Live Music and Performance at the Whitegold Festival

2021 Green and Whitegold Festival

Live Music and Performance

Neil Brownsword: Clay Settling Tanks

Mon 21st – Thurs 24th June Saturday 26th June
Wheal Martyn Clay Works, St Austell
Cost of museum Entry

Watch internationally renowned ceramic artist, Neil Brownsword working in one of the old clay settling tanks, shaping four tonnes of Imerys’ china clay into a variety of shapes and forms using replica moulds and tools from ceramic tableware production, together with shivers, ladles and dubbers traditionally used in china clay extraction.

Call Wheal Martyn Clayworks on 01726 850362 to arrange your visit.

Neil Brownsword at the Whitegold Festival

The Scaffal Dance

10:30 – 11:30am and 1 – 2pm 26th June
St Austell Town Centre

The Scaffal Dance was created by The UPG Team as a new May Day celebration, responding to the industrial heritage of this area and incorporating our performance-parkour style into a traditional floral dance format. The simple aim is to raise a smile as we come out of lockdown.

Photo credit Steve Tanner

Roots Story Walk

11am- 2pm 26th June
Busking around St Austell town centre

Singing and storytelling duo Emily Faulkner and Alex Devine will be promenading through our festival site with White River and Clay Country inspired performances. Your tributes to the wild, overlooked beauty of your home have been turned into poems, songs and stories written by Bec Applebee, Emily Faulkner and Ben Sutcliffe (People String Foundation).

The performance is inspired by the wonderful photographs, stories and tributes from residents and regular visitors to Wheal Martyn. During lock down the wild and beautiful landscape of Cornwall has been a haven to us all. The story walks will pop up as a gentle, family friendly busk!

Roots was commissioned by FEAST, Wheal Martyn and The Austell Project in 2020. Thank you to Green and Whitegold festival for bringing it back.

11 Doors

2pm/2.30pm/3pm/3.30pm 26th June
various spots around St Austell town centre

The true story of 11 Doors is a curious one…

Look out for an actual door popping up in St Austell town centre, revealing Anna Murphy’s tale ‘11 Doors – a story of dirt and washing’. See the story come to life with dancers Rob and Suzie, combining music, dance and that famous 11th Door. Music composed by Jim Carey.

This performance was commissioned by Kneehigh Theatre for their Random Acts of Art programme.

Photo credit Steve Tanner

Launch Cornwall College

10am – 4pm 26th June
Pop up performance in various spots the town centre throughout the day

Launch Cornwall College students’ dynamic piece will take you on a theatrical journey to show how a Cornish town was put on the map for being the best quality supplier of precious China Clay. Set to contemporary music, it follows Cornwall’s fast-growing, competitive industry as St Austell’s clay spread globally. This piece is awash with emotive history, sifting through the intricate process of extracting the fine clay, ebbing and flowing to conceptualize the trickle-down movement of handsome trade which landed on beautiful Charlestown harbour. Blasting, washing, shovelling motion of the hard physical labour of Cornish men and women who worked hard under high pressure to attain a valuable resource and become ultimately invaluable to the heart and growth of St Austell life.

Altitude Cornwall College

10am – 4pm 26th June
Pop up performance in various spots the town centre throughout the day

Altitude Cornwall College students’ piece will take you on an expedition through the development of the Clay mining industry that landed our Cornish town of St Austell on the map. The abstract contemporary piece will demonstrate the shapes and forms of China Clay as well as the history of the Bal Maidens. Establishing the crucial role that these women held in guiding St Austell towards becoming world renowned for its China Clay resource. Our performance will recognise and acknowledge the process of Clay as well as the hard work that was required for the town of St Austell to thrive within this industry.