Poet John Hegley headlines Holloway Arts Festival

Published: 3rd June, 2011
by AMY SMITH

ONE of Britain’s best-loved comic poets, John Hegley, will  perform a two-hour, one-man show when Holloway Arts Festival opens next week.

The ninth annual 10-day event, with music, dance and theatre, is expected to attract more than 8,000 people to the area from all over the capital.

The festival will feature the popular Connecting Conversations, bringing together psychoanalysts and creative people who will discuss what motivates and inspires their work. 

The artistic team behind English National Opera’s production Two Boys will join psychoanalyst Sara Flanders on June 10 while choreographer Yasmin Vardimon will discuss the creative pro­cess and the nature of interpretation with Josh Cohen on June 16.  

Mayton Street will resound with Irish music, African drumming and choral singing when it is transformed into an outdoor festival on Saturday, June 11.

Attractions will in­clude a working fire engine, an interactive nature workshop and the inflatable artistry of Danny the Wild Balloon Tamer.  

There will  be film screenings from Reel Islington and a talk by local author Caitlin Davies on Edwardian Holloway, plus poetry readings  from the editors of Long Poem Magazine. 

Refreshments will be available at a pop-up café. 

Ruth Robinson, coordinator of Rowan Arts, which is organising the festival, said: “This is our first street festival and we are happy to be working in partnership with Holloway Neigh­bourhood Group.” 

The Big Day Out, with music, arts, food and crafts, will be staged at Whittington Park on Sunday, June 12. 

Festival highlights include:

• The Jazzberries: Old Fire Station, 84 Mayton Street, 8.30pm till late, Wednesday, June 8.
• John Hegley: Whittington Park Community Centre, Yerbury Road, 8.30-10.30pm, Thursday, June 9.
• Composer, librettist and director of ENO’s new opera Two Boys in conversation with psychoanalyst Sara Flanders: Manor Gardens Library, 7.30-9pm, Friday June 10.
• Mayton Street Festival: Mayton Street, 1-5pm, Saturday, June 11. Free.
• Big Day Out at Whittington Park: 1-5pm, Sunday, June 12. Free.
• Katy Carr and the Aviators (followed by singer-songwriter competition final): Floirin pub, 563 Holloway Road, 6pm-late, Sunday, June 12. 
• Poets in the Pub: North Nineteen, 194-196 Sussex Way, 7.30-9pm, Monday, June 13.
• Midsummer Picnic for under-fives: Royal Northern Gardens, Manor Gardens, 2-4pm, Tuesday, June 14. Free.
• Dancer Jasmine Vardimon: London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Road, 7.30-9pm, Thursday, June  16. 
• Comedy Night with Kat Francois, Matt Welcome and Paul Lyalls: Floirin pub, 8.30-11pm, Friday, June 17.

For the full programme, visit www.hollowayartsfestival.co.uk.