm & 6pm - 8pm
It isn't difficult and the sense of achievement in seeing
your very own banner flying on Mazey Day is worth every
stitch! Experienced sewers and designers are on hand to
help. Children under ten must be accompanied by an adult.
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Thursday
24th The Feast of John
NOZE
LOOAN with DALLA, BAGAS DEGOL, PENDANS
Festival Marquee, The Prom, Penzance 8pm - Adult £4.00
- Child £2.00 (Fam Tkt 2 adults to 3 children under
14 - £15.00)
A feast of Cornish dance and music.
ECHOES
AND MEMORIES OF PENWITH - With Chris Blount
St Peters Hall, Newlyn - 8pm - £5.00
Memories, stories, anecdotes, rich dialect, archive Newlyn
film.
GOLOWAN
CHOIR WORKSHOPS
St John's Hall, Penzance 6pm - 7.30pm £20.00 (For
all the week's sessions)
Bookings - Mary Woodvine - 01736 332596
The Golowan Choir has become an annual institution, taking
to the streets and Festival Marquee over the Big Weekend.
Places are limited, so please reserve yours as soon as possible.
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Friday
25th Mazey Eve
Festival Marquee, The Prom, Penzance 8pm - Adult £5.00
- Child £3.00 (Fam Tkt, 2 adults to 3 children under
14 - £15.00)
ELECTION OF THE MOCK MAYOR 2004
Democracy or anarchy? Decorum or debauchery? Have your say
& suffer the consequences.
The Hothouse Playboys - Hand-jive, R&B, Doowop, boogie
and brylcreem.
SUMMER
FIRE - FIREWORKS DISPLAY - Jubilee Pool - 11.20pm
THE
SERPENT DANCE AND PENGLAZ - 11.30pm
Penglaz is loose, the Serpent dance is snaking through the
streets.
PENWITH'S
ANCIENT AND SACRED PLACES
The Acorn, Penzance 7.30pm - £5.00 - Andy Norfolk.
Why are our sacred sites so important? Why do they attract
such mystic theories and beliefs?
THE
CRYNANT, MARAZION APOLLO AND KANORYON ENEV CHOIRS
St Mary's Church, Chapel Street, Penzance - 7.30pm - (retiring
collection)
Crynant Choir from South Wales, Marazion Apollo and Kanoryon
Kenev (St. Just community choir).
GOLOWAN
CHOIR WORKSHOPS
St John's Hall, Penzance 6pm - 7.30pm £20.00 (For
all the week's sessions)
Bookings - Mary Woodvine - 01736 332596
The Golowan Choir has become an annual institution, taking
to the streets and Festival Marquee over the Big Weekend.
Places are limited, so please reserve yours as soon as possible.
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Saturday
26TH MAZEY DAY
One and All gather on the streets of Penzance. Banners,
greenery, stalls, street entertainment. Golowan Marquee.
FREE day-time entertainment
MAZEY DAY PROCESSIONS: 9.45am, 10.30am, Midday, 3pm,
4.45pm.
SKATEBOARDING
WORKSHOPS
Golowan Showroom, Coinagehall Street, Penzance. (Behind
the Festival Marquee)
(also on 27th 10am - 6pm - £5.00 - Weekend ticket
£7.50.
Contact Alex Osborn - 07866 388751
A chance to watch and skateboard with professionals from
Landscape Skateboards and Slam City Skateboards. All proceeds
to help fund the resurfacing of the street skating area
at Wherrytown.
CAPOEIRA
ANGOLA WORKSHOPS
Golowan Showroom, Coinagehall Street, Penzance (Also on
27th) 12 noon - 2pm - £10.00 per day
For advance booking contact Mick Wheeler - (01736) 363211
Workshops presented by masters, professors, guests and students
of the group 'Filhos de Angola'. A chance to watch and learn
from the masters. Capoeira Angola is an art form: a dynamic
fusion of music, dance, acrobatics, game-play and martial
art. Students train in the movements, rhythms and songs
which make up the performance of a 'Roda'(circle). A traditional
'Roda de Capoeira' will be presented on Quay Fair Day in
the Festival Marquee and on the Prom.
DANCE
THE TANGO WORKSHOP
Golowan Showroom 2.30pm - 4.00pm - £3.00
Buenos Aires comes to Penzance. Learn how to dance the sizzling
Argentine Tango in this taster session with Hilary &
Simon from Latin Quarter.
ACHANAK
Festival Marquee, The Prom, Penzance 8.30pm £12.00
Ground-breaking band who have conquered the bhangra live
circuit.
THE
ST MEWAN SINFONIA
St Mary's Church, Chapel Street, Penzance - Free (retiring
collection) 7.30pm
This acclaimed Sinfonia and Cornish classical pianist Jonathan
Delbridge in a varied programme.
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Sunday
27TH - QUAY FAIR DAY
Quay
Fair & free Marquee day programme.
QUAY DAY STREET MARKET
From the exotic to the absurd, trinkets to finery, candles
to crafts.
SEA AND SAIL
The maritime celebration of Golowan, adding interest and
a riot of colour to our working port.
DISPLAYS AND EXHIBITIONS
On the quayside ,fender making, nautical knots and much
more.
PENZANCE MODEL BOATS
The Boating Lake Wherrytown 10am to 4pm
Hundreds of hand crafted models, class yachts and Formula
fast electric boats. Joined this year by duck races.
MAZEY BOATS
The Boating Lake Wherrytown - Official launch - 1pm
An armada of amazing craft competing for the Mazey Boats
certificates.
GOLOWAN CRICKET MATCH - Golowan versus Mumbles
Gulval Cricket Club - 2pm at the ground - earlier, Coldstreamers
Inn, Gulval
BASINS, BATTERIES AND BARBICANS
Meet outside the Dolphin Inn 1.00pm - £2.00
A guided walk and talk through the story of the port of
Penzance with Clive Carter.
RIGHT UP YOUR SUNDAY STREET
Entertainment in your tent, up the quay, around the gardens,
along the Prom.
SKATEBOARDING
WORKSHOP
Golowan Showroom, Coinagehall Street, Penzance. (Near the
Festival Marquee.)
Also on 26th. 10am - 6pm - £5.00 - Weekend ticket
£7.50. Contact Alex Osborn - 07866 388751
A chance to watch and skateboard with professionals from
Landscape Skateboards and Slam City Skateboards. All proceeds
to help fund the resurfacing of the street skating area
at Wherrytown.
CAPOEIRA
ANGOLA WORKSHOP
Golowan Showroom, Coinagehall Street, Penzance. (Near the
Festival Marquee.) Also on 26th. 12 noon - 2pm - £10.00
per day
For advance booking contact Mick Wheeler - (01736) 363211
Workshops presented by masters, professors, guests and students
of the group 'Filhos de Angola'. A chance to watch and learn
from the masters. Capoeira Angola is an art form: a dynamic
fusion of music, dance, acrobatics, game-play and martial
art. Students train in the movements, rhythms and songs
which make up the performance of a 'Roda'(circle) - sometimes
delicate, sometimes fast, the game should always be played
with cunning. A traditional 'Roda de Capoeira' will be presented
on Quay Fair Day in the Festival Marquee and on the Prom.
SALSA
WORKSHOP
2.30pm - 4pm - £2.00:
Golowan Showroom, Coinagehall Street, Penzance. (Near the
Festival Marquee.)
Warm-up for the Asere with Nina the Salsa Queen as she introduces
salsa technique to the uninitiated, with the assistance
of the guest dancers. A wicked way to loosen up, partner
up, get into the Asere groove and prepare to pop some moves
in the Marquee later in the evening.
LAST
NIGHT ON THE PROM - ASERE - Festival Marquee - 8.00pm -
£10.00
All Cuban young bloods. Salsa, Son and Merengue with dynamic,
infectious energy.
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For tickets and information contact
the
Festival Booking Office : 01736
365520
Visit the website:
www.golowan.com
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