Date/Time
Saturday 31 August 2024 - Sunday 1 September 2024
9:00 am - 10:00 pm
Categories Dance
Join us on Saturday 31 August & Sunday 1 September for our first Archipelago Arts Festival — a showcase of Indonesian and Malaysian performance art. We’ll be hosting music, dance and martial arts workshops and performances, and Indonesian lunches. Over the weekend there will be seven workshops (including two for children) covering Javanese and Balinese Gamelan Music, Javanese Dance, and Malaysian Silat Dance. Those attending will hold an informal performance of material from the workshops, and we have one concert of professional musicians performing traditional Javanese music. All the workshops are limited to 20 people, so get booking to be sure of a place. Book at wegottickets.com/archfest2024 (10% booking fee) or email boxoffice@ashburtonarts.org.uk to reserve and pay on the day. Always three prices: you choose – please pay what you can. To book for multiple events, please email and we’ll work out a discounted price.
All sessions are also listed here where you can book tickets: wegottickets.com/archfest2024
Saturday 30 August
9 – 10am Gamelan open session Free/donations
Led by William Barnardo in the Main Hall downstairs
10 – 11am Children’s Silat: Malay Martial Arts Workshop £15 / £10 / £7
Led by Liam Grange. In the Studio upstairs, starting at 10.05 after yoga class.
10am – 12.30pm Javanese Gamelan Music Workshop £30 / £20 / £10
Led by Jenny Heaton In the Main Hall downstairs
12 – 1.30pm Lunch: Indonesian Street Food available outside in the forecourt
1.45 – 4pm Balinese Gamelan Music Workshop: Gong Kebyar £30 / £20 / £10
Led by Saj Collyer (Originally this was listed as Angklung taught by Isis Wolf-Light – she is no longer able to be here)
4 – 6pm Javanese Dance Workshop £30 / £20 / £10
Led by Jo Shaw in the Studio upstairs
7 – 9pm Archipelago Concert: Javanese Gamelan Gadhon £15 / £10 / £7
Sunday 1 September
10 – 11am Children’s Javanese Gamelan Workshop £15 / £10 / £7
Led by William Barnardo in the Main Hall downstairs
11am – 1pm Improvisation Session: Bring Instruments! £5 / £3/ donation
in the Main Hall downstairs
12 – 1.30pm Lunch: Indonesian Street Food available outside in the forecourt
1.45 – 4pm Balinese Gamelan Music Workshop: Gong Kebyar £30 / £20 / £10
Led by Saj Collyer in the Main Hall downstairs.
2.30 – 4.30pm Adults’ Silat: Malay Martial Dance Workshop £30 / £20 / £10
Led by Liam Grange in the Studio upstairs
5 – 7pm Javanese Gamelan Open Rehearsal £15 / £10 / £7 (players)
or a donation to watch
Led by William Barnardo in the Main Hall downstairs
7pm onwards Informal Gamelan Session
in the Main Hall downstairs – all welcome
Festival Facilitators
Jenny Heaton – Javanese Gamelan Workshop (Saturday)
Jenny Heaton was the first UK student to study gamelan at university in Java. She returned to the UK and organised the making and shipping of several gamelans to the UK including the Bristol Javanese Gamelan on which she lead a community group for over a decade. She has over 20 years experience teaching and performing gamelan in the UK.
William Barnardo – Javanese Gamelan workshop (Sunday)
William Barnardo began studying gamelan during his BA in music at the University of York. During which time he composed a piece for gamelan that was performed to welcome the then UK ambassador of Indonesia, Rizal Sukma. After a sojourn in Java studying gamelan, William has taught and performed gamelan around the UK with community groups, charities and with professional groups. After briefly teaching the Sharpham Gamelan Gadhon he now leads Ashburton Art Centre’s weekly Gamelan sessions after acquiring a Javanese Gamelan from Trafford Music Service.
Jo Shaw – Javanese Dance (Saturday)
Jo Shaw is a Cornwall based gamelan teacher who ran the Falmouth University gamelan during its active years. She also teaches Javanese dance and has years of experience teaching and performing Javanese gamelan and Tari (Javanese dance)
Saj Collyer – Balinese Gamelan (Saturday and Sunday)
Saj Collyer lead the Balinese gamelan in Dartington for years and is a dynamo in the UK gamelan scene. with innovative teaching methods she has inspired a generation of gamelan players and has taken Balinese gamelan to festivals such as Glastonbury, performed and taught all around the UK in Universities and Colleges and regularly runs trips to Bali for interested folks to dive into the culture of Indonesia.
Liam Grange – Malay Martial Arts and Martial Dance
Liam Grange is a martial arts practitioner based in Devon who was trained in Silat, a Malay dance like martial art, in Malaysia. Studying and living across East and Southeast Asian Liam has studied numerous martial art styles he now trains adults and children alike in Kung Fu, Quigong, Silat and more.
Balinese Gamelan Angklung was originally advertised on Saturday
Unfortunately the planned leader, Isis Wolf-Light can no longer make the event but her workshop is being covered by Saj, which means that the Angklung, sacred temple music workshop is now Gong Kebyar. So there will be 2 gong kebyar workshops, but they will cover different things.
Festival Director, William Barnardo
07949392406 or barnardo.w@gmail.com
== See Access, Tickets & Finding Us for more about why there are three ticket prices, plus other useful info about coming to events at Ashburton Arts Centre: getting here, parking, loos, PA tickets, etc.