"The Workhouse Festival in Llanfyllin is back this year on the Friday 10 until Sunday 12 July.

Acts

With just days left until the 6th Workhouse Festival, all the stops have been pulled out to ensure that this year will be the best yet. Major infrastructure changes have been made making the site more accessible and enjoyable. Popular British breakbeat duo the Freestylers have just been confirmed for an appearance on the Saddlespan stage on Friday evening. The new sadlespan stage, as seen at Glastonbury and many other large UK festivals will also play host to The Blockheads, The Holloways, Neck, Loonaloop, Subsource, We Do kung Foo, The Kabeedies, Sam Issac and The Roseville band plus over 100 other bands, DJ's and cabaret acts across the 3 days in 7 amazing venues. Due to popular demand, the "Electronique boutique" venue has doubled in size to hold twice the amount of people.

Tickets

With the credit crunch in full flow organisers have launched the "Club together" deal where people can buy 4 adult tickets get a 5th one FREE which also applies to youth tickets, and the new option of day tickets will allow people to enjoy the festival without it breaking the bank. Tickets are available at usual outlets. Gates open to festival goers at noon on Friday 10 July and will once again provide a veritable feast of top quality music & entertainment.

Ethos

Winner of a Greener Festival Award 2008 and run entirely on renewable energy, the Workhouse Festival continues to create an unrivalled environmentally sound atmosphere. For those looking for more from a festival than overpriced food, miles of car parks and corporate sponsors, the festival is family friendly event, aiming to provide a safe and fun environment. The success of the festival is integral to the development of the Workhouse building as a centre for Sustainability, Arts, Music and Education to ensure future generations can enjoy the space. The building now boasts an indoor venue, regularly holding fund raising events from live music to film showings to workshops, and will play host to the festivals' cinema. The gallery space will become one of the festival bars and continues to be a valuable platform for local artists. The newly developed community garden will be a place for people to take some time out from the festival shenanigans.

Food

The Workhouse festival prides itself on sourcing local produce and talent where ever possible - promoting the importance of using local resources. Organic, healthy, good value food is widely available alongside the infamous Workhouse Ale and the soon to be infamous Chocolate Harlot Parlour, who can also be seen at The Secret Garden Party festival. With the harlots serving coffees, champagne and chocolate fountains alongside healthy indulgent chocolate treats, this is one addition not to be missed.

Connected Events

Continued development of the Workhouse site has been allowed through the success of previous festival. This gives opportunities for community education courses on environmental issues such as Permaculture. The first Introduction to Permaculture course ran at The Workhouse in October 2008 and again in March 2009. The first full two week Permaculture design Course ran in May and was a sell out, with 24 design students attending.

More intriguing courses are planned throughout the year, firmly placing The Workhouse as a hub, buzzing with new courses and events to expand peoples' knowledge and give people the tools they need in the current climate

It is vital that this support for the Workhouse continues, through people buying festival tickets and through the volunteer programme. Work needs to carry on and we need to realise the full potential of the building and space. We want to get people involved, this building has the potential to provide so much.

Extra Info

Tickets are selling fast and organisers want to extend a huge thank you to all who have helped to make it a resounding success to date. Without this input the festival and project would not be possible. With seven stages, family camping, Poetry, kids area, walkabout, cinema, healing area, green crafts and more music than you can shake a stick at, there is no doubt festival goers are in for more than a treat!

The Workhouse team are busy making sure that this year's festival proves to be as big a success as ever. Nowhere else can you see such an array of music, entertainment, workshops, food and drink for the whole family in eight venues all within five minutes walk of each other.

It's all set in the atmospheric grounds and beautiful surrounding fields of the community owned and run historical Workhouse building.

The Workhouse has earned itself an international reputation as one of the best small, independent festivals in the country. For anyone seeking the genuine festival experience or to escape the drearier side of daily life for a weekend the Workhouse promises to provide a lively, colourful and friendly festival. You can leave normal life behind for a few days and enter a strange and fantastic world where every turn reveals a new delight for your senses.

One of the summers' most eclectic, upbeat festivals proudly situated in Mid-Wales, a true extravaganza of live music, cabaret, DJs, workshops and kids entertainment.

Festival goers can enjoy everything from rock to reggae to punk on the all new saddlespan Main Stage including The Blockheads, Neck, Subsource and The Holloways.

The pick of young local musical talent on the up and coming Courtyard stage. For those with a taste for dance music there's the Electronik Boutique with its state of the art sound system and acts such as Sonny Wharton and Koma and Bones to keep the beats coming.

Comedy and acoustic music in the Cabaret Tent will provide a chilled out musical area by day and a den of iniquity by night. The whole family can go along to giggle at the performers and get creative in the quieter Kid's area.

If you fancy a more sedate afternoon in the midst of all the entertainment you can wander around the Green Crafts and learn more about eco-friendly ways of living, watch an award winning film in the custom made Cinema or even get a massage in the Healing Area.

As ever there will be a wide variety of yummy food, chilled out cafes, bars and all manner of walkabout entertainers to sit back and enjoy. There is always more being added so you can keep in touch through the website which has a link to it on the right hand side of this page.

Don't worry if it all sounds a bit hedonistic, Workhouse goers can party and salve their consciences at the same time because all profits from the festival are donated to the Llanfyllin Dolydd Building Preservation Trust (LDBPT).

It's a local, charitable organisation which funds and organises the restoration of the previously derelict historic building known as the Llanfyllin Workhouse.

The Trust is community owned and run and has already created a theatre, music and film venue in the grounds; set up a gallery exhibiting local artists and created a community garden for local use.

The Workhouse is a vibrant site which has attracted a huge amount of local support through donations and volunteer time. If you would like to find out more please visit the website which is linked on the right hand side of the page.

All in all The Workhouse aims to be a summer festival that Mid-Wales can be proud of. While hopefully providing something for local people to enjoy, as well as bringing in a lot of people from outside the area for the weekend, we try to minimize the impact on the local environment.

Last year we won a Greener Festival Award but we're not stopping there. This year we have appointed an Environmental Officer to keep tabs on us all and make sure we continue to strive to protect the local and global environment.

The festival is powered entirely by renewable sources, recycles and composts wherever possible, only allows ethical traders and caterers and encourages everyone attending the festival to minimise their impact on the site.

All that remains to say is that tickets are currently on sale at a variety of local outlets (details on the website) and through WeGotTickets."

Report by Brid O'Dwyer