ON SCREEN

Wurlitza: live music to a century-old silent film

Wurlitza have performed their unique live silent-film soundtracks to critical acclaim throughout the South West and beyond, wowing audiences at Glastonbury Festival and Blackpool Film Festival.

A Cottage on Dartmoor is a beautifully filmed story of love, jealousy and hairdressing. Wurlitza’s accompanying live soundtrack is a heavenly blend of classical, pop and jazz, with five-part harmonies and unique renditions of familiar songs.

Anthony Asquith’s 1929 silent film uses every cinematic trick in the book. It is a snapshot taken at the rise of early talking films, cleverly woven into a plot that involves an escaped convict and a love triangle. One of the last silent films to be made, this is early British cinema at its best. 

Wurlitza’s unique approach utilises a wide-ranging repertoire of music: original, pop, contemporary, jazz, classical and everything in between. The soundtrack to A Cottage on Dartmoor includes classical pieces by Mozart, Chopin and Villa Lobos, alongside jazz and pop songs from the likes of Blondie, Right Said Fred, Buddy Holly and Coldplay.

If you haven’t yet seen a Wurlitza show, the chances are the experience will exceed all expectations. If you have seen them before, then you’ve probably already bought your tickets! 

Thursday, 14 September

7.30pm Ashburton Arts Centre, £10

Squaring the Circle (the story of Hipgnosis)

Sunday 17 September

6.30pm, Asburton Arts Centre, £5

ON SHOW

Assembly

Artists and students from South Devon Community College have come together to create ASSEMBLY, a unique art installation in St Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton, that re-imagines educational and social systems. Featuring on-going performances such as a dance of school chairs, hip hop rebellion and learning from lichens and starlings the exhibition ASSEMBLY is inspired and curated by local artist Rob Manners, a Lecturer at Arts University Plymouth, who wanted to know whether students had strong opinions and creative ideas about their education, especially as schools form the backbone of any community.

Every exhibition day a bell will ring out as it used to do for the school, inviting the audience to actively join the Assembly of artists and students at the Chapel. The bell will ring at these times: Friday 3.15pm; Saturday 4pm; Sunday 3.15pm. Prepare for a lively, non-hierarchical discussion and presentation of ideas where the boundaries between performance and conversation are blurred.

The exhibition venue itself, the historical St. Lawrence Chapel, invites more consideration over the values of education. Now a heritage, cultural and community centre, the Chapel building was a grammar school for over 600 years; the wooden tables and benches where former students carved out their names as ‘graffiti’, now part of the history of the site, keeping alive memories of children’s rebellion. ASSEMBLY will add to this story, re-imagining the space through projections, sculpture, painting, music and performance. Artists involved include Katie Upton, Mark Jessett, Flavia Pinto, Andrew Stacey, Rob Manners, Alex Murdin, Sophie Clist and This Ain’t Jazz.

ASSEMBLY is  collectively designed by contemporary arts group N-E-W with South Dartmoor Community College, and has been supported by funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Friday 15 September to Sunday 17 September

11 – 6pm, St Lawrence Chapel

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

Connor McIntyre

What comes to mind when you think of a tapestry?  Is it the enormous, opulent expanse of fabric covering draughty cracks in stately homes, an embroidered framed sampler by a Victorian schoolgirl, the Bayeaux Tapestry or indeed the beautiful depiction of Ashburton itself in St Lawrence Chapel?
Welcome to a new (very big) kid on the block.  It has been created by actor and artist Connor McIntyre, who has gifted this new work, Festival, to the town and will continue to work on it year-on-year to reflect the changes in Little Big Town and Ashburton itself.
Created from the torn-up strips of a canvas painting that have been woven through a chicken wire grid and embellished with paint, expanding foam and other materials, it makes more sense when you are standing in front of it, he says, as your eye catches different elements. It’s about fun, creativity, leaps of faith, places you’ve never been before – and it will be an ongoing piece so that next year it will incorporate a century of the Brownies in Ashburton, and the creative impact that this year’s Little Big Town has had on the community.
‘It’s a really good example of circumstances dictating creativity,’ Connor adds. ‘Look what play and art created!’
Come stand in front of it and see what it inspires in you.
Saturday 16 September to Sunday 17 September

1 – 4pm, Town Hall

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

IN CLASS – join in with workshops for young and old

Gnash Comics

Ashburton’s fabulous bookshop, Gnash Comics, specialises in graphic novels and comics for all ages. On Thursday 14 September, between 4-6pm,  it’s hosting an illustration workshop for young adults to help create story characters,  in which Bethan Welby will share all sorts of different tricks to kick start your imagination and unleash your  creativity.  Tickets cost £12.50 and pens and paper will be supplied. Find out more and how to book a space here

Gnash Comics, 9a West Street

Scriptwriting Masterclass with Patricia Cumper

This workshop, suitable for older teens and adults, is a brilliant place to start if you want to make your first steps into writing drama, or for those who are a bit further down the path but would  appreciate professional advice and insight.

Under the guidance of professional writers, participants will try their hand at writing a short, dramatic monologue. Lasting an hour and a half, this masterclass will be divided into three sections: half an hour to introduce the workshop and set the task; half an hour of writing, guided by class leader Patricia Cumper MBE and writers Hannah Shury-Smith, Maxine Kolaru and Chakira Alin; then a final 30 minutes to read some of the work produced and discuss the experience.

Patricia Cumper is a writer, director and producer who has extensive experience in radio, television, stage and screen. She is assisted in this masterclass by winners of the Alfred Fagon Award and the Roland Rees Bursary, fresh from their talk at the Town Hall (2.15pm) about winning a major scriptwriting prize.

Places are limited to 12 persons for this masterclass in order to make sure that all participants have quality time with the tutors.

Sunday, 17 September

3.30 – 5pm, St Lawrence Chapel, St Lawrence Lane, £10

W M Guitars

Award-winning WM Guitars is known around the world by professional and amateur musicians alike as a go-to destination for its amazing range and expertise.  They’ve really pulled out the stops for Little Big Town, transforming the shop into a private venue, hosting masterclasess, workshops, Q&As and private gigs.

THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER

10 – 11am Maintenance Workshop – Learn about general guitar maintenance, set ups and what makes a guitar truly sound and play amazing!  Free of charge.

1 – 2.30pm Acoustic Guitar Workshop – Live Q&A all about acoustic guitars and why they vary so much. Learn about construction, different types of woods and how this affects how you play and how it makes you feel. Free of charge.

FRIDAY 15  SEPTEMBER

10 – 11am Maintenance Workshop – Learn about general guitar maintenance, set ups and what makes a guitar truly sound and play amazing!  Free of charge.

3.30 – 4.30 Bass Guitar Masterclass with Malcolm Joseph – WM Guitars is honoured to have Malcom host a masterclass in store. He has a wealth of experience, playing with the likes of Grace Jones, Massive Attack, Harry Monk Project, Ray Mang, Sandra D’Angelo and too many more to mention. His expertise is second to none and we expect this masterclass to sell out quickly. Tickets cost £10 pp: book them here now!

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

10 – 11am Maintenance Workshop – Learn about general guitar maintenance, set ups and what makes a guitar truly sound and play amazing!  Free of charge.

1 – 2pm Bass Guitar Masterclass with Malcolm Joseph – For those unable to make Friday’s Masterclass, Malcolm has kindly agreed to do another on Saturday. As well as sharing tips and techniques, he’ll talk about his experience in the industry and play a few songs. To book, follow this link.  £10 pp.

3.30 – 4.30 Guitar Masterclass with Charles Roper – A former lecturer at Guidlford Academy of Contemporary Music, Charles has ben teaching the art of guitar for many years. In this masterclass he’ll play a few tracks from his forthcoming debut album and cover technique, style and sound. This is sure to be guitar shred heaven, with mind-melting licks and tricks. To book, follow this link.  £10 pp.

Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 September

WM Guitars, 3 West Street

TOG Knives

Why is it so difficult to sharpen a knife? Those TV chefs make it look so easy, but how do you know which angle to slant your knife against the steel, and what happens if you don’t get it right? How often should you sharpen your knives, and can they be restored if your sharpening has caused the opposite effect? Is there a correct way to store them? And what’s a whetting stone? These and other questions will be addressed by product designer and MD of Tog Knives, Bert Beagley-Brown,  in this must-see demonstration on how to keep your blades in tip-top condition. The demonstration will follow on from Bert’s talk about how he came to found his acclaimed West Country brand.

Saturday, 16 September

2.30 – 3pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

KIDS’ WORKSHOP – baking with Joe from Briar Bakery

Ignite a love of baking and cooking in your children with this free workshop, and – who knows – they might end up on Junior Bake-Off!

Under the careful guidance of Briar Bakery,  your child will make their own scones and top a focaccia loaf for baking.  This class is suitable for children aged seven and above, and will last about an hour.   The programme will go like this:

1 – Mix the scones with cheese or fruit. 2 – Cut the scones from the dough and place in a baking tray. 3 – Bake in the oven. 4 – Dimple, oil and dress focaccia with vegetables or olives and herbs. 5 – Place them in the oven. By then, hopefully, the scones will be ready to come out and they can be tried with a cup of hot tea (for the grown-ups) and hot chocolate (for the bakers!). 6 – Out comes the focaccia and children will oil them and finish up.

Because the bakery is small space, there can only be six places on this workshop.  You are welcome to stay with your children during the class, and by signing them up for this workshop you agree that they will stay clear of the ovens and take part at their own risk.   For more details and to sign up for a place, send an email to: hello@briarbakery.com

2pm, Sunday, Briar Bakery, 9 West Street

KIDS’ WORKSHOP – pastel drawing with Tom Walker

When, in 2022, Little Big Town ran a day of music, poetry and art at Ashburton Arts Centre, one of the most joyous sights was watching a huge number of children and adults arming themselves with soft pastel crayons and contributing to a giant mural, guided by artist Tom Walker. With Tom’s help, pastel walls have been created in galleries, hotels, schools, for art societies and in the open air providing all comers of all ages with an opportunity to release creative energy onto an exciting expanse of black paper alongside or in competition with others and sometimes accompanied or interwoven with live improvised music. Tom will be hosting a free, all-afternoon workshop for children in his studio on Sunday, September 17, between 1 and 5pm. Email tomandanitawalker@gmail.com to book a slot for your child.

Sunday, 17 September

1 – 5pm, East Street, Ashburton

KIDS’ CRAFT WORKSHOP with Tracee Foot

Mother-of-three Tracee Foot has worked with youngsters of all ages for the past 20 years at festivals, in libraries, at parties and more.  Her energy, enthusiasm, and ability to quickly build a heartfelt rapport with children of all ages are testament to her many strengths.

Tracee’s storytelling skills, arts and crafts repertoire and ability to connect to make the unexpected happen means that anyone who enters her sphere of influence is placed under her magical spell.

For The Little Big Town, Tracee will host a free drop-in craft tent to provide children with the opportunity to make bespoke badges, painted flags, DIY face paint and streamers,  using already sourced and recycled materials. She will keep your bored-of-everything children entertained like never before. 

Sunday, 17 September

11am – 4pm, St Lawrence Chapel

IN CONVERSATION

The Story of A Knife

Few of us give much thought to how our hard-working kitchen knife came into existence. It’s not by chance that a good knife fits into the curve of your hand, or that its weight is just right for the job, or that the material that forms its blade should withstand many years of use and sharpening. Equally important: is it a mere utilitarian tool, or can it also be a thing of beauty, as good to look at as it is useful?

In this talk, product designer Bert Beagley-Brown describes how a chance meeting in Japan with a Samurai sword maker almost 20 years ago ignited a lightbulb moment that led to the creation of his premium brand, TOG Knives.

Today his handsome collection brings together the best of Japanese artisan knife-making and European design and innovation to create the ultimate kitchen knife for professionals and enthusiasts.  But it was quite a journey to get there.

This is a fascinating glimpse into the thought, care and hard work that goes into creating an everyday object.

Bert will follow his talk with a demonstration on how to keep your knife sharp using a rod and whetstone at 2.30pm.

Saturday, 16 September

2pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated 

Desert Island Cookbooks

Giving a nod to the famous radio programme, we posed this playful question to six Ashburton culinary characters about which cookery book they would take to a desert island. It could be the book that started off your love with cooking, we told them.  Or one that has later influenced your style, or the book you consider to be your bible, be it Mrs Beaton, Julia Child or Delia Smith. Even one you like to read in bed!

What will they have chosen, and why?  Come hear what food experts from Emilia, The Fish Deli, The Old Library Restaurant, Taylor’s Tea Rooms, Briary Bakery and Creamo’s Ice Cream reveal what they have chosen, then join in the conversation yourself.  What would YOU take to your desert island?

Saturday, 16 September

3.15pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

Ask the Farmer with Paul Parker and Young Farmers

It’s not difficult to feel connected to the land if you live in the West Country. The landscape and agriculture is all around us, visible from the streets of small towns and on either side of the carriageway as we commute to work. We see how the land shapes the paces in which we live. We witness the marks that our ancestors have made on it, from mediaeval farm strips to ancient hedgerows that divide fields. We come into contact with farmers, people who work on the land, producers of cheese, cider, milk and meat. Not so easy for city dwellers to have that same connection.

Even so, with those such as Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper documenting the trials and tribulations of modern farming on Clarkson’s Farm, and farmer and author James Rebanks writing award-winning books bought the world over that document the toll modern farming has taken on the land and on farmers themselves, perhaps there is a growing awareness that farming is a hard and precarious profession.

But is it enough? Why would any sensible person enter a profession that demands exhausting, long hours and poor recompense? With farmers shutting up shop in record numbers, how do we persuade the next generation to take on such back-breaking work? What are the challenges young farmers face? Do new farmers have to come from a farming background? (Kaleb Cooper, for example, is a first generation farmer who doesn’t yet own his own farm, and he has used his new-found fame to provide scholarships for people from non-farming backgrounds to attend agricultural college.) Are we in danger of losing our agricultural heritage within a generation?

Big issues and big questions.  Local farmer Paul Parker chairs a conversation with the local Young Farmers group.  Bring your questions and be prepared for a lively debate.

Saturday 16 September

4.15pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

Life and Crimes with Andrew Wilson

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

How we won a major playwright award

In a world where film, television and streaming services dominate the theatre and live dramatic performance, what does it take to become a playwright in the twenty-first century? How does one progress from writing scenes to an entire script, and where can you learn and hone that craft?  Is it possible to make a living when you are starting out?  How difficult is it to get your work from the page to the stage?

Producer, author and screenwriter Patricia Cumper, MBE, talks to Hannah Shury-Smith and Chakira Alin, recipients of the prestigious Afred Fagon Award, and winner of the Roland Rees Bursary, Maxine Kolaru, about their experience of taking their scripts to audiences. What advice can they give to young, aspiring playwrights?

The eponymous Alfred Fagon Award, in honour of Britain’s foremost black playwright, is held annually at the National Theatre for black British playwrights of Caribbean and African descent. The award ceremony features an actor read-through of the winning script, and two further awards – the Roland Rees Bursary and the Mustapha Matura Award and Mentoring Programme – are made at the event.

* For aspiring playwrights, Hannah, Maxine and Chakira will join Patricia in teaching a scriptwriting masterclass at St Lawrence Chapel at 3.30pm. Places for the 90-minute workshop are limited to 12, and cost £10.  Go to the In Class section for more information.

Left, from top: Hannah Shury-Smith, Maxine Kolaru and Chakira Alin

Sunday, 17 September

2.15pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

The Lure of the Graphic Novel

Why are comics and graphic novels frowned upon by those who consider them not to be ‘real’ books?  Who hasn’t, as a child, endured the disdain of a grown-up that their choice of reading material is not Charles Dickens rather than the Beano?

Yet the graphic novel is an art form, both in the skill of storytelling and design, with as much hard work going into its creation as a book of words alone.  

And, with many authors creating characters and plots that have been picked up by film studios and video game producers, the graphic novel is finally being recognised for its true worth.

Come meet Jenny Donaldson, owner of Ashburton’s wonderful comic and graphic novel bookshop, in a talk that will cover what led her to open Gnash Comics, some of the current leading lights of the genre and, with recent news that reading for enjoyment is at an all-time low in young people, how comics and graphic novels for younger children should be seen as a valuable tool to reverse the situation.

Sunday 17 September

3.20pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

Connor McIntyre: from Actor to Artist

To most people, Connor McIntyre is known as an actor, for his work on stage and screen, but his habitat nowadays in a different type of studio – one filled with easels, canvas and paint. Having taken a break from acting some years ago to gain a first class BA (Hons) in Fine Art and then a Master’s in Contemporary Art Practice, McIntyre found himself wanting to spend more time painting than acting, and his works are held in private collections and in galleries worldwide.

In this conversation with gallerist Reuben Lenkiwicz, Connor will describe the curious route that took him to university at the age of 50 to discover an entirely new way to channel his creative spark but, more importantly to him, he wants to talk about why picking up a paintbrush or a pencil is good for us all.  As children and teenagers, we have no inhibitions about drawing or painting, but as we travel more into adulthood we feel intimidated at the thought.  ‘Fridge doors all over Briatin boast masterpieces by young unencumbered artists’ he says. ‘It’s time for adults to reconnect with the joy of painting.’

Connor will also be talking about his large-scale tapestry Festival, and how it came into being.

Sunday 17 September

4pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

Ask the Undertaker with Jesse Foot

Join us for a open discussion about death, loss, grief and celebrating life at Ashburton Little Big Town.  Loss can be experienced in many different ways; such as the death of a loved one or pet, or loss of health, home, work, financial security, national pride, safety, trust, environment and future hopes, just to name a few.

Says Mr Foot, our guide for this discussion: “A local family-run undertaker in Cornwall was one of my first points of contact following the sudden death of my father in 2008 when he was only 61 years old.Thankfully that undertaker supported me in the early days of my grief journey, and it helped that outside of the day job, he was a super-cool drummer in a funk band. I have been working with the same funky-drummer-playing undertaker since 2018. I am not a grief expert but a grief student and want us all to learn from one another during our brief moments together.The only expert on your grief is you.Come along, ask questions, tell stories, laugh, cry, remember, heal, celebrate, feel it all, listen, love, and rage against the dying of the light.”

Previously a registrar of births, marriages, and deaths, currently a celebrant (mostly funerals but he does the occasional wedding too), grief counsellor, and funeral technician, Mr Foot hosts this relaxed session where life and death hang in the balance – well, not really –  but it should be an engaging time for all who are present.  

More info

There is no set agenda for this session but suggested topics for discussion could include the following and more:

• Ask the Undertaker Q&A
• Global, National, and Local Losses suffered due to the pandemic
• Climate Grief
• Attitudes towards Death and Loss in the Media
• Moving forward with Grief
• Listening and Supporting
• Talking to children about death
• Tips on what not to say and what to say to those experiencing loss
• Compassion fatigue and personal well-being
• Dancing with Death and Celebrating Life at Ashburton Little Big Town

Sunday, 17 September

5pm, Town Hall Chamber

This is a free event but donations are much appreciated

IN THE STREET

Ashburton Food Festival

Offering a wonderful street market with entertainments and a carnival atmosphere, the food festival guarantees something for everyone, with more than 40 stallholders showcasing local and regional quality produce.  Many of the producers taking part come from within ten miles of Ashburton, reflecting the enthusiasm that everyone has for this lovely day out.  Load up your shopping baskets, buy something to eat and drink, and sit and watch the world go by at one of the many tables provided up and down North Street.

Saturday 16 September in North Street and Saint Lawrence Lane

Alex Hart

Described by BBC Radio 2 presenter Mark Radcliffe as ‘the Stevie Nicks of Folk’ the Devon-born singer/songwriter is proving to be an important addition to the UK’s current crop of classy country and roots artists.

Following the success of her debut album, she caught the attention of legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre, who asked Alex to be a part of his band as a musician and vocalist for their European and international tour dates. She also collaborates and performs alongside the critically acclaimed Devon born folk singer Seth Lakeman, Alex’s voice as well her multi-instrumental playing features heavily on his brand-new album. 

Alex is currently touring with Seth on a sold-out UK tour. As well as a busy touring schedule, she is constantly working on new music ready for new releases in 2023, including her new album ‘Visions’, which is due for release in September alongside a UK tour.

 Saturday 16 September

12 – 1pm, North Street Stage

The Fireballs

The Fireballs were forged in the chronic heat of Mt.Doom some eighteen hundred years ago and have been thrilling audiences ever since. Luckily for The Little Big Town Festival they are both out of prison at the same time and keen to dominate The North Street Stage for at least 45 minutes on Saturday.All the songs you like and a couple you may not have heard before will sumptuously settle into The Food and Drink Festival’s digestive system and be thrilling the public long after the last chord has faded away.

This is music to eat and drink by, sung with a grand feeling by two of the most legendary musicians to emerge from Mordor this century.

Saturday 16 September

1.20 – 2.15pm, North Street Stage

Ember and the Sentient Sound

Saturday, 16 September

2.45 – 3.45pm, North Street Stage

Golden Meanies

Multi-instrumental genre-bending music made in the moment by two Ashburton based globetrotting musicians Sam Walker & Dunstan Belcher.

Rolling textures, dance floor rocking tunes, heart swelling melodies.

Expect everything!!

Sunday 17 September

12.30 – 1.30pm, Ashburton Arts Centre due to inclement weather

Althea

After a long time away from the stage and the mic, Althea is back with some jazz standards and pop classics to get your toes tapping.

Sunday 17 September

1.30 – 2pm, Ashburton Arts Centre, due to inclement weather

Yomojo

Sunday 17 September

2.15 – 3.10pm, Ashburton Arts Centre, due to inclement weather

Hits Disco Caravan

We play all genres of music from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s – all coming from our huge collection of 7 inch singles and 12 inch LPs. Our passion is we don’t have a play list as such, we simply dive into the collection and play whatever we fancy, creating a truly eclectic mix of great music.
From punk to disco, new wave to rockabilly, glam rock to rave – the Hits Disco Caravan will have you dancing in the street!

Sunday 17 September

3.45 – 6.30pm, North Street