Holloway Arts Festival survives the cuts - popular event set for 8-17 June

Published: 22 April 2011
by AMY SMITH

KATY Carr (pictured), who sings songs from the 1940s, is among top artists appearing at the popular Holloway Arts Festival in June, writes Amy Smith.

Islington poet John Hegley will also star in the event and a new street festival is being held for the first time with craft workshops, film screenings, dance performances, a cake bake-off and a shadow puppet show.

Organisers Rowan Arts have managed to raise funds for the ninth annual event which attracts people from all over London, despite struggling against cuts to their own funding. 

There will also be a screening of the acclaimed documen­tary Kazik and The Kommander’s Car that chronicles the true story of Polish 

boy scout, Kazimierz Piechowski, who made a daring escape from Auschwitz in 1942.

The now famous Connecting Conversations series will encourage well-known names from the arts to open up about their creative process in two public discussions with renowned psychoanalysts.

The festival will include a singer-songwriter competition for upcoming musicians to battle it out for the first prize, winning recording sessions, a photo-shoot and further performance opportunities. 

Last year’s winner, Ellie Rowsell, has since formed band Wolf Alice, who tour nationally and will also  be playing this year’s festival.

Ruth Robinson, coordinator of Rowan Arts, said: “Despite the huge economic challenges faced in the last year, the continued success of the Holloway Arts Festival demonstrates how much the local community value it.”

Connecting Conversations  events include:

• Composer, Librettist and Director of the ENO’s new Opera Two Boys interviewed by psychotherapist Friday June 10, at TBC, 7.30-9pm.

• Dancer Jasmin Vardimon: Thursday  June 16, venue TBC.

Other events:

• The Jazzberries: Wednesday June 8, Nambucca, 596 Holloway Rd, N7, 8.30pm till late.

• Mayton Street Festival: Saturday June 11, Mayton Street, 1-5pm, free.

• Big Day Out at Whittington Park: Sunday, June 12, 1-5pm, free.

• Katy Carr and the Aviators, June 12, at the Floirin pub and Claudia Georgette, 6pm to 11pm.

• Poets in the Pub: Monday, June 13, North Nineteen, 194-196 Sussex Way, N19, 7.30-9pm. 

• Comedy Night with Kat Francois, Matt Welcome and Paul Lyalls: Friday, June 17, The Floirin Pub, 563 Holloway Road, N19,  8.30-11.00pm.

Visit www.hollowayartsfestival.co.uk and www.connectingconversations.org