0 Comments | Western Morning News, The, Jun 30, 2006
Some enticing new performers have been added to the bill for the fourth annual Port Eliot Lit Fest, the alternative arts festival taking place in the magnificent grounds of the ancient stately home of Lord St Germans in an East Cornwall village by the River Tamar over the weekend of July 21 to 23.
Known as the literary festival where authors are encouraged to do anything but read from their books, it’s the quirkiest event on the Westcountry summer calendar, which is entirely in keeping with the venue’s history as the home of the legendary Elephant Fayres.
This year’s festival will see Hanif Kureshi perform; Arthur Smith’s extraordinary tour of the grounds; Alain de Botton unveiling architectural plans for his Philosopher’s Hut; Kevin Sampson and Helen Walsh on the anniversary of the Toxteth riots; Mick Brown talking about Marvin Gaye and Chris Salewicz showing a visual version of his new Joe Strummer biography; and Fiona Banner painting a male nude word-portrait. Number one bestselling author of The Farm Richard Benson will be running a cheese stall, and an exhibition of photographs of the Port Eliot house interiors by photographic artist Martin Parr will be on display in the basement.
Barbara Hulanicki of Biba will have her own tent – Biba Ba Lula (She’s My Baby) – and will dress festival-goers in recycled materials and lace from the Port Eliot attics. It will be the first time she has designed clothes since the dying days of the legendary London Biba store in the 1970s.
With no Glastonbury Festival to tidy up after this year, Michael Eavis will be on hand to tell behind-the-scenes tales, and Maria Alvarez and Rowan Pelling will present a homage to gothic women, featuring the work of Kate Bush and Alison Goldfrapp.
Artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis will create The House of Fairy Tales, using puppets to explore the beauty, horror and wonder of those timeless stories. Running the full length of the festival, there will be puppet and sculpture workshops for children and adults.
Artist Wolfe Lenkiewicz and Nick Hackworth will curate a show entitled The End of Civilisation in the house’s big dining room, featuring works by more than 20 artists including a reworking by Jake and Dinos Chapman of Hell, which was destroyed in the Saatchi warehouse fire.
For the first time at Port Eliot, “the ultimate showgirl” Immodesty Blaize will perform two acts from her wonderful Burlesque repertoire – the Reverse Strip Tease and Miss Blaize ‘n’ Saddles on an 8ft rocking horse
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