2007 was one of those years when the theme played out through the programme in inspirational ways. It was a Festival programme as packed and wide-ranging as ever, transforming our ordinary time into heavenly experiences at every turn.
Music-wise we saw headline sets from Billy Bragg, Kanda Bongo Man, Coldcut and Delirious?, supported by Over The Rhine, Kathryn Williams, Duke Special, Aqualung, and even Chas & Dave! Stage 2 became the Underground, showcasing untapped talent, and the Performance Café remained as popular as ever, in collaboration with Christian Aid. The wonderful Sir John Tavener joined us and there were more scratch choirs than ever – including a new youth choir.
Performing Arts and Comedy feature the Cargo collaboration, Red-I Dance, Jo Enright and Peterson Toscano. Gorillas in Your Midst created walkabout havoc and delight. No Nonsense Theatre Company brought their Romeo and Juliet puppet show and we hosted a new Performing Arts Showcase. Sin Cru blurred the boundaries between visual and performance art and Bassline Circus brought us their latest big top show, Advertigo.
Visual Arts and Literature came together in a new venue called The Hub, with readings from Gillian Allnut, Matt Harvey, Andrew Nugent and Anthony Wilson, complemented by diverse art workshops and Rory McBeth’s Thought Bubble installation. The theme was captured in the participatory art exhibition Heaven in a Box, with thousands of Greenbelters contributing to stunning cumulative effect. We also welcomed back the powerful The Forgiveness Project exhibition.
The Talks programme embraced subjects ranging from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the theology of Arcade Fire, green living to ‘Britishness’. We welcomed Mark Yaconelli and Ched Myers, Jewish theologian Marc Ellis, children’s hospice pioneer Sister Frances Dominica, poet-philosopher John O’Donohue,* Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander, Friends of the Earth’s Tony Juniper, and Glasgow University’s Mona Siddiqui.
The Worship featured everything from Belfast’s iconoclastic Ikon to Gothspell’s rock Eucharist, as Greenbelters expressed their faith in many and varied ways. Matt Redman played Mainstage, there was all-age worship in Messy Space and a host of services in the New Forms café. Sunday morning communion was led by Manchester’s Sanctus1, combining the Love and Joy Gospel Choir, Psalm Drummers, VJ-ing from Fuse Factory and inspired liturgy.
Youth, Children and All-age programming saw The Mix and Humanic offering quality theatre, music and mess, Tropical Inc.’s menagerie, together with the YMCA 24hr Café and the ever-popular Academy workshops. The detached teams engaged with the growing numbers of young people on site. The Children’s Festival opened up to the wider Festival on Sunday afternoon. And we ran a diverse programme of all-age activities – from kite-making to puppet workshops – and not forgetting the return of Millers Ark Mobile Farm. Aaah.
