Free Festivals in the North East - Green Festival 1st

Hi there. Does anyone have info for the Ouseburn Festival and the Newcastle Free Festival? Is that one even still on?

Let's get a mini-listings of free festivals in the N.East here. They're places to meet, chill out and, if we can be arsed, spread radical ideas.

The first to come along ( and in my opinion one of the best ) is the Newcastle Community Green Festival. The last info I got is below, but there'll be stalls there about local community projects, campaigns, issues etc.. Plus some of us will be helping advertise the gathering protest against a mega-development up at Cresswell ( Druridge Bay ).

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This is from their latest email:

Newcastle Community Green Festival 2004 will be held on the first May Bank Holiday running from 12-6 on Saturday 1 May & 12-10.30 on Sunday 2 May 2004 in Leazes Park, Newcastle.

It will showcase local bands and Djs, art and sculpture as well as offering food from different cultures, stalls, heritage area, games and kids activities.

The organisers need volunteer stewards, artists and craftspeople and general helpers to make the weekend a success. Please contact the office for more details.Volunteers are also needed to help plan and co-ordinate next year's festival.

Festival Overview

Newcastle Community Green Festival aims to raise awareness of environmental issues through providing creative and educational environmental activities for the benefit of the local community, by annually holding a community festival in Leazes Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds

for a fun, free and accessible event.

Through the festival, we aim to inspire people to become involved in environmental activities, provide a resource for cross community networking, access to arts and build links in the community. The festival provides an opportunity to access environmental information and support as well as providing an exciting and accessible event that raises the quality of life for all involved.

We provide free access to a range of educational and enjoyable activities that young people and newly settled communities do not usually have access to. The festival provides a free venue for arts in a disadvantaged geographical area, the West End of Newcastle, where arts are not often accessible or available. The festival supports local people working in the areas of arts, music and traditional heritage activities. It brings together a wide range of people from across Newcastle and Tyne & Wear and specifically the West End of Newcastle. Average attendance at the festival each year is approx 7,000. We are the only community festival in the Newcastle area raising awareness of environmental issues and providing access to sustainable solutions. We have demonstrated 9 years of ongoing support from volunteers, Newcastle City Council, local area sub-committees and other funding bodies.

Regards

Gary Bowden

Part-time Administrator and Communications Worker

Newcastle Community Green Festival

Richardson Road Lodge

Richardson Road

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 4LR

(0191) 232 1750

07947 539362

newcastle_greenfest@hotmail.com