A festival that aims to make Newquay more vibrant has continued with mesmerising performances and diverse workshops throughout the town.
The Be Newquay Festival weekend over November 15 to 17 commenced with the enchanting To The Moon & Back, an immersive performance combining dance, theatre, sound installation and projection under the full-moon.
It was a spectacular site-specific performance, which continued over the course of the weekend, performing three times in total, each time mesmerising audiences with incredible storytelling.
The show took the audience on a guided tour stopping at key locations in the town centre to unfold more of the tale.
The story was amplified through headphones that each audience member wore throughout the walking experience, adding to the intrigue to find out the next chapter.
A spokesperson for the Be Newquay Festival said: “The team is incredibly grateful for the creative vision of the Grit Productions team who masterminded this production, along with all the community groups involved in the creation and delivery, supporting this epic performance and helping to make it possible.”
Elsewhere on the line-up, hands got marvellously muddy in Tor Pottery’s creative ‘make a mug’ session, where participating potters learnt ways of hand-building with clay to create their ideal mug.
The local community was welcomed to Blystra Arts annual free Community Lantern Making drop-in workshop at Trenance Cottages in preparation for the upcoming Lantern Parade on Friday, November 22. Nearly 200 lanterns were made for the parade.
Newquay Marine Group and Newquay Wild Activities collaborated at Fistral Beach for an exploration of where the land meets the sea via the fully attended ‘Rockpool Experience’.
The Headland Hotel’s artist in residence for the next two weeks, Andy Pearce, held his first Sip & Sketch Workshop, where budding artists devoured a traditional Cornish cream tea whilst mindfully sketching the magnificent seascape view under Andy’s tutorage.
Booker Prize nominated author Wyl Menmuir hosted his windswept writing workshop at Fistral Beach in partnership with Clemo Books.
The session transgressed from Fistral Beach Hotel to the sand dunes and shoreline of Fistral Beach as promising writers learnt how to use the natural landscape as their ultimate catalyst for creativity.
The weekend ended with the absorbing Turk(ish) with Poppy Plowman combining tightwire and hair-hanging with live music, high skill and humour. With the stunning backdrop of St Michael’s Church, the show was a sell-out and left the audience enthralled.
The excitement continues as the festival heads into its fourth weekend over November 22 to 24.
Newquay’s Trenance Cottages invite all to wrap up warm and come out to celebrate the start of the festive season for Trenance Trees and Tales: Lantern Parade and Christmas Lights Switch On, which will be held on Friday, November 22 from 6pm.
The Christmassy event promises an evening of festive cheer, carol singing, storytelling and light displays in the heart of the culturally significant Trenance area of Newquay.
It is the first time that Trenace has hosted the Lantern Parade tradition which will see schoolchildren and members of the community showcasing their illuminated creations.
Andy Pearce has the second of his Sip and Sketch series at Headland Hotel on Saturday, November 23 from 11am. The event is sold out, but people can drop into his gallery in the town centre.
Alternatively, discover holistic and innovative techniques to release tension and restore balance to body and mind via A State of Mind Studio’s Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) and Sound Bath on Saturday, November 23 from 2pm to 4pm.
Developed by Dr. David Bercelli, TRE consists of seven simple and accessible exercises that activate the body’s natural shaking reflex, a powerful self-help tool for relieving tension, an innovative way to build resilience and achieve optimal health.
The following (and final Be Newquay Festival) weekend will play host to ALMA Winter Arts Weekend. A curated programme starting with a festive organ recital and mulled wine at St Michael’s Church on Friday, November 29 at 5pm.
Other activity across the ALMA Winter Arts Weekender includes a community flag making workshop, storytelling sessions, seaweed pressing, creative drawing and clay workshops amongst much more.
Tickets are needed in most cases, even when free of charge as spaces are limited. Weekend four is getting booked out fast, so make sure you plan your itinerary via www.benewquayfestival.co.uk. For the full festival line-up, individual events happening across the weekends, and booking details, check out the What’s On page: www.benewquayfestival.co.uk/events or follow the Instagram account at @benewquay_festival for continual updates.
To the Moon and Back pictures in the video montage by Duffy and pictures of Wyl Menmuir’s writing workshop by Warren Wilkins.