Late departures
As is always the case in booking a late summer festival, not everything lasts the course. Inevitably, there are drop-outs along the way. Chief among these this year is the news that Jordan Stephens won’t be able to join us in the fields after all. He’s gutted. We’re gutted. But he has a very good excuse. Which neither of us can tell you about right now. And we’ll try again for next year.
We’re also sad that Gonora Sounds won’t be able to make it to Greenbelt because of visa issues in travelling from their native Zimbabwe – but we’re thrilled that N’famady Kouyaté are stepping in to play in their place (pictured above).
Late arrivals
Still, for the very few losses we’ve suffered, we’ve got more than enough last-minute goodness added to the bill to more than make up for it.
Like Spencer Jones joining our late night comedy bill, and Gabi Garbutt (pictured above) and Testament – both collaborating with Cole Moreton as artists in residence in the Table venue on an evening show called The Unwind.
Like Lady Unchained and Ben Lindsay returning to Greenbelt to be part of a high profile criminal justice panel chaired by criminologist, legal scholar (and Greenbelter) Shona Minson – alongside the CEO of the Howard League, Andrea Coomber KC, and founder of ArtNotEvidence, Napster’s Elli Brazzill.
Also, as part of our focus on criminal justice issues, we’re really excited to be able to screen the amazing new documentary film, Holloway, which follows the experience of six amazing women who were incarcerated in Holloway Prison before it closed, including Lady Unchained.
We also have panels on AI, Palestine activism, modern-day dating, and what’s really going on with the so-called Quiet Revival.
Elsewhere, we have retired judge Victoria McCloud (pictured above) with us to talk about the case she’s bringing (as a trans woman) against the Supreme Court for their ruling on gender earlier this year. And Tim Lenton joins us in the Hot House to preview the thinking in his brand new book, Positive Tipping Points.
Meanwhile, Harry Baker’s Worldwide Woken Spurred shows in the No Fly Zone are completed with amazing Scottish poet Len Pennie, who writes in both Scots and English about survivors of domestic abuse and the de-stigmatisation of mental illness.
And Pádraig Ó Tuama’s two guests to complete his daily Poetry Unbound show (alongside Haleh Liza Gafori) are the award-winning American poets Lorna Goodison and Marie Howe.
Late musical arrivals completing the Canopy bill are the contemporary-yet-traditional Project Smok (pictured above), while the final acts in the Rebel Rouser are confirmed as Jock, stebee, and wormboys.
We’re also working with the friends and family of the late, great Mike Peters to bring together an amazing show for the No Fly Zone that we’re calling The Gospel According to Mike Peters.
And just a reminder that we have a packed workshop programme in the Village Hall, crafting children and families in Make & Create, and for adults in the Studio, and great all-age shows all day long in Ta Dah!
Worship & Spirituality
We’ve also just emailed out about our deep and wide worship and spirituality programme in our Dispatches newsletter and you can dig into that online in more detail here.
There’s so much in store and so much more at Greenbelt this year.