... with everything from live music to art and crafts stalls, a tea party to inclusive dance workshops.
Monday 26th May to Sunday 1st June 2008 saw the start of the first week-long Mutley Greenbank Festival. The weather wasn't on our side, however we didn't cancel any event thanks to some quick thinking, kind gestures and a marquee which arrived earlier than planned.
The week literally swung off with huge success at the University of Plymouth's flagship building, the Roland Lewinsky. Over 1100 people including around 800 children attended this spectacular. Plymouth Thunder Crew were on hand to launch the week's festivities with guests the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, followed by a magnificent trapeze demonstration.
The art and crafts room hosted various activities such as face painting, angel wing workshops, cultural dress up, lantern making and digital film workshops. You can check out the short animations created on the day here.
A children's zone received lots of praise for catering for the tinys and the shadow puppet theatre workshop drew in a crowd at the end of the day to watch their children perform. Other activities included dance workshops, cultural film showings, music workshops, history zone and cafe.
The day continued up at Mutley with Party in the Park, though due to the rain it became party in the pub. The Fortesque provided an alternative venue which meant the event could still go ahead. A great time was had by all with such groups as Mad Dog and Jimmy Buddha Om contributing to the atmosphere.
And that was just the first day !!!
Hear for yourself what people thought about the festival and the difference it made;
‘Stopped me from feeling isolated' ‘Students working well in the community'
‘Nice to see Mutley brought to life' ‘Feel better for getting out of the house'
‘To appreciate the positive aspects of living in this area at this time' ‘Good for business'
‘My son who has learning disabilities has been included' ‘Met lots of nice people'
‘Real community spirit' ‘Seeing young and old enjoying themselves together'
‘Great community event, made me rethink my future in Plymouth' ‘Fantastic!'
Thanks to the many organisations, service providers, public and private sector support, plus the myriads of volunteers the week was a storming success! The feedback we had was fantastic and we have come away with original inspiration for years to come. We want to build on this success in the future, reaching all who can benefit, as well as providing life and colour to the area.
Let's really put Mutley Greenbank on the Map!
Find out what happened though out the week by visiting last year's timetable of events.
