Pleasance Islington Hosts Annual Summer Festival, Big Day Out Today

Pleasance Islington hosts its second annual summer festival, the Big Day Out for all the family on Saturday 16 July 2011 as part of the Islington Platform Festival.

Filling our 298-seat Main House, 54-seat Studio and 50ft garage with shows for all ages, workshops, a variety of market stalls, live music, comedy and The Big Day Out Barbeque. There's something to entertain the whole family in this huge one-day event, from 11am - 11pm.

There are many treats in store for our younger visitors who can come along to take part in our free, age appropriate, workshops for teenagers and younger kids, which run throughout the day. Build large Batonkas and play as a junk band at the Re-Tune It workshops. Come and explore your physicality, co-ordination and dexterity with our multi-award winning show STOMP rhythm and movement workshops, or make banners and get your views heard at the Mischief Makers Protest Camp.

The Garden Classroom workshops are a good place to get your hands dirty and plant up some pots, make your own smoothie on the smoothie bike or take part in a raw cooking demonstration and buy some produce grown, packaged and sold by pupils from Holloway and Highbury Grove Schools. Once you have eaten your fill on delicious fresh food, wander over to the Big Day Out 2D Animation Workshops and experiment with stop motion animation with experienced Animator Angela Alhucema. Learn about drawing backgrounds, collage, pencil drawing, colour drawings, puppets and card and how to bring your own animations to life.

In the theatre, we are pleased to present a full and exciting programme of ticketed shows. First of the day Perrier Comedy Award-winner Tim Bat takes over the main house with his quirky comedy and skilful trickery, before John Hegley delights with the wonder of words in the preview of the Edinburgh preview of his show Family Wordship. Islington Community Theatre presents Beginnings; five amazing new plays for and about young people written by some of the UK's best new playwrights followed by an afternoon of story telling with Red Table Theatre and their Snuggle Pit in Storyteller General.

From 5.00pm, come and support seven Islington Secondary Schools as they battle to win the Schools 4 Rock 2011 title and a day recording their songs at the Berry Street Studios! Islington's young people have a lot of talent and the Islington Police Schools 4 Rock - Battle of the Bands competition is your chance to come support them and see them shine.

If all of this still isn't enough, the Big Day Out Market will run from 11am-5pm offering arts and crafts, toys, books, jewellery, health and beauty, clothing, cake stalls, face painting, The Pleasance Kids Café and Play Area, and operatic treats and gourmet ice cream from Opera Ice cream! With live music from Robin Grey and The Sax Pastilles. So come and spend a sunny summer day at the Pleasance.

Festival Programme

Robin Grey 11:00 - 13:00 free
The Tim Bat Trick Show 12:00 - 13:00 £5
John Hegley Family WordShip 12:30 - 13:30 £5
Beginnings presented by Islington Community Theatre 14.30 - 15.30 £5
The Sax Pastilles 14:30-16:30 free
Schools for Rock - Battle of the Bands 16:00 doors open for 17:00 - 20:00 show £3 (proceeds to Childline)
Steve Hall and Russell Kane - Double Bill 20:00 - 22:00 £10

FREE WORKSHOPS
EC1 Music Project Workshops 13:15 - 14:15
Re-Tune It Workshops 11:00 - 18:00
STOMP Rhythm and Music Workshops 11:00 - 18:00
Big Day Out 2D Animation Workshops 11:00 - 18:00
Mischief Makers Protest Camp 11:00 - 17:00
The Garden Classroom 11:00 - 17:00
Big Day Out Market 11:00 - 17:00

Places on workshops can be reserved in advance. To book, or buy tickets for any shows or workshops call Box Office on 0207 609 1800 or visit our website at www.pleasance.co.uk.

Address: Pleasance Theatre Islington and Edinburgh, Carpenters Mews,
North Road N7 9EF

Telephone: 020 7619 6868
Website: www.pleasance.co.uk

Need more UK Regional Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...