It is now lunchtime on Friday the 19th of July 2013; cue a triple cause for celebration. School’s out, here comes the summer and the fourth annual Deer Shed Festival is just about to begin.
Set in the tranquil rolling North Yorkshire countryside of Baldersby Park near Thirsk and with its strong emphasis on music, contemporary art, family fun and general all round entertainment, Deer Shed has very quickly established itself as a firm favourite on the UK festival calendar. In keeping with the last couple of years (Sky At Night and Monsters), the 2013 event will be underpinned by a theme around which the entire festival will be built. This year it is the turn of Machines. All things mechanical and technological will permeate the festival’s three days, from Paul Ganjon’s robotic-eared headline appearance in the Machine Tent where he shall construct all manner of weird and wonderful contraptions to a scrapheap challenge, the programming of a computer live, flying quadcopters, sundry robotic workshops and the opportunity to test drive a trusty Theremin.
Compared to previous years Deer Shed 4’s content has been further refined and developed, with its Arts Programme in particular benefitting from these improvements. In addition to a full programme of entertainment for children of all ages, old favourites such as the circus and cabaret acts in the Big Top, numerous family workshops which will draw upon the festival’s Machines’ theme and encourage active involvement, graffiti artists, spoken word performances and storytelling, there will be cinema, commissioned theatre, PG-rated comedy, computer artists in residence, illustrators and animators.
And is if all of this wasn’t quite enough there will be lots of quality, locally sourced food and drink plus some music too. In accord with the improved Arts programme and general entertainment on offer, the quality of music this year is bigger and better. Edwyn Collins, Willy Mason (both pictured below), The Unthanks, Darwin Deez and former Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombs are the headliners but further down the bill there is much of interest, including the absolutely splendid Public Service Broadcasting, Liverpool’s other Three Graces, Stealing Sheep (also pictured below) and the reformed and much revitalised House Of Love. The full musical line-up can be found here:
http://www.deershedfestival.com/music/
The festival site opens at 1pm on Friday 19th July, closing at 7pm on Sunday 21st July. The entertainment, spread across five performance stages and the large Big Top, commences at 5pm on the Friday. There is a full programme of events and activities on the Saturday, with Sunday being seen as a long, relaxed goodbye where King Creosote’s set on the main stage is scheduled to provide a more than fitting farewell to this year’s live music.
Festival organisers’ advise that more than two thirds of the 6.000 capacity tickets have already gone so expect Deer Shed 4 to follow its predecessors in selling out long before the 19th of July. Tickets are currently pegged at a very reasonable £89 for an Adult Full Weekend (including free camping in a rather spacious and beautiful location), though this price will rise when the second tier of tickets are sold out. Tickets can be bought here:
http://www.deershedfestival.com/tickets/
And all of the festival information can be accessed here:
http://www.deershedfestival.com/
