Changes planned for Wild Rumpus family festival
A MULTI award-winning family arts festival organised by a Macclesfield group has announced its line up for 2018.
Now in its ninth year, Just So is dedicated solely to children and their families, offering ‘astonishing arts’ and ‘unique experiences’.
The event is organised by Macclesfield-based social enterprise Wild Rumpus set up by directors Sarah Bird and Rowan Hoban after meeting at a Macclesfield book club in 2009.
This year’s event will take run from August 17 to 20 at the Rode Hall estate.
Among the new areas planned for this year’s event is ‘Roll Up, Roll Up’, which will be dedicated to all things circus and seaside celebrate 250 years since the first circus in the world was formed by Philip Astley from Newcastle-Under-Lyme just eight miles from the festival site.
Organisers are promising that the Flamingo Lounge will be filled to the brim with all things dance and tripping the light fantastic.
Festival goers will also be able to head into the woods to indulge in relaxation, tranquillity and rejuvenation at the brand new Idlewood area, where they can enjoy ukulele and singing workshops, family yoga, tai chi and take part in the Twilight Chorus.
As usual youngsters and their families will be encouraged to dress up as bees, foxes, frogs, owls, fish, stags or lions and join one of the family tribes, bidding to be crowned festival champions.
Rowan, who lives on Catherine Street and used to run Button and Skein wool shop on Church Street, said: “We love to plot and plan for the next Just So Festival just days after the last one, when our heads are still full of magic and ridiculousness - what better inspiration than our festival families whose phenomenal sense of tribal community knocks our socks off every year. “We hunt high and low throughout the UK and beyond to find the very best performers and artists who we think can bring the festival to life.
“We love incorporating Just So traditions with new and exciting ground-breaking outdoor arts which we hope will create the most incredible memories.
“So roll on 2018 and in the words of the great Maurice Sendak ‘Let’s make mischief of one kind or another’.
For information and tickets visit www. justsofestival.org.uk.