See it, hear it, do it, have it - the Watford Live! Festival is here

The festival opens at Watford Palace Theatre on Saturday, June 6 with Billy Blister’s Circus presented by Inspiral Arts with a flagship event taking place at the Colosseum on Sunday, June 14. The festival finale on Saturday, June 20 features fireworks, street performance and drumming displays. In-between will be lots of creative activities around the town including dance, drama, music, visual arts and crafts, film, literature and spoken word, plus street entertainment.

Here are some of the highlights:

Catch the festive vibe on Watford Colosseum Day

Everything comes together on Sunday, June 14 as Watford Community Arts Network presents its festival showcase. Festival organiser Martin Renshaw has recently set up the network to allow local groups to cooperate and work together to host exciting events, starting with this incredibly exciting festival. As a pivotal moment in the two-week line-up, this one-day showcase offers fantastic free entertainment running from 12.30pm right through to 11.30pm. There’s something to occupy all ages and tastes with jazz music, gospel, brass bands, circus, dance, theatre and DJs, arts and crafts workshops, community stalls, plus much more to enjoy on the day.

Mime artistes the Village Idiots from Abbots Langley will be creating a colourful visual display using a variety of character masks and Daydreamer Theatre and Infinite Circus will be on hand to continue the theatrical vibe. Interspersed in between are dance sets from Love Bollywood, Mad about You and Hayaam Bellydance and Expression Bolivia create a carnival atmosphere. If it’s music you’re after, The Staves may well be off to Glastonbury this summer, but you’ll remember where you saw them first as the singing sisters take to the stage, hot on the heels of ex-Mohair frontman Tom Billington. A journey round the world courtesy of the DJs concludes this not-to-be-missed event. Let’s see you rocking in the aisles.

Theatre - Thinking outside the box

Performances will be taking place both on traditional stages and in some more unusual venues such as the I Can’t Believe We’re Not Better late night show at Watford Museum. There will also be strolling players in the town centre and groups including Mahlon Prince’s Daydreamer Theatre and the Village Idiots from Abbots Langley will be appearing on the Colosseum stage. You can also catch Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus at The Pump House and Barry From Watford will be unveiling his new show Let’s Get On With It at Watford Palace Theatre.

Watford Palace Theatre 01923 225671, www.watfordtheatre.co.uk Pump House Theatre 07786 844541, www.pumphouse.info/

Dance - From Ballet to Belly dancing

Classical ballet comes out of the studio and into the street thanks to Balletomane an innovative dance company that brings free classical ballet performances to those unable to travel to see full-scale productions, such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

Belly dancer Hayaam will also be wowing the crowds with her athletic and sensual moves, plus there’ll be a range of dance styles to try at the Newton Price Centre from contemporary to Bollywood while children can learn street dance at The Barn, behind Presence in The Parade.

You can also join on the Toyboxx Danceathon by the pond on Saturday, June 6, or sway to the rhythm of the drums, the gospel choir and DJ sets on the Colosseum Day. There nothing to stop you from grooving along to the sounds of your favourite bands either. Take to the streets and let your body lead the way.

The art of WRAP, WAAF, Watch and more

Sculpture and artworks made from recycled materials is the name of the game at WRAP who are teaming up with Nysa Productions creative collective to produce a series of artworks for the High Street made by young people titled The Little People of Watford.

At Disability Recreation Unity Movement (DRUM) visitors can view a fundraising exhibition Passage To India from noon to 6pm on Saturday, June 6. During the festival fortnight, Watford Area Arts Forum go on show at Watford Museum and DIY Womp exhibit at The Amber Rooms. Artist Elliot Moore will also be creating sculptures and special installations for several venues along the High Street. See what you can see.

Step up to the mic with spoken word events

Poems, raps, lyrics, musings and rants, if you have something to say or sing then join in on Word Up at The Horns, hosted by open mic guru Pete Curtis.

This highly popular welcome addition to the local arts scene is where you can see the latest comics, bards and songsmiths testing out material in an convivial atmosphere. Word is – no two nights are the same. If you’d rather just get your words down on paper there are writing workshops at Watford Library too.

Little ones needn’t feel left out as there are baby rhyme time sessions from 2.15pm to 2.45pm at North Watford Library on Thursday, June 11 and at Watford Central Library on Thursday, June 18.

Circus acts take to the streets

Stilt walkers, jugglers, strolling players, musicians, graffiti artists and street performers will be roaming around the town centre throughout the two-week festival, bringing a carnival atmosphere and delighting the crowds with their artistic expertise.

There will also be a grand firework finale by the pond with circus and drummers to close the festival on Saturday, June 20 so why not create your own colourful costume and join in the fun?

Watford short films showcase

What Talent present a film showcase at Clarendon Muse on Wednesday, June 10 from 8pm featuring documentaries, music videos, shorts and animations. Moviegoers can also dress up and head over to the bandstand on Tuesday, 16 June for an after dark screening of The Wizard of Oz.

Make and do workshops

Activities as diverse as drumming and beadwork, singing and DJing are all available to try out for free in a host of venues across town. Children can have go at making music at Cafe Cha Cha Cha in Cassiobury Park on Tuesday, June 16 from 4pm to 5pm or let loose with some street drumming from 12.30pm on Sunday, June 7 in the High Street.

If you want to make something out of nothing, you can join Watford Recycling Arts Project at its Wiggenhall Road depot on Monday, June 8 for a day of arts and crafts workshops. Why not create your very own Watford Live! bunting and really enter into the festival spirit? Alternatively, if you’d rather learn how to write for theatre, TV or film, pop along to the Newton Price Centre for a scriptwriting workshop or if you’d like your hour upon the stage pop along to Watford Palace Theatre on Thursday, June 18 from 6pm to 7pm.

Many more workshops and drop-in sessions are available. Check your free, comprehensive festival guide in the Watford Observer on Friday, June 5 and Friday, June 12 for full details.

Music to your ears

The Watford Live! Festival is upon us, bringing with it more than 40 of the very finest local music acts. With more top-notch talent than you can shake a stick at, the impressively large bill of acts reads like a who’s who of the local music scene. Not forgetting, of course, a few very special guests – some travelling from as far away as South America.

From rock to jazz, soul to dance, Watford Live has something to appeal to young and old, gig-goers and non-gig-goers alike. Our town, you see, is blessed with an astounding level of musical talent, much of which, buried as it is in late-night pubs and clubs, goes completely and tragically unnoticed.

By organising two outdoor stages, then – in St Mary’s Square and at the top of town by the pond – the organisers have gone to great lengths to extend audiences beyond the typical 18 to 25 year-old age bracket. And, let me assure this audience, they will not be disappointed by the line-up of acts running at regular intervals during the week and all day and night on weekends.

So where do you start? How about the Staves – a fantastic female trio with harmonies to die for? Maybe you’d prefer Dizzie Cheroot – an alternative act once described by this newspaper as “pant-wettingly good”. Or perhaps you’d prefer Lost Without Cause – a punk-rock three piece blessed with a superb talent and boundless, infectious enthusiasm.

But that lot is just for starters. Established venues on the Watford music scene will be flinging open their doors during the festival offering a variety of sounds from choral concerts at Clarendon Muse to open mic and spoken word nights for you to feel part of the action down at The Horns. Over at The Flag, meanwhile, you can hear a bunch of guitarists thrash it out on Jam Night or head over to The Amber Rooms for some an art and music fusion courtesy of DIY Womp.

As with any festival what you see and what you enjoy is entirely up to you. You’ll find a free pull-out programme in the next two weeks of the Watford Observer so you can plan your route around the venues meticulously. You can also read all our previews and interviews for the lowdown on Watford’s leading musicians and hear about some of the up and coming talent taking part over the festival fortnight. Watford Live! 2009 will, almost without a doubt, prove the most welcome shot in the arm for the live music scene for many-a-year. Enjoy!

Melanie Dakin and Neil Skinner