St.Helens International Arts Festival

It’s time to party and enjoy the carnival atmosphere as the St.Helens
International Arts Festival takes place throughout the Town Centre on
Saturday 17th July 2010 (11am-5pm).

Artists from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean will visit the Town Centre to perform a vibrant mix of music, dance and street entertainment. The free event organised by St.Helens Council and Brouhaha International arts organisation will be one of the many highlights of the 2010 festival programme across Merseyside.

The St.Helens International Arts Festival event starts with a colourful carnival parade at approx 11am outside the Town Hall in Victoria Square, which will weave its way throughout the Town Centre and finish at 12 noon in Church Square which will commence the international performances throughout the day.

Festival organisers have promised 2010 will not disappoint, with performers attending from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean to mark this year’s theme of ‘Reincarnation’ - Mixing the Race of the Nation’.

Come and join the rhythm of carnival, shake your maracas or just dance along to the infectious beat of drums. Enjoy the party; you’re all invited.

The St.Helens International Arts Festival is financially supported by European Regional Development Fund.

For more information visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/events or telephone on 01744 675326.

Timetable

Church Square
Start/ End/ Artists
12.00/ 12.30/ Baye Goor Fall (Italy/Senegal)
12.45/ 13.15/ AngoLanka (Germany)
13.30/ 14.00/ Ballet Les Fonds Blanc (France)
14.15/ 14.45/ Kosman ti Dalon (Reunion)
15.00/ 15.30/ Assala (Tunisia)
15.45/ 16.15/ The Murmurs of Tension(England)
16.30/ 17.00/ Big Band Brothers (Malta)

Church Street
Start End Artists
12.30 12.45 AJAC – Ecludir Azul(Portugal)
13.15 13.30 Pinezka Theatre (Poland)
14.00 14.15 Officina Pulcinella (Italy)
14.45 15.00 AJAC – Ecludir Azul (Portugal)
15.30 15.45 Pinezka Theatre (Poland)

Milk Street / Bridge Street
Start End Artists
12.40 12.50 The Country Boys (Trinidad)
13.05 13.15 Batala (England)
13.30 13.40 AJAC – Ecludir Azul (Portugal)
14.25 14.40 The Country Boys (Trinidad)
14.55 15.05 AJAC – Ecludir Azul (Portugal)
15.45 16.00 Batala (England)

Church Street / Hardshaw Street
Start End Artists
12.15 12.25 AJAC – Ecludir Azul((Portugal)
13.55 14.05 Batala (England)
15.20 15.30 The Country Boys (Trinidad)

Church Street / Bridge Street
Start End Artists
12.25 12.40 Fire of Gypsies (Turkey)
12.50 13.05 Axxident Crew (Germany)
13.15 13.30 X-ray Culture House (Norway)
13.40 13.55 Pantheon (England)
14.05 14.20 Got Skills Urban Dance Society (Holland)
14.20 14.40 El Ghawazee (England)
14.40 14.55 Rezodance (Egypt)
15.05 15.20 Got Skills Urban Dance Society (Holland)
15.30 15.45 MD Company (Martinique)
16.00 16.20 Amritam Shakti Dance Company (Trinidad)
16.30 17.00 Ballet Entredanzas (Spain)

Baldwin Street / Westfield Street
Start End Artists
12.10 12.30 Officina Pulcinella (Italy)
12.40 13.00 P*fect (Sweden)
13.10 13.30 The Country Boys (Trinidad)
13.40 14.00 Al-Harah Theatre (Palestine)
14.10 14.30 Lelatanier (Martinique)
14.40 15.00 Rudd/Diamanta (Holland)
15.10 15.30 Officina Pulcinella (Italy)
15.40 16.00 P*fect (Sweden)
16.10 16.30 The Country Boys (Trinidad)
16.40 17.00 Lelatanier (Martinique)

International Artists

1. AMRITAM SHAKTI DANCE COMPANY (Trinidad & Tobago): This is a
‘Chutney Dance’ group who perform Caribbean, Indian carnival dance.
The only East Indian dance troupe to perform at the Fifth Summit of
The Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 guest being US
President Barak Obama.

2. COUNTRY BOYS TASSA GROUP (Trinidad & Tobago): This is a
Tassa drumming percussion group who are who perform Caribbean, Indian
rhythms, they have won many awards in Trinidad carnival and were
hosted by Brouhaha in 2009. The Country Boys bring the Tassa Style
indigenous to Trinidad, mixing traditional South Asian rhythms with
Caribbean sound of Soca.

3. BALLET ENTREDANZAS (Spain): Ballet Enteredanzas continue to
push contemporary flamenco into uncharted territories with several
dances with castanuelas and rhythmic clapping.

4. AJAC - ECLUDIR AZUL (Portugal): Ecludir Azul use traditional
Portuguese percussion of bombo, caixa and timbalao with a range of
percussion instruments from around the world to create original music.
This group has an energetic style mixing elements of gumboot and
street dance into their show-stopping performances.

5. BALLET LES FONDS BLANC (Martinique): This group of dancers
present the folk dances of Martinique, including ‘Bel air’ and
carnival dance. BLFB also perform with a live music group. A five
piece Souk band who play the music of Martinique has a heritage which
is intertwined with that of its sister island, Guadeloupe. Zouk's
popularity was particularly intense in France, where the genre became
an important symbol of identity for Martinique and Guadeloupe.

6. GOT SKILLS URBAN DANCE SOCIETY (Netherlands): Urban Dance
Society is based in Rotterdam Holland and is a fusion of urban
artists, break dancers, street dancers, krumper’s, house dancers.

7. FIRE OF GYPSIES (Turkey): Present Roma dances from Turkeys
Gypsy communities. They have performed in festival across Europe and
now come to the UK for the first time.

8. KOZMAN TI DALON (Reunion Island/Indian Ocean): An incredible
musical performance of Maloya music using congas, djembes and
traditional instruments such as the mighty rouleur bass drum and the
acrobatic fighting-dance style of Moring.

9. BAYE GOOR FALL (Italy/Senegal): This Italian Company will
present rhythms and beat of the Senegal and Italy. These musicians
have created a new Italian/African music.

10. OFFICINA PULCINELLA (Italy): Officina Pulcinella Street
Theatre Project based in Turin runs circus skills workshops, this year
they will be bringing a masked street show.

11. AXXIDENT CREW (Germany): The Roots & Routes dancers are a
multi-cultural group from Cologne, Germany. They share the same love
and passion for music, dance and Hip Hop culture. On stage they
present a funky and energetic show with different dance-styles such as
B-Boying, Popping and Locking.

12. OFFSHORE (Netherlands) A Rotterdam band that performs
Reggae and funky urban music , who have recently return from a tour of
Aruba.

13. RUUD & DIAMANTA (Netherlands) Ruud is a beatboxer and MC.
Ruud performs on his own (e.g. he makes live complex beats with a
loopstation). Diamanta is a MC with a Caribbean flavour who brings a
party and can move the crowd, but can also address deeper social
subjects within her work.

14. P*FECT (Sweden) A vogue dance group who perform high energy
work. This group were the backing dancers for the 2010 Swedish Euro
vision song contest entry.

15. AL-HARAH THEATRE (Palestine) AL-HARAH Theatre based in Beit
Jala, Palestine, that represents young people's issues and concerns.

16. REZODANCE (Egypt) A dance company presenting traditional
and contemporary Egyptian styles.

17. AL-ASSALA MUSIC (Tunisia): Presenting both traditional sufi
music as well as Andalus, Maluf and Oriental with contemporary
electronic dance beats that lifts the spirit. A beautiful mix the old
and new melodies of Tunisia.

18. OSLO CULTURE HOUSE (Norway): A group of Norwegian Bollywood
and street dancers who mix contemporary Indian dance with hip hop to
create a fusion mix of styles.

19. BIG BAND BROTHERS (Malta) bring you the flavour of the
Maltese Fiesta. They promise to take you on an auditory and sensory
tour of Central Mediterranean musical pageantry. Expect Jazz, Soul and
Swing interlaced the more traditional Maltese styles and humorous
touches.

20. JANKANOO (Bahamas) This group of ten costume and brass
performers bring us the sounds and carnival sprite from the Bahamas.

21. PANTHNON (UK) This group are a Liverpool based street dance
group that have been working with Brouhaha for two years to create a
new youth ensemble. They will present new performance work create for
this year’s festival.

22. BATALA (UK) This large percussion ensemble based in
Liverpool play Brazilian style. They are composed of 30 drummers.

23. ANGOLANKA (Germany) These two rappers/DJ/MC’s are based in
Koln, Germany they present new performance work based on their
cultural heritage of Angola and Sri Lanka.

24. PINEZKA THEATRE (Poland) Pinezka bring his own circus
clowning magic to all his performance work. This year he bring a new
stilt walking show about the sea.

25. LALATINIER (Martinique) This group of dancers present the
folk dances and of Martinique and contemporary Slasa including ‘Bel
air’ and carnival dance.

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Between 2007 and 2013 the Northwest of England will receive a total of
£521million (dependent on exchange rate) from the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF).

Managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), this
funding will enhance the competitiveness of the region’s economy by
supporting growth in employment and enterprise.