LIFT Molten Festival 2009

The LIFT Molten Festival is a new festival bringing celebrity acts, top local talent and free arts activities to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham from Friday 21st until Monday 31st August 2009.

Molten Festival's programme includes interactive performances and exclusive commissions involving a host of local participants and a line up of artists including Transe Express, and Whoopee Club. This predominantly FREE event combines internationally acclaimed artists and performers with the idea of a quintessentially British village fete.


Highlights:
Friday 21st August - Opening Ceremony: Family friendly activities from 4.30pm in Barking Town. 7.30pm drummers lead the crowd in a procession to The Lift on Abbey Green where Trans Express will present Lâcher de Violons (Freeing the Violins) featuring a breathtaking aerial display 30 feet above the ground.

Saturday 22nd August: Barking! East End Music Hall for the 21st Century featuring The Whoopee Club 2pm-4pm / £6 or £3 concs. A good old fashioned knees up with this contemporary twist on the traditional East End music hall.

Tuesday 25th August: Sudden Loss of Dignity - 8pm - 9.30pm / £6 or £3 concs or £1 for Barking and Dagenham residents. Five of London's playwrights Zawe Ashton, James Graham, Joel Horwood, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Michelle Terry collaborating to create the new play. The cast includes Kathryn Drysdale (Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, St Trinians) and Katie Lyons (Green Wing).

Wednesday 26th August: Policy Slam 7pm-10pm / FREE - A topical debate with a difference- LIFT Molten Festival and the new economics foundation to tackle a hot local topic.

Friday 28th August: Fame Dance-a-Long - 8.30pm - 11pm / FREE - an outdoor dance-a-long screening.

Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th and Monday 31st August (Bank Holiday weekend): FREE - Global Village Fete: Complete with cricket on the green, cream teas, craft stalls, quirky performances from the Fete Encounter, and an almighty public ping-pong-a-thon courtesy of performance artists Search Party. This festival within a festival has delicious food stalls, quirky performances and free activities for the whole family.
Music on Saturday 3pm-6pm with Young Nate, Kele Le Roc, Hannah-Rose, Tinie Tempah, Crazy Cousinz and Janet Kay. Headlining the gig is a group of 40 young performers from Barking, Dagenham and Newham who have created a 30 minute set of original music and lyrics expressing their views on the rapidly changing East London landscape.
Music on Sunday 1pm-8pm the Lift stage will feature Peyoti for President, Matzos, The Long Notes, The Dhol Academy; Arabic folk dancing from Shafik Ibrahim and traditional folk dance from around the British Isles.

Monday 31st August: FREE - Vintage Voices: Proving age is just a number the members of Vintage Voices are all local over 50s, led by Martin Lowe (Musical Director of hit show Mamma Mia!) and will perform an original repertoire of songs.
Classy-oke: Karaoke with a difference - the chance to sing live karaoke backed by a 50 piece orchestra.

LIFT's portable performance space, The Lift, will be taking centre stage on Abbey Green as the venue for this year's programme and for the final weekend it will be transformed into a huge open stage.

Molten Festival includes accessible arts activities, workshops, outdoor spectacular events, fireworks, giant mechanical birds, human Catherine wheels and bandstand music.

For more information, see the LIFT Molten Festival website.

More information will be here when available.

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