PREPARING FOR THE ECOSHOWS JULY 30 2010!

The Bristol Ecoshow is now in full swing. This is the current state of play. Whilst performance elements may develop differently to what is written here, the date is fixed. Put it in your diary and keep an eye out for ticket sales! Seating is limited. This year the Ecoshow has six separate elements which join together for the multi-arts performance on July 30th at St Stephens Church 21 St Stephens Street Bristol BS1 1EQ 7.30pm For £8/£6 conc. THE BRIDGING PLACE A new suite of music by composer/guitarist Knud Stuwe especially commissioned for our 'Ecostra', a chamber orchestra made up of some of Bristol's best African and western classical musicians. John Pearce, acclaimed young violinist, Gordon Pullin hugely experienced tenor singer, prize-winning narrator Auriol Britton, shamanic sound man Juan Gabriel, Ben Baddoo Ghanaian master of African xylophone, from a long lineage of griots of Senegal, Moussa Kouyate on the kora, Zimbabwean Cecelia Ndlovu on the mbira are some of the players. They'll be joined by the Clear Sounds Choir. In mid June we'll know if the full band has been awarded funding. A NEW STORY OF BRISTOL Writer James Murray White leads a group of researchers looking to reframe the tale of Bristol, around which all the elements described here will hang. It's early days but we know so far urban foxes, the story of how goods and people have been transported in and from Bristol, and peoples' stories of finding sanctuary are likely to feature. AFRICAN THEATRE Mary Manzole is a participatory theatre worker from Zambia coming to work in Hartcliffe in mid July for a month. Hosted by Pride of Place, part of Hartcliffe and Withywood Commuity Partnership she will work with local people, we especially students, in improving the connection between Dundry slopes, public parks and the local residents. There will be an audience-involving theatrical and musical presentation of their work. A GARDEN ON STAGE Annie Davenport is a visual artist and gardener who started working in the parks around Redcliffe flats with the Redcliffe Community Forum in April, to increase local engagement in growing fruit, flowers, herbs and vegetables. For the show they're composing and performing a song during which they'll form a garden on stage THE STREETS ARE ALIVE... SusRed (Sustainable Redland) have been raising interest in food issues through street theatre and plan more of the same, some kind of artist-led local natural history walk and street parties before the winter sets in. Documenting their work as they go along, they may have a film presentation for the performance EQUATORIAL FOREST TALES INSPIRE A NEW FILM OF BRISTOL Steve Taylor's epic films of Equatorial Forests have inspired a new team of students and environment activists. They're making a film about how Bristol can do better than create wealth through gobbling up resources from around the world, contributing to forest destruction. Their short film will be premiered at the ecoshow performance.