Family fun and world class entertainment is coming to town at the Festival of Wonder which starts next Friday, 15th November, at St Laurence Church, the Stroud Centre for Peace and the Arts, in the town centre, focusing on themes of wonder and hope for a better world.
Now in its third year, this amazing free weekend offers Wonder for everyone, from bouncing babies, young people, parents and for every generation beyond.
This year’s world class artists include 2023 Britain’s Got Talent finalist, amazing aerialists Duo Odyssey, popular French shadow dancers Claire et Antho (with more than 120,000 followers on Instagram), comedian and clown Viktor Vassiliev, the hilarious circus entertainer Thomas Trilby, and Stroud’s very own stilt walker and juggler The Magnificent Mr Kai to name but a few.
The free main circus show, The Snow Globe, featuring Duo Odyssey and others, written and directed by Andy Bewley (ex-Giffords Circus) is repeated at 12.30pm, 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday 16th. No tickets are required but please be prepared to queue for a short time as access is on a first come, first served basis. To add to the wonderful atmosphere, this year the church will be transformed into a winter wonderland, with hundreds of snowflakes designed by primary school children from schools across the district.
For the young at heart of all ages, we also have the Stroud Folk Choir, The Raga Babas, Ambitions Dance, School of Larks and the Stroud Phoenix Choir and Phoenix Children’s Choir. For the truly young there’s the under-5’s play area, a popular craft area where this year big and small kids alike can design their own kite for the festival’s kite display, as well as the ever-popular face painting. And, for those seeking a more refined sense of wonder, a visit to The Thin Space reflective zone and the interactive Wall of Wonder gives a break from the hustle and bustle of the wider festival.
And once the wonder bug has caught you and you’ve worked up a thirst or an appetite, there’s a free café, a late afternoon bar and hot food provided on Saturday by community chef Sam Angelo.
The spectacular grand finale, Circus of the Soul, is at 6pm on Sunday 17th. This free finale is expected to be extremely popular, so tickets are required but remain free and available on the festival’s website, again on a first come, first served basis.
For Years 3-11, a special circus workshop is being curated by School of Larks on Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 4.30pm. The cost of this popular workshop is normally £35 but the festival is discounting the cost to just £10. Only 25 spaces are available on a first come, first served basis – book at festivalofwonder.org/tickets/
At the same time, there’s a Soul Journaling workshop for adults, discounted from £25 to £10 – book at festivalofwonder.org/tickets/ – only 10 spaces available
Tickets are still available for the Gala evening on Friday 15th which includes ‘The Snow Globe’ plus comedian Jo Enright (Phoenix Nights, The Job Lot, Life’s Too Short and After Life) – festivalofwonder.org/tickets/
“Mark your calendars now and come down into Stroud town centre for all the fun of the fair,” says festival organiser Phil Coysh. “Enjoy the WONDERful atmosphere as the community comes together to wonder and hope for ‘a better world our hearts know is possible.”
Full details and timings at www.festivalofwonder.org
