More than 300 events make up this year’s 15-day St Ives September Festival, which will launch with the first of two Saturday afternoons of street entertainment on Saturday.
Steve Knightley and True Foxes
The kaleidoscope of music and arts, with many free events, runs until Saturday, 27th September.
The numbers tell the story: 128 music events, 49 participatory workshops, 34 guided walks, 26 artists’ Open Studios, 18 art exhibitions, 10 film screenings, three comedy shows, two art sales, and a sandcastle competition!
Falmouth Marine Band will get the festival off to a rousing start at noon on Saturday 13th. Performers include unique Piano Bike Girl Chloe Marie Aston, and Boudica, whose fuse of Feminist Celtic Tribalism and Classic Rock wowed St Ives on their debut last year — and many more.
Porthmeor Studios lead the way this year with 32 events, including six performances of Evelyn, Porthmeor Theatre’s ghost story. Talk subjects include: arts icons Alfred Wallis, Barbara Hepworth, Wilhelmina-Barns Graham, and Virginia Woolf, with films on The Modernists, pilchards and more, Global Jamming’s Spirit of St Ives, and Camidge and Stringer’s Wish We Weren’t Here shows.
Piano Bike Girl, Chloe Marie Aston
The main music venue is St Ives Theatre, where Fascinating Aida sold out with more than seven weeks to go to their appearance. Headliners also include: Steve Knightley with guests True Foxes; world-renowned guitarist Martin Simpson; Cornish folk singer and film-maker Martha Tilston; award-winning St Ives art rock band The Emerald Dawn; The Unravelling Wilburys; This Flight Tonight’s Songs of Joni Mitchell; the final night of the Kidz R Us summer musical Footloose; and Comedy Club Live at St Ives, featuring Laura Lexx, Patrick Monahan, and Rich Wilson.
UK folk star Roo Panes tops the bill at St Ia Church, where the line-up includes indie folk-pop band Just Like Clay; Lowender’s night of Cornish song; shanty singers Bryher’s Boys; the Celtic Male Ensemble; Karnos Brass Band; Rudi’s Message ska outfit; St Ives’ ITV The Voice winner Molly Hocking; and Bailey Tomkinson and The Locals.
Liliane Lijn’s Arise Alive exhibition at Tate St Ives
St Ives Arts Club has South West performers Will Keating and John Dowling, Miranda Sykes, Jim Causley, Alex Hart, Joanna Cooke, Richard Trethewey Trio, The Larks, and Tir ha Tavas; talks with author Liz Fenwick and historian Janet Axten; and the film Enys Men, with award-winning director Mark Jenkin’s Q&A.
The Festival isn’t just for watching, with workshops ranging from 23 classes at St Ives School of Painting, to Café Art’s yoga, and trapeze circus skills with Sky High Arts at the Island Centre.
Exhibitions include Liliane Lijn: Arise Alive, and Emma Critchley Soundings at Tate St Ives, and at the Penwith Gallery, Lanyon and Friends, Vincent Wilson, Glynn Macey, and Stephanie Sandercock and Julie Moselen’s Wishes On The Wind, while the popular Spot The Artist and Square Deal charity art sales return to this year’s Festival.
Full details at stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk/
