Oskar Foxtrot Productions was established in Stowmarket in 2000 by a family team dedicated to writing and producing new musicals.  Over the last ten years, the group has produced a new show each year and has been touring these around Suffolk since 2005.  The company won an award for its musical, DNA in 2006, was supported by Phosphene for 7 years, and has been proud to receive support from Stowmarket Town Council with grant funding since 2002.  This one-off performance at the Regal on May 27th is a chance to hear songs buried in the past from early shows like Dr Faustus, AD79 and Black Shuck as well as from later performances of musicals like 1066 – A Tale of Two Halves, Fatal Fame and this year’s offering The Wild Man of Orford, which tours in July.  Songs from every show from the last ten years are included with digital projection of images from each year. The evening will feature performances from cast and band members past and present and also a one-off chance to see some of the writers and directors performing numbers from Oskar Foxtrot’s back catalogue.
 
Thursday 27th May
What: Under 18s live rock night – with Never Means Maybe and Amplitude acts: Ooh Rah, Capture The Spaniel, One Good Memory, White Noise,  Carboard Cutouts and Bella Murte
Where: The Riverside Club
Time: 7pm to 10pm
Entry fee: £3 on the door
More information: Jon Hart, Amplitude, 07813 489450

The Amplitude Project has teamed up with Fierce Panda Records – who’s owner, Simon Williams lives in Stowmarket – to deliver a night of quality rock music for under 18s. Simon has been working with Chelmsford based Never Means Maybe on one or two projects over the last few months. We’re delighted that Fierce Panda and the Amplitude Project are linking up like this for the first time during the first ever Stowmarket Festival. Never Means Maybe are a very talented and highly respected young band who’s style is an unusual mix of great melodies, screamo and pulverising rock / metal. The band has enjoyed impressive success including being crowned Roadrunner Records and Scuzz TV “Unsigned Band of the Year”. They will be supported by various great young acts from the Amplitude project.

The exhibition will be a fascinating array of artwork from children and young people attending schools in Stowmarket – from reception age right through to A Level. The last school arts exhibition at the Corn Exchange in 2009 saw the place packed with great artwork so we hope it’s as successful this time round. There should be plenty to see!

 

Saturday 29th May CANCELLED
What: Stowmarket Blues Mini-Festival
Where: TBC
Time: TBC
Entry fee: TBC
Tickets: Entry on the door
More information: Mike Rushmore, 01449 724656

 

Some of the best blues bands from around the region will be converging on Stowmarket for the first ever “Stowmarket Blues Festival”. Organiser Mike Rushmore has played in several great blues festivals around the country with his band “The Back Porch Band” and this gave him the inspiration to launch something similar in Stowmarket. All sorts of blues acts will feature at the festival, demonstrating what an absorbing and broad genre of music blues is. As you can see, details for this event are still being finalised so keep an eye on the Stowmarket Festival website for information.

 

Sunday 30th May
What: London Sinfonietta in concert
Where: Museum of East Anglian Life
Time: Museum open 11am-5pm. Concerts at 2-3pm and 4-5pm
Entry fee: £6.50 adults, £5.50 concessions, £3.50 children under 16 (price includes entry to the museum and one of the concerts)
Tickets: 01449 676800

More information: Zoey Furzer, 01449 724638, www.surfandturf.org.uk

You can join Britain’s most renowned contemporary chamber orchestra, the London Sinfonietta, to celebrate new music and poetry inspired by the Museum of East Anglian Life and Suffolk’s changing landscapes, traditions and memories. Concerts feature local Mid Suffolk schools, poet Dean Parkin as well as the Sinfonietta. You can even play a part in the work yourself by visiting www.surfandtuf.org.uk and contributing your memories which will be fed into the performances. Alternatively you can pick up an 'I remember' postcard from the Stowmarket Tourist Information Centre and Stowmarket Library and pop it in one of the special post boxes. Securing the London Sinfonietta for this project is a massive coup for Stowmarket and the Museum – and also for the great opportunity it offers local children to perform alongside musicians of international renown.
 
Sunday 30th May
What: Stand-up comedy with Robin Ince, James Redmond, Ali Cook, and Mark Restuccia
Where: The Regal
Time: 8pm to 10pm
Entry fee: £12
Tickets: Regal Box Office, tel 01449 612825
More information: Daniel Harvey, 01449 612060,
www.regalstowmarket.co.uk

 

Incredibly, Grays Funfair has been visiting Stowmarket every year for nearly 40 years and it’s great to have them back in town for the first ever Stowmarket Festival. The fair features all the usual fairground favourites including a wide range of rides, stalls and attractions. All rides cost just £1 per person at all times. The fair will actually open on the 26th May, the day before Stowmarket Festival launches.

Saturday 29th May to Wednesday 2nd June
What: Stowmarket Schools Arts Exhibition
Where: John Peel Centre for Creative Arts (formerly Corn Exchange)
Time: 11am to 4pm each day
Entry fee: Free
More information: Linda Nixon, 07921 940001

The exhibition will be a fascinating array of artwork from children and young people attending schools in Stowmarket – from reception age right through to A Level. The last school arts exhibition at the Corn Exchange in 2009 saw the place packed with great artwork so we hope it’s as successful this time round. There should be plenty to see!

 
Monday 31st May
What: Showcase Open Day
Where: Stowmarket Community Centre
Time: 12pm to 4pm
Entry fee: Free entry
More information: Heather Tooke, 01449 613084, www.stowmarketcommunitycentre.org.uk

It’s all change at Stowmarket Community Centre. Several improvements have recently been made to the building and the construction of a Children’s Centre is currently underway. The Showcase Open Day will give you a chance to have a look at the refurbished centre, find out what goes on there and see some of the groups demonstrate what they do – including music, acting, singing and dancing. There will be a bouncy castle, children’s craft and group activities, art and craft displays, tombolas and other stalls by groups who use the Community Centre. Refreshments will be available throughout what should be a fun afternoon - great for children!

At 11am and 2.30pm on Tuesday 1st June in Stowmarket town centre there will be demonstrations from the Francesca Winters School Of Dance & Urban Ateles; Sam Thomas Parkour Group. Following that, young people will be able to take part in learning Dance or Parkour moves. These amazing classes will be FREE, providing a unique opportunity to give these fantastic activities a go! The first class will start at 11.15am for ages 8-12 and the next workshop will be at 12pm for ages 13+. If you miss out the first time round then come and have a look at 2.30pm and join in at either 2.45pm or 3.30pm.  In addition to all this, at 12.45pm and 4.15pm Stowmarket is lucky enough to see the return of the performance company "The Art Of Urban Movement". The crew is a mixture of parkour, free running and urban bance. "The Art Of Urban Movement" has taken part in many private and public performances and shows such as "Take It To The Floor". The group has also featured on ITV and recently they have been involved in a performance at The Royal Albert Hall.  

Stowmarket is home to the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust who do all sorts of great work in and around Stowmarket and who stage the hugely popular “Traditional Music Day” at the Museum of East Anglian Life each year. This event will showcase the local musical traditions that the trust is all about and may even give people the chance to sample some of the trusts’ unusual musical instruments or dancing dolls for themselves (if you ask nicely!) It’s a must for lovers of folk music and appreciators of great musicianship.  There will also be an outdoor café on the market place provided by Coffree Trail, providing people with the opportunity to enjoy the performances over a drink and a slice of cake.

Tuesday 1st June to Saturday 5th June
What:  Stowmarket Art Club Presents: Art in the Heart of Suffolk
(Stowmarket Arts Club 50th Anniversary Exhibition)
Where: United Reformed Church
Time: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 5th June: 10am to 4pm
Entry fee: Free
More information: Dennis Copping on 01449 612970 or David Goldsmith on 01449 615885, www.stowmarketartclub.co.uk

Traceurs (people who do parkour and free-running) from all over the country have been invited to Stowmarket for a big jam day as part of Stowmarket Festival. Sam Thomas, the front runner of parkour in Suffolk is organising the jam. Everyone is invited to come along to find out what this dynamic and unique activity is all about.  The provisional schedule is as follows:

We’ve featured an acoustic stage at the last two StowFests but this year we decided to give the acoustic acts their own event. We felt that the many great music acts that feature on the acoustic stage warranted greater exposure. We also decided to hold this event at Chilton Fields rather than the Recreation Ground as we felt it would be good to take StowFest to a different venue in the town. Chilton Fields is a great location and we’re grateful to Chilton Fields Sports and Social Club for working with us to make this event a reality. StowFest: The Acoustic Sessions will feature a mixture of acoustic bands and solo performers from around the region covering a wide range of musical styles from foot stomping blues and rock to medodic folk and county.

The line up for the Acoustic Sessions is as follows:

2.00pm: Amplitude acts inclduding One Good Memory, Jaz Bullen and Callum Macbean
3.00pm: Howling for Heaven (feat. Michelle Nichols) www.myspace.com/howlingforheaven
3.25pm: Nibler www.myspace.com/wearenibler
4.05pm: Dave Collins www.myspace.com/davidcollinsmyspace
4.30pm: The Folk Collective www.myspace.com/sessionviolinist
5.10pm: The Ouse Valley Singles Club www.myspace.com/theousevalleysinglesclub
5.50pm: The Willows www.thewillowsband.co.uk
6.30pm: Dumbfoundus www.myspace.com/dumfoundus
7.10pm: Songs From The Blue House www.songsfromthebluehouse.com
8.10pm: Ady Johnson www.myspace.com/adyjohnsonuk
8.35pm: The Back Porch Band www.backporch.org.uk
9.20pm: Ady Johnson www.myspace.com/adyjohnsonuk
9.45pm: The Back Porch Band www.backporch.org.uk
 

We’re particularly grateful to The Back Porch Band who are providing PA, lighting and stage management for the event – as well as to Birse Civils for their generous sponsorship.

This is the forth StowFest and in its short life, the festival has gained a great reputation on the local music scene. Once more we have a great line up of talented acts from around the region covering all sorts of genres - folk, rock, blues, metal, funk, soul, country, ska, reggae and more. The highly popular Amplitude Stage will again showcase many up and coming young bands who attend the Amplitude workshops around the area. We’re proud that StowFest is one of the few music events to give such exposure to young acts.

Grays Funfair: Gray’s are back in town again with a selection of fairground rides and stalls.