Greenbelt 2012
Reviewed by Sarah Cantwell
Every August Bank Holiday, Cheltenham Race Course becomes home to Greenbelt, an arts, faith and justice festival which has run every year since 1974.
The festival site itself is set in beautiful surroundings, making the most of the buildings and areas provided by the Race course and supplementing these with a variety of temporary venues of different shapes and sizes, housing a mind-boggling array of activities for all. Upon first arriving at the site I have to admit to feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer size and ‘busyness’ of the site, but upon consultation with the extremely informative festival guide complete with handy fold out map we were prepared for our first day at Greenbelt 2012.
Greenbelt has always very much been a festival for all the family and this year was no exception. In the centre of Greenbelt, there was a space called The Village. This was a collection of different venues and activities where smaller Greenbelters could enjoy the same great Greenbelty experience as their elders. There were things to make, shows to watch, songs to sing, circus skills to hone, netball, cricket and football to play, animals to pet as well as places to just relax and chill out with your little ones. During my weekend my 6 year old daughter and I were able, with a little bit of help, to hone our Diabolo and Plate spinning skills, a small yet significant achievement for both of us!
Due to the atrocious weather conditions over this bank holiday weekend Greenbelters caked in a decent layer of mud, sporting much needed wellies were a common sight. The conditions however, did little to dampen people’s enthusiasm. Despite the flooding, there was still lots going on and the organisers and volunteers should be commended for the calm and professional way in which they dealt with the consequences of the adverse conditions.
When it came to matters of the stomach, there was a huge range of food and refreshments outlets on hand to satisfy all tastes, but be warned, some of the prices were high for both food and drink. We found Greenbelts own Cafe to be extremely friendly, offering much needed tea and extremely large slices of delicious home-made cake, definitely big enough to feed a small army!
What was very striking about the whole weekend was the friendly atmosphere. Complete strangers, both young and old are more than happy to chat and there was an overriding sense of security within the festival, something which I feel is missing from many of the other festivals which are out there.
Alongside the general Greenbelt hustle and bustle there was a wide range of often creative, inspirational and thought provoking talks and discussion groups, all based around Greenbelts theme for this year: ‘Saving Paradise’. A top tip if you are thinking about Greenbelt for next year is to bring something to sit on. As many of the events at Greenbelt are held in temporary venues, there is not necessarily any seating. A rug or folding chair is a definite must.
There were toilet blocks in abundance throughout the campsite and festival village area which were cleaned regularly. For those who wished to remain fragrant over the weekend there were showers available. Greenbelt is committed to make the festival as accessible for as many people as possible and the facilities for disabled Greenbelters were good with disabled toilets on the campsite and in the main village as well as golf buggy transport available for those who couldn’t quite face the walk from the campsite.
Music has always been a very important part of Greenbelt, not only providing a stage for well-known acts: this year acts included Bruce Cockburn, Asian Dub Foundation and the Proclaimers to name but a few, but also a stage for lesser known artists, either performing in cafes and venues around the site or at the main stage. Budding musicians and performers also had opportunities to perform at the ‘Roots’ Stage. The eclectic selection of music on offer is something that I feel sets Greenbelt apart from other, more predictable festivals.
The main stage also provided the venue for the Sunday morning communion service which saw Greenbelters come together in a sea of mud to share communion in a very modern, child friendly service. My daughter for one, spending most of the service blowing bubbles.
To sum up, Greenbelt 2012 provided a unique platform for artists and activists, prophets and poets to deliver an eclectic mix of music, visual art, theatre and comedy alongside an impressive programme of speakers, all within a safe and secure family environment. This wasn’t my first Greenbelt and it certainly won’t be my last.
If you would like to find out more, why not visit their website at www.greenbelt.org.uk