VB intern, Rosie Saban, takes a look at what’s on the schedule in Ventnor over the next few days.
The Ventnor Fringe Festival is finally here, kicking off today with an array of offerings including art exhibitions, busking sessions, evening shopping at The Courtyard, and the ever popular Ventnor Carnival, topped off with fireworks tonight between 9 and 10pm.
For those with an artistic inclination be sure to head over to Seacliff Studios for the free Mantova Eyes exhibition on everyday. Kids will love the pop-up display of excerpts from Catherine Grimaldi’s book ‘Slightly Bigger Red Riding Hood Goes to the Launderette’ that will be displayed in Ventnor Launderette until Saturday.
Plenty of live music
If music is more to your taste then why not drop by the Rene Stage, on the way to The Observatory bar for some impromptu busking, or maybe wander along to The Crab and Lobster Inn where there will be free live performances every evening from now until Saturday, ranging from acoustic sets to electric bands.
Acts to include 12 string guitarist Nick Tann, Big Ukulele Jam, and folk band Onion Popes.
Through the arch
The Courtyard, a new space located on Church Street, close to Ventnor town will open tonight between 5-9pm offering all sorts of vintage things, and live Jazz.
Be sure not to miss the ‘Poetry Caravan’ which promises readings and one on one shows. But if you do miss it tonight, there is no need to panic as The Courtyard will be open during the day Thursday until Saturday.
Following along the vintage path The Blind Tiger Club will be offering 1920’s style entertainment every night of the festival for a nominal fee located at Rex Piano Bar.
Think Jazz, gin cocktails, and many more aspects of the ‘Roaring Twenties’.
Fantastic shorts in Film Festival
Thursday, Friday and Saturday all look equally promising, with the Isle of Wight Film Festival sure to be a highlight. Thursday has a selection of films at The Sacred Cinema, featuring topics as diverse as ‘Tibet: Train to Lhasa’ in the Human Rights category, to dramas entitled ‘The Things my Father Never Told Me’ and ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’.
‘Bury me on the Highland’ a documentary on the BP oil spill and the loss of Louisiana’s wetlands is on at 5pm Thurs, and Gunner Vikene’s UK premiere of Norwegian drama ‘Vegas’ is at 7.30pm.
Friday and Saturday also have scheduled a vast amount of short films, including the Fuji Film Shorts, all shot with solely fuji film all around the world.
‘Status Update’
‘Status Update’ a performance described as ‘live spectacle meets stories of irreverence’ looks set to go down a treat on Thursday and Friday evening at St Francis Primary Upper School, with its unique and humorous view on a modern age consumed by social networking and ruled by the internet.
And if you are astounded at just how much is going on in Ventnor during the Ventnor Fringe festival, and need a few minutes to sit down, collect yourself, and have a cup of coffee, why not enrol at the Prufrock Coffee School at Church Street, where they will be running courses on the art of coffee making every morning, to ensure that your recovery cup of coffee has maximum effect so you can enjoy as much of the festival as possible.
For full details of all Fringe Events, check out Events On The Wight and VFringe
Image: © Ventnor Fringe Festival
