VIBRANT Turkish dance music and one of the comedy circuit?s biggest pulls, Ian Cognito, are among the diverse line-up for next month?s Hatherleigh Arts Festival. The eleventh festival runs for four days from July 13 to 16, and offers an exciting blend of events, performances and workshops. Oojami are a Turkish dance band who have thrilled the Jazz/World stage at the Glastonbury Festival with their mix of eclectic music and belly dancing. They even provided the soundtrack to sweet French actress Audrey Tautou gyrating her hips in the cult film Dirty Pretty Things. Street theatre this year includes the slightly surreal children?s installation ?Slightly Bigger Little Red Riding Hood goes to the Launderette?, and the acrobatic Skate Naked. There is plenty of live music on Saturday night in the marquee with local favourites the Hard Place Band. Fans of classical music will be well catered for, with performances from soprano Vicky Collier and pianist Roger Cleverdon, an organ recital, and the Anglo Sax Quartet who give classical a healthy injection of jazz, Latin and funk. The culmination of the first night will again be the comedy club in the town hall, featuring three leading comedians, including Ian Cognito, of whom The Independent says, ?After half an hour in the company of the constantly self-excoriating Cognito, all other comedians begin to seem like people in public relations?. Workshops, youth and children?s events, films, a nature talk with Pete Walters from Fishleigh Estate (BBC Springwatch) and a bat walk are also part of the series of activities in and around Hatherleigh. Several superb art exhibitions will be on display around the town, including renowned sculptor Mat Chivers in Commerce House, who will be accompanied by Andrew Gilmour Gray and Caroline Saunders, whom he is mentoring through the Artsculture Project. In the Old Schools, visitors can examine an exciting mixed media exhibition by Mike Nuth, whose intriguing works have also prompted a family art workshop. Festival co-ordinator Claire Gladstone said: ?We even have a Festival Fringe with the hilarious Molesworthy Farm being performed by the Hatherleigh Players on July 7 to 8 and the Bacchanale ensemble performing clarinet quintets by Mozart and Weber on Sunday, July 23.? The full festival programme can be viewed at the website http://www.hatherleighfestival.co.uk">www.hatherleighfestival.co.uk which also provides ticket information for the exciting range of events on offer.
