Download the Tinners Moon Festival Brochure here (1.5Mb pdf file). There’s just a few words there about everything, same as below. For more go straight to wegottickets.com/tinnersmoon2023. You can book there (10% fee) or email boxoffice@ashburtonarts.org.uk to reserve.
Here’s what’s happening at this year’s festival. These are very short descriptions, there’s much more with pictures and links at our What’s On Page. Or you can go straight to the ticket booking page where there’s also more info, at wegottickets.com/tinnersmoon2023.
| Fri 21 April | 7pm | Linden Dance: Unconsciously You | An explosive duet where the dancers are in opposition to two giant wooden cubes in a physical representation of their battle with unconscious bias. This all reverberates in the soundtrack and the performers’ athletic physicality which draws on Afro-fusion and contemporary movement styles. Linden Dance is an innovative dance company based in Birmingham. Supported by Arts Council England and FABRIC. |
| Fri 21 April | 8.30pm | Sam Ritchie and Jason Singh: Invisible Force | Trumpeter Sam Ritchie and sound artist and nature beatboxer Jason Singh go from calm soundscapes to hypnotic Trip-Hop and infectious Jungle beats. Sam’s had international chart success with Sam and The Womp. Called “the human sampler” by Cerys Matthews (BBC Radio 6) Jason’s music has appeared on Radio 3, at three BBC Proms and in David Attenborough’s The Green Planet. |
| Sat 22 April | 3pm | James Lisney (piano): Classical Piano Recital | Over four decades, James Lisney has been recognised as one of the countries most distinguished pianists, regularly performing at Europe’s most prestigious venues and internationally acclaimed for his interpretations of the Viennese classical repertoire. He’ll be playing our lovely 1908 Blüthner piano, on loan from the family of Totnes pianist, Margaret Merrington. |
| Sat 22 April | 8pm | Joe Martin / Katy Hurt | Joe Martin plays “a night of new wave Americana, with stories and songs that will move the deepest parts of your soul”. “The night I was at the Bluebird Cafe a young Englishman with a rich, resonant voice named Joe Martin seemed primed for bigger things.” New York Times. And in support, Katy Hurt returns: with influences ranging from Patsy Cline to ZZ top, Miranda Lambert to John Mayer, she has it all. |
| Sun 23 April | 7.30pm | Gaz Hughes Trio: Beboptical Illusion | In Gaz Hughes, drums, Andrzej Baranek, piano and Ed Harrison, double bass, we welcome “three linchpins of the UK’s north west jazz scene” – for a night of original jazz that could grace any club in the world. The crucial mix of beauty, taste and virtuosity that’s needed for a great night is in this music in spades. It’ll transport you somewhere magical – guaranteed! |
| Mon 24 April | 7.30pm | Not Only But Also The Blues: Bad Knees / Sloe Train | Two fab local bands, stalwarts of the scene. In Bad Knees, Jeremy Doyle, Keith Smallwood, Martin Wheeler, Jonathon Pickles and Richard Pickles guarantee a set of good rocking blues! Sloe Train says: “We play our songs for fun and the love of live performance. Think Bonamassa meets The Bluesbreakers, with a twist of early Fleetwood Mac…” |
| Wed 26 April | 7.30pm | The W: Bruno Heinen, Andrea Biase, Heidi Vogel & Gene Calderazzo | Bruno Heinen: piano; Heidi Vogel: wordless vocals; Andrea Di Biase: bass; Gene Calderazzo: drums Like the four equal lines that make up the letter W, these four international musicians come together as one voice to create chamber jazz as exciting and inventive as it is elegant and sophisticated. “demonstrating that originality doesn’t have to be complicated” The Observer |
| Thu 27 April | 7.30pm | Wild Nights Out: Chris Salisbury and Holly Ebony | Pro storyteller with 28 years as an outdoorsman guiding people along the wild trails to mysteries and enchantments that lie in wait, Chris performs traditional stories and ballads, poems and riddles. It’s a potent recipe for a very entertaining evening. “Holly Ebony brings an epic musicality to her original material. There’s no lack of ambition either, poetically written and performed with a cool passion in the assured velvet of her voice” Headfirst Bristol |
| Fri 28 April | 7.30pm | Film: Parallel Mothers (Pedro Almodovar, 15) | Dir: Pedro Almodvar Starring: Penelope Cruz. Janis and Ana, coincide in a hospital room. Both are single and became pregnant by accident. Janis, middle-aged, is exultant. Ana, an adolescent, is scared, repentant and traumatized. Janis tries to encourage her. They develop a bond, which by chance complicates, and changes their lives in a decisive way. |
| Fri 28 April | 10pm | Nightclub: Carolyn Hume, Paul May, Angus Balbernie (18+) | This is a dark and erotic piece, atmospheric and frequently beautiful. You will be transported to the dance floor, hypnotic sounds and seducing words, delving into the existential nature of forbidden desire. This original work will be a fluid mix of live keyboards, narration and percussion, pre-recorded pianos and vocals, and abstract film noir. Created for the Tinners Moon Festival – first performance. |
| Sat 29 April | 2pm | Living Room Theatre: The Washing Machine of Destiny | Luca is still a teenager, Philip is getting on a bit. Both are on the autistic spectrum. This show is a conglomeration of their bonkers ideas, perhaps like nothing you will have seen before. An eclectic mixture of music and characters and story and conversation in a show that they have created together. The 4th show brought here by Living Room: always brilliant! |
| Sat 29 April | 7.30pm | Moscow Drug Club | One of the most popular bands on the current live scene – it’s one for everyone, whatever kind of music you like, you’ll love it. They’re “Transcendent Troubadours of Gypsy Latin & Swing” Combining their original material with songs by the likes of Jaques Brel, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits & Eartha Kitt, Moscow Drug Club provides an intoxicating & intimate musical experience. |
| Sun 30 April | 3pm | Knight and Spiers | With Peter Knight (Steeleye Span) and John Spiers (Bellowhead), improvisation and invention meet the listener at every turn. Together they have created something to inspire future generations of musicians to engage with Britain’s folk dancing heritage, and the beautiful, mysterious tunes that can be found in it.“There can be no doubt that both performers are amongst the most, if not the most, talented of their peers…[we left] in awe at having witnessed something very special” Fatea Magazine |
| Sun 30 April | 8pm | The Object Project: Pixiematosis | This is the happy/sad tale of tiny extraordinary creatures living in a nocturnal paradise who realise, too late, that they’re being exploited for a sinister purpose. Featuring sqwonky puppets, odd-automata and a slew of charity-shop rejects, Pixiematosis is not unlike watching a lost episode of Bagpuss, filmed by the Tales of the Unexpected crew… Come along, be charmed, be appalled; get swept up in the existential madness of it all. Adults and 14+ recommended. |
| Mon 1 May | 7.30pm | Gozer Goodspeed and the Neon Gamblers / Cat in The Hat | Featuring two very special musicians: Gozer Goodspeed a star in the making with superb original material and high energy live shows; Bill Birks, whose guitar playing is strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix (Bill was at Woodstock ‘68 as a teenager!). An all-rounder: bass in the Neon Gamblers & often behind a kit, but he fronts Cat In the Hat, and it’s way overdue that he takes centre stage right here. |
| Tue 2 May | 7.30pm | The State We’re In: How did we get into this mess and how do we get out of it? | War, disaster, inflation, scandals, injustice, lies, pandemics, misinformation, crises, strikes… Are we surrounded by a broken society? Prof. Joe Foweraker invites 4 guests to talk about what’s possible, then have a discussion between themselves and with the audience. They’ll pick whatever they like to start with, and we’ll go from there, wherever things lead. See ashburtonarts.org.uk for lineup. |
| Wed 3 May | 11am – 2pm | Workshop: Dartmoor Sound Recording Club and Skylark FM | Dartmoor Sound Recording Club is part of skylark.fm, a unique radio station broadcasting across Dartmoor (105.8 and 107.6FM). Come along to talk about and record your experiences of journeys for broadcast, whilst also co-creating a physical textile map of our memories. All materials and equipment provided. Free public transport available on bus and train – visit skylark.fm to sign up. |
| Wed 3 May | 7pm | Jakabol with Malaika Kegode plus Outlier | Jakabol fuses world folk influences with progressive textures and explosive riffs. Malaika Kegode is a poet and performer based in Bristol. She and Jakabol created the theatre show Outlier, based on her teenage years [she grew up in Ashburton] getting rave reviews in 2022. We’re delighted to screen one of these performances here. Before this, she joins the band on stage for a live set. |
| Thu 4 May | 7.30pm | Invocations And Portraits: Roger Dennis, Steve Day & many more | Poets Roger Philip Dennis & Steve Day recently got together to create this spellbinding book of 54 paired poems, unified by being one way or another portraits and/or invocations. This performance adds to the poetry an array of images, dancers: Anna Kushernova & Miguel Valentini, and musicians including Sam Richards, Caron Parke, Roger Hall, Ric White, Eliza Jacobs… |
| Fri 5 May | 7.30pm | Music from India and Iraq, with Samar Zeki and more… | Samar has captivated the audience here with her Arabic singing before. Via her links with soas.ac.uk she has brought together an amazing group of London-based singers and musicians from Indian (Hindustani and Carnatic) and Iraqi traditions for a varied night of song, oud and tabla performances: Vishnu Vijayan, Aarthi Ravichandran, Achintya Prahlad, Ruba Hillawi plus Russell Harris. |
| Sat 6 May | 9 – 11am | ADGA Plant Sale | As usual, there’ll be plants and herbs galore for sale from the members of the Ashburton and District Garden Association. Get here early as there’s always an eager throng. |
| Sat 6 May | 7.30pm | The Embers: School’s Out Forever! | The current cohort of local sixth-formers is amazing. From multiple genres this group has prepared heartwarming ballads, and funky grooves to rock and roll classics. They are all incredible musicians: brilliant instrumentalists and superb singers whose shared love of music brought them together. They say, “We’re here for the vibes and to have fun, and you will too!” And you certainly will! |
| Sun 7 May | 2pm | Carnival Coronation Celebration: Procession from Arts Centre to Cleder Place | There’s a bumper afternoon of free entertainment planned on Cleder Place to celebrate this coronation weekend, including face paints, crafts, duck race, sumo wrestling, magic, music and balloon modelling. Dress up as royalty (all ages) and join this procession, leaving the Arts Centre at 2pm. |
| Sun 7 May | 7.30pm | With Respect To Nat King Cole: Marvin Muoneke & The Tom Ball Trio | Marvin Muoneké, vocals & trumpet; Tom Ball, piano; Jim Rintoul, bass; Adrian Balletto, guitar. Nat King Cole, famous for crooning Let There Be Love, and Christmas Song, was also a stunning pianist. Tom plays scintillating piano. Marvin, who’s featured on TV in both The Voice and Britain’s got Talent takes care of the vocals. He is a captivating performer. A quartet of kings on this historic weekend. |
| Mon 8 May | 7.30pm | Community Cabaret/Open Mic/Closing Party | And after all that, a evening of fun and frivolity – come and do a turn: sing a song, do a sketch, play a tune, tell some jokes, read a poem, whatever you have – all welcome. If you’d like to be included in the line up, emailboxoffice@ashburtonarts.org.uk. |