BAFTA winner among performers at festival
THE sounds of wildlife will feature among the attractions of a new online Unity Festival this weekend which will also bring rap and jazz direct into people’s homes.
The new event, being hosted by Newcastle’s Skimstone Arts, will bring the outdoors indoors and, as well as creating a music festival atmosphere, it will be inviting visitors to a virtual “Music Tent” to join in the likes of singing, song-writing, drumming and rapping workshops.
There will be a Chill Out Tent too, where the online audience can relax and immerse themselves in stories and themes of nature and fantasy.
Among the festival’s headline attractions is well-known local sound recorder and composer Chris Watson, who has won a BAFTA for his work on David Attenborough documentary series The Life of Birds.
He will be talking about his adventures covering a range of sounds and rhythms across the planet from Antarctica to the Arctic. Other headliners at the festival, which celebrates community, nature and social action, will be Newcastle rapper and hip hop artist Kay Greyson and singer-songwriter Bumi Thomas, whose music is a mix of jazz, folk and soul and who will perform songs from her EP Broken Silence.
The programme will run on Zoom from 10am until 5pm today and tomorrow.
On offer will be events including live bands on a Main Stage; African dance workshops; virtual singalongs; mindfulness sessions; an opportunity to take part in creating a new story; open mic events; urban gardening and nature ideas. Events are free and are considered suitable for all.