Jane McGowan goes behind the scenes at the third Camberley International Festival to find out what makes this event stand out from the rest
It would be reasonable to say that the good people of Surrey have more than their fair share of well, fairs. From the rural magnificence of the County Show to a feast of food, fetes and festivals that take place throughout the summer, it would seem that not a weekend goes by without spending £10 on a tombola.
But there is one event that has marked itself out from the rest: the Camberley International Festival. Now in its third year, the multi-cultural celebration combines, music, comedy, film and drama, earning itself a well-earned spot on the county’s calendar.
“It started in 2016 as part of Camberley Theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations,” explains events and marketing officer at Surrey Heath Council and festival organiser Jo Bartlett. “We thought it would be a nice way of leaving a legacy for the town.
“We tried to make this festival a bit different There are so many celebrating the country aspect, we thought it would be nice to be a bit more international to reflect some of the communities that are represented here and just to give it more of a flavour and make it a bit more diverse.”
Taking place from June 20-23, this year’s event is bigger and better than ever with author talks, music and comedy gigs, movie-making masterclasses and poetry readings taking place at venues across the town. The team has even managed to enlist the talents of top impressionist Jon Culshaw, who will be headlining at the theatre on the final night in the Great British Take Off.
“Securing Jon Culshaw was a bit of a coup for us,” says Jo. “We are running for four days and four nights this time and there are so many free events taking place in pubs and bars, we feel there is something for everyone.”
This year’s festival also includes a short film competition, and Jo says the response from would-be movie-makers has been staggering.
“We have been absolutely inundated – especially the international section. Basically you name a country and we’ve had an entry from it.”
To cope with demand, Jo and her team have enlisted students from the University of Creative Arts in Farnham to help them sift through the international entries.
The shortlist will be judged by a panel of experts, including Disney and Aardman animator Rob Docherty and the winners announced after a screening in the theatre’s main auditorium. Festival patron, award-winning actress Juliet Aubrey will be on hand to present the awards.
But the pièce de résistance (and Jo’s favourite event, I’m guessing from her enthusiastic answer) is the Camberley Carnival parade which runs from Knoll Road and along the High Street before launching into a full-blown party on London Road Recreation Ground. Revellers can enjoy an acoustic music tent, a bar selling local brews, a retro gaming marquee an Indian circus as well as lots of displays from community clubs.
“We introduced the parade into the festival last year and it was amazing,” says Jo. “There always used to be a carnival in the town but for various reasons it stopped. The sun was shining and it was just fantastic. Word-of-mouth has obviously got around as we have got lots more people taking part in the actual parade this year.”
The Carnival will also see the return of dancers from the town’s Sikh community who stole the show with their super-colourful costumes and infectious beats.
“They just spontaneously kept dancing as we arrived at the recreation ground and everyone loved it. So this year we decided to invite them to officially be part of the party after the parade and they were thrilled.”
More than 1,000 people watched the parade in 2017 and there were several ‘sold-out’ events. Jo is optimistic that this year will see even more people getting involved.
“Word is getting out – so, yes, I am hoping for a big success.” And with a line-up like this, I don’t think she has anything to worry about.
Festival highlights
Joe England and John King in Conversation: Local author Joe England, the man behind the popular PUSH fanzine series, talks about his work and debut novel to John King, author of The Football Factory.
- Jun 21; The Cabin, London Road; Free
Two up-coming comedians – Mark Simmons (winner of 2017’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival one liner competition) and Welsh funnyman Matt Reece take to the stage in this free gig. Catch them while you can!
- Jun 22; The Cabin, London Road; FREE
Brightlight Theatre Company presents The Fire Stack, a new play by award-winning local playwright Jamie Lakritz. Nominated for Best New Play at Woking Drama Festival 2017.
- Jun 23; Camberley Theatre, TBC
The Camberley International Festival runs from June 20-23. Visit: camberley-international-festival.com
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