This Land: Launch Day

Saturday 1 June, University of Essex

Join us for a day of talks, performances, debates, walks and workshops to mark the 25th Edition of Essex Book Festival and the 60th Anniversary of University of Essex.

Explore how the University of Essex has created and continues to create change on its Sixty Stories webpage.

 

 

 

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Saturday 1 June, 10.00 – 11.30AM
Radical Essex Procession

Essex Book Festival is teaming up with internationally acclaimed arts organisation, Kinetika, for its Radical Procession from St Leonard-at-the-Hythe Church, a key player in the Siege of Colchester (1648), to University of Essex, famed for its foundational radical innovation in the 1960s. The Procession will include 500 pennants created as part of Beach of Dreams 2021.

Starting point: St Leonard-at-the-Hythe Church, Hythe Hill, Colchester, CO1 2NP
Tickets: Free, booking essential
Box Office: https://forms.office.com/e/XB1eEUfHt9

 

The Radical Essex Procession will be walking along part of the Walk With Words trail. Walk With Words is an annual celebration of people and place. It is a participatory journey inviting you to share and explore stories of Colchester through walking.
Find out more at walkwithwords.co.uk.

 

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Saturday 1 June, 11.00am – 3.00pm
This Land: The Launch Pad Workshops
Selena Chandler, Lora Aziz, Katie Kennedy, Zoe Martin

Throughout the day we will be hosting a series of free drop-in workshops for ages 7+. Learn how to make traditional ink out of ink gall gathered from 25 destinations across Essex. Explore the art of calligraphy. Try your hand at a range of traditional printing and basic book-making techniques.

Venue: Art Exchange, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
Tickets: Free, drop-in, no booking required

 

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Saturday 1 June, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Radical Translation Workshop
Gregory Betts & Philip Terry

Can a poem be translated into a picture? Or a recipe? A novel? In the world of experimental translation, the answer is “yes”. Canadian Gregory Betts and poet Philip Terry will discuss their own work with experimental translation in their recent publications, BardCode – Betts’s visualisation of Shakespeare’s Sonnets – and Vanitas, a cartoon translated from the French of Étienne Lécroart. Participants will then explore experimental translation methods for themselves in a hands-on workshop.

Venue: Lakeside Theatre Studio, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Tickets: £15 / £10 concessions (Students, Under 27s and Unwaged)
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

 

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Saturday 1 June, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Game Changer Workshop
Signals

Transform classic video games into arcade quests for environmental action and climate change awareness. Explore the world of video game remixing and discover how you can use game design to communicate environmental action. No previous coding experience required. All equipment provided. For ages 11-14 years.

Venue: Art Exchange, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
Tickets: £3 per young person, accompanying adult free
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

 

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Saturday 1 June, 11.00am – 3.30pm
Charters and Radicals
Dr Sarah Demelo

From charters that trace the region’s heritage to student protests and social movements, this exhibition explores continuity and change in Essex’s identity.

Venue: Special Collections Reading Room, University of Essex Library
Tickets: Free, drop-in, no booking required

 

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Saturday 1 June, 11.45am-12.30pm
Don’t Starve the Arts – Feed Them
Marina Cusí, Jordan Savage

A much-needed LONG TABLE conversation about the Arts as part of our INCUBATOR programme. Don’t Starve the Arts – Feed Them will be debated by authors, artists, poets, performers, actors, and students. All welcome to join in.

Venue: Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Tickets: Free, booking recommended
Box Office: tickettailor.com

 

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Saturday 1 June, 1.00-3.00pm
Woman Life Freedom
Tasalla, Fari Bradley, Roshi Rouzbehani, Malu Halasa

Saqi Books presents Woman Life Freedom: Voices and Art from the Women’s Protests in Iran.

Extolling the power of art, writing and body politics this collection is a universal rallying call and a celebration of the women the regime has tried and failed to silence. This highly original and savagely topical event will include a live art and sound art performance by Tasalla and Fari Bradley, an art-style documentary video, a presentation from artist Roshi Rouzbehani, a panel discussion hosted by Malu Halasa and an exhibition of artwork. This is what protest looks like.

Venue: Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Tickets: £10 / £8. University of Essex students free – email hello@essexbookfestival.org.uk
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

 

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Saturday 1 June, 1.00-3.00pm
The Tasting Menu: Poetry Open Mic

Join us for two hours of poetry from across our community. Come and hear headline poets from the University of Essex, student voices, and share and explore all things Essex poetry in this diverse and inclusive event. If you’re not sure what to bring, the writing prompt for this event is, “Full Hearts”. All are welcome to perform – arrive early to assure a place!

Venue: Art Exchange, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Tickets: Free, no booking required

 

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Saturday 1 June, 1.30-3.30pm
This Land: Writing the Place Workshop
Neil D’Arcy-Jones

Author, playwright, journalist Neil D’Arcy-Jones will be running a Writing the Place Workshop based on the 25 Essex destinations that have contributed to the making of Essex Book Festival’s 25th Edition oak gall ink. Explore the magic of alchemy by turning places and ideas into new stories.

Venue: Art Exchange, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
Tickets: £15 / £10 concessions (Students, Under 27s and Unwaged)
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

 

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Saturday 1 June, 2.00 – 4.00pm – SOLD OUT!
Beach of Dreams 25 Launch and Creative Writing Workshop
James Canton

Come along and meet the Kinetika team, our flag-makers/bearers, and find out how you and/or an organisation you belong to, can get involved in the epic new nationwide Beach of Dreams 25 project. Then, take part in a special Beach of Dreams creative writing workshop led by Dr James Canton, and the Wild Writing team based in the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Essex.

Venue: Lakeside Studio, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ
Tickets: Free, booking essential
Box Office: eventbrite.co.uk

 

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Saturday 1 June, 4.30pm
Sarah Perry, Enlightenment

Multi award-winning and best-selling author, Festival Patron and University of Essex Chancellor, Sarah Perry, will be launching this year’s festival. Talking to our Essex Book Festival Chair, Peter Donaldson, about her highly anticipated new novel, Enlightenment. Join us for this very special opening event celebrating both the 25th edition of Essex Book Festival and the 60th anniversary of University of Essex.

Venue: Essex Business School, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Tickets: £10 / £8 concessions (Students, Under 27s and Unwaged)
Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948