Worcester Festival is back for its 21st year and, for 17 days in August, takes over the city, drawing community groups and organisations together in a unique way to celebrate everything that makes life fun.
‘The Worcester Festival is not a music festival, nor indeed an arts festival, but just… a festival,’ says festival director Chris Jaeger, MBE.
There’s nothing ‘just’ about it. Most towns and cities have specific festival for specific interest groups, such as a literature festival, or a food festival or a jazz festival. Worcester Festival encompasses every kind of festival in one, so much so it could be called Worcester’s Festival of Life because it does simply that – celebrates life, the city and all those who live and work there.
It’s back in 2002 that the vision was born. That vision, the brainchild of Chris Jaeger, has remained true to its word. It is today what Chris dreamed it would become – a festival for the people of Worcester, Worcestershire the surrounding area. It represents a series of partnerships between large cross-sections of the community and acts as an umbrella for a huge range of activities, many of them free.
There are not many festivals where you have a fun run one minute, learn stone masonry, experience a ukulele band, and take a wildlife photograph the next. It encompasses sport, music, health, gardening, and every kind of hobby imaginable.
I have a 21-year-old daughter. I am very proud of who she is and what she has accomplished. Chris talks about Worcester Festival in a similar vein. He, together with his team of helpers, has grown it to be what it is today and yes, he has a right to be proud – proud as a peacock you could say!
‘It’s the festival I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be a people’s festival and I wanted people to do a multitude of things without having to pay for it,’ he says.
‘I am thrilled with what the festival has become.’
Percy the Peacock
Wisely, Chris started the festival with the concept, “start small, think big.” What began in 2003 with 131 events is now a festival with well over 700 events planned for 2023. Last year, which marked the Festival’s 20th anniversary, there were over 700 events, of which 582 were free at point of engagement, and those events were delivered in partnership with 87 different organisations in 72 different venues.
One of the consistent images, synonymous with the festival over the 21 years, is something large and blue – a large blue peacock called Percy.
‘In our first year when the festival began, Worcester Arts Workshop had this big peacock to fit a human which they had used for a project for schools. They didn’t want to throw it away and offered it to us. We used it as an icon to flag up all the children’s events, and Percy appeared with the marching bands. He became incredibly popular and instead of just being used as an icon, became the festival’s mascot,’ says Chris.
Since then, there have been five Percy costumes made. The current Percy, when “humanised” is 7ft tall and appears twice a day during the festival along with volunteers who hand out brochures.
This year’s festival, as in previous years, opens with a full peal – four hours of bell ringing at Worcester Cathedral (10am-2pm) on Saturday, August 12.
Family fun
‘The timing of the festival is very important,’ Chris continues. ‘It always ends on the August bank holiday, and we work backwards. The summer holidays are a long time for some families and by the end of them, many families run out of money and need something for their children to do that doesn’t cost too much. We aim to ensure that 80% of the events are free so it gives them something to do.’
Key attractions in the city, such as Tudor House Museum, Worcester Cathedral, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, Museum of Royal Worcester, The Hive and The Commandery host free events on certain days for the whole family to enjoy.
‘This year’s Worcester Festival is jam packed with things to do!’ says marketing manager for Worcester Festival Hannah Burton. ‘Look out for our special feature of how to do enjoy the festival for just £64 for a family of four: that’s 17 days of fun for the whole family! There really is something for everyone.’
She is right. As well as two constants in the festival’s history – notably face painting and live bands in the High Street – there are some favourites including a Teddy Bear’s eco-picnic in the Cathedral grounds, accompanied by a magician and two musicians as well as the more unusual. This includes Left Handers’ Day, whereby a left-handed man is literally on hand in Aunty Ems café to offer advice on all gadgets that are tailor-made for left-handed people.
The Crowngate Live Stage in the shopping centre provides a great platform to many talented local acts and it is hoped the i-choir, which made its first performance at the festival last year, will return. There will also be drama in the form of Peter Pan and Twelfth Night, performed by Slapstick Theatre and Duke’s Theatre respectively at Spetchley Park.
Highlights for this year include a double-decker music bus, sunflower-growing competition – including prizes for the best-looking and one grown in the most unusual place – a Dragon Boat open day, paint your own pottery at the Museum of Royal Worcester, and free sports events for the young people aged 5-19 in eight different green spaces around the city.
Diglis Island
The Canal and River Trust is also opening up Diglis Island, where they have created a special fish pass to assist small fish unable to swim against the rapids.
‘This is a rare opportunity for people to see the island and the fish pass,’ says Chris. ‘It is another example of making people aware of what Worcestershire is about. We should always be proud of where we live. It is such a fantastic place.
‘During lockdown, my wife started running and joined the running club, Black Pears Joggers and suggested that we had a running event as part of the Festival. I can happily sort out concerts, but I have no idea about running events. The festival is all about partnerships and working with others to make things happen.’
Last year a run took place, and it is now part of Black Pears’ competitive running events. This year a fun 2K and a 5K race will take place as part of the Worcester Festival programme.
There will also be an Alice in Wonderland experience whereby participants can head down the rabbit hole with Alice, the white rabbit and the Queen of Hearts in The Commandery on Bank Holiday Monday. They can play flamingo croquet, make a Mad Hatter hat, decorate “eat me” biscuits and search the nooks and crannies of the museum to find all the Card Soldiers for the Queen of Hearts. Children can also let off steam in the beautiful walled gardens, and explore the outdoor nature play area too.
Sip & Paint
‘There is so much going on,’ continues Chris, ‘lunchtime concerts, talks, outside yoga and a paint and sip event at Bottles Wine Shop, whereby you get to paint whilst enjoying drinking wine.’
Hmm, I am sure I would be sipping the paint water by the end of that event!
And if you need some food, The Worcester Festival Food and Drink guide returns this year to special offers and delicious treats available from fabulous local hospitality businesses. For the first time the Pershore Plum Festival will be taking part and will host six events in the Worcester Festival programme.
Three National Trust properties – Greyfriars House and Garden, Croome and The Firs (Elgar’s birthplace) – are also putting on events as part of Worcester Festival, and Worcester Cathedral is staging around 80 events, including opening its Medieval Library and running a stonemason course day.
There is so much going on, it is best to spend time looking at the full programme. But as this Festival metaphorically receives the key to the door and comes of age at 21 in 2023, it is a testimony of a vision that works. The festival is indeed a coming together of people of all ages, creeds, and race. It provides organisations and individuals opportunity to stage an event and to attend concerts, workshops, trails, talks and so on that they would not normally have access to.
As Chris concludes, ‘It is a festival that celebrates every part of life in Worcester. The original vision, which is the same today as it always has been, is to have a festival for the people of Worcester. I am proud of what it has become.’
Worcester Festival runs from August 12 to 28, 2023. worcesterfestival.co.uk
