Woolwich Words & Sounds in the Park
A free summer day festival at Gallions ParkAs part of our inaugural summer festival, we are hosting Woolwich Words & Sounds in the Park: a free, outdoor day festival. Taking place a short walk from Woolwich Works at Gallions Park, this participatory afternoon event will give audiences a taste of what the full Woolwich Words & Sounds festival has to offer.
Kicking off the day is a hula-hoop workshop led by the Guinness World Record-holding hoop troupe The Majorettes, getting the whole family up and moving with circus skills, followed by a children's mindfulness workshop hosted by theatre ensemble Tangled Feet. In the first of a series of talks between poets with shared passions, Anthony Anaxagorou (After the Formalities, How To...Write It) will be in conversation with Jack Underwood, author of Happiness (2015) and Not Even This (2021).
This will be followed by performances from emerging jazz group Kalpadruma Collective, the cinematic sound of Dollars Trio and world-renowned drummer, composer, producer and beatmaker Myele Manzanza.
Stage times:
- 12pm – 1pm: Hula Hoop Workshop with The Majorettes
- 1.30pm – 2pm: Children's Mindfulness Workshop with Tangled Feet
- 2.30pm – 3pm: Anthony Anaxagorou in Conversation with Jack Underwood
- 3.20pm – 4.10pm: Kalpadruma Collective
- 4.30pm – 5.30pm: Dollars Trio
- 5.50pm – 6.50pm: Myele Manzanza
Hula Hoop Workshop with The Majorettes
The Majorettes are a Guinness World Record-holding hoop troupe all the way from East London! You can learn from the best in their 1-hour hoop workshops for all the family. That's right, it's not just for kids! Anyone can learn to hula hoop at any age. The Majorettes have been creating workshops and performances which inspire people to reconnect with their bodies and enjoy fitness. They'll teach you some amazing circus skills too, so you'll have some party tricks to take away.
Children's Mindfulness Workshop with Tangled Feet
The Mindfulness Project by Tangled Feet is an engaging & activity-filled experience, designed to create time to stretch and focus our bodies and minds. The session combines yoga, storytelling, mindfulness and drama games to encourage children to explore their creativity whilst uncovering and expressing their thoughts and feelings. It aims to develop participants' confidence and communication skills, as well as taking time to understand that all our minds get a bit stuck sometimes.
Anthony Anaxagorou in Conversation with Jack Underwood
Anthony Anaxagorou aims to bring together a conversation between poets whose work shares a thematic and aesthetic preoccupation. Poets who he believes render the world in a wholly unique way and offer us fresh perspectives. It’s not often the poets of our time are given space to talk publicly with each other about the wider world alongside the aspects that inform their work. These conversations will undoubtedly prove to be vital, relevant and edifying. For this first in the series event Anthony will be talking with Jack Underwood.
Jack Underwood is author of Happiness (Faber 2015) Solo for Mascha Voice (Test Centre, 2018) and A Year in the New Life (Faber 2021). His debut work of non-fiction, NOT EVEN THIS, was published by Corsair in 2021. He is co-presenter and curator of the Faber Poetry Podcast and is a senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths College.
Kalpadruma Collective
Founded in 2017 by composer-saxophonist Asha Parkinson, Kalpadruma is an exciting collective exploring connections between Arabic, Turkish, Indian, Contemporary Classical and Jazz music. To date, the group has performed at a number of high-profile venues such as the London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and Union Chapel and have collaborated with the likes of the South Asian Yourh Orchestra and the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians. The music seeks to go beyond cultural appropriation and blend different sonorities, reflecting London’s lively diversity.
Dollars Trio
Written and produced by members of Bonobo Live, Alice Russell and Hackney Colliery Band, Dollars Trio's sound melds retro soul, hip hop, funk, jazz and cult spaghetti western soundtracks into something completely new and unique. Their debut releases Numero Uno and The Chiefwah have been compared to the likes of such artists as Khruangbin, Menahan Street Band and BADBADNOTGOOD.
Myele Manzanza
World-renowned drummer, composer, producer and beatmaker, Myele Manzanza has proved that he's an artist who continues to dissolve the borders between modern jazz and electronic production. As well as releasing three solo albums, he has also racked up tours and collaborations with Jordan Rakei, Theo Parrish and Amp Fiddler amongst others.
Myele is already developing a strong live presence in his new London base, and his quartet has shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus, Alfa Mist, and drawn packed houses at venues such as The Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s.
Myele's latest project 'Crisis & Opportunity' taps into the vibrant London jazz scene. On it he weaves his unique blend of forward-thinking, genre-bending jazz, broken beat, electronica and world music.
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