The Village Festival so much more than a festival for the audience to be spectators.
It is much more fun to participate; here are a few ways you can get involved:
Before the Festival
Smoke & Mirrors
A workshop series with writer Lisa D’Onofrio and artist Nici Wright. Write from your heart, build a clay vessel and build a paper kiln volcano. Commences Sat 26 May. More details
Pop-Up Creative Writing Workshop
Visit Castlemaine Artists’ Market (Sunday 3 June, Western Oval). Lisa D’Onofrio will help you write to welcome the longest night of the year.
Volunteer
The Village Festival could not operate without the assistance of many fabulous volunteers. Could you be one? If you can drive a bus, serve food or drink, direct traffic, tweet and post, smile nicely or otherwise be helpful, consider volunteering. It’s great experience and all volunteers get free festival entry, plus a free meal and drink. Complete the volunteer form.
And on the Day:
Once you are inside the festival, all of these participatory activities are offered for FREE!!
Kids Flea Market
Seeking entrepreneurial kids who want to sell or swap their old toys, clothes, handmade artworks or poetry or anything really. For $5 you will get yourself a spot (a rug) in our tent and you can sell anything you like from 2pm till 5pm. Or,if you are a budding musician or comedian or storyteller, book yourself a spot on our mini-busking stage. Your $5 goes to support Orphund, you get entry into the festival, and you get to keep whatever you make! Bookings essential, or contact Esther esjez01@hotmail.com with any questions.
The World Kitchen
The imaginary love child of Nigella and the Swedish Chef, The World Kitchen hosts food demonstrations from the serious to the spurious. Taste food from Malaysia and Laos. Don’t miss MonsterChef the hilarious participatory cooking show by Emily Bloom
Wrong Town Boutique
Wrong Town Boutique is a place open for all to come, hunt and scavenge, to create, alter and adjust their own free costume. A place to get undressed – recreate, envision, challenge, and start their day again! Dress to Distress We provide all manner of clothes and accessories, stylists on hand to help, as well as the tools needed (sewing machines/hot glue guns) to alter or create a new outfit from something pre-loved – all in a fun and funky environment.
The Famous Village Dog Show (4pm)
Bring your dog along and compete in this ridiculous but heart-warming show. Dog costuming workshops from 2pm to 4pm. Register at 3.30pm
Fire Spectacular Workshops
Corpus Navalis (The boat of no return). Help us build the big boat effigy and see it burned to the ground. 2pm to 6pm. Fire Spectacular starts at 7pm and Corpus Navalis will be set alight towards the end of the show.
10 Minute Dance Parties
Guest DJs will be rocking the caravan hard – but only for ten minutes. Grab your friends and get in for a euphoric experience
Shrine Building and Writing Workshop
Write up a message to your loved ones or dear departed loved ones in our message writing workshop. Messages can be rolled up as scrolls and burnt to smoke as part of the Fire Spectacular. Or help build a shrine to honour the dead.
So You Think You Can Interpretive Dance (8.45pm)
Show your dance skills to the rest of the world in So You Think You Can Interpretive Dance or get a euphoric hit in the 10 Minute Dance Party Caravan.
Aussie Sing-Along (11.30pm)
We close the night with a big communal sing-along. Put on your tracky dacks and your ugg boots, find your inner mullet and join Rose and Jules at the piano in this great Aussie past-time.
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