The community is at the heart of Create Festival – and the community stage is the perfect place to celebrate this. This year there’s a whole range of choirs, singing groups, dance troupes and performers ready to wow the crowd and showcase some of the best local talent.
Creativity and art is so good for us, physically and mentally, and it’s great to see that there are so many opportunities for people to take part in activities. Some participants will be seasoned pros, and others performing for the first time, but Create is such a welcoming space that the perfect place to perform for newbies and old timers alike.
Ashford Rock Choir (6pm) was formed in 2011 and is part of the national network of Rock Choirs all over the country. They sing feel-good, uplifting rock and pop songs. As well as they many local performances this year they are also getting ready for our first performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, and are returning to BBC Proms in the Park in September, which last year they flash-mobbed as part of a crowd of 10,000 ‘Rockies.’
Caroline from the choir says “We’re so thrilled to be headlining the Community Stage at this year’s Create Festival. We performed there in 2017 and everyone was blown away by the incredible festival atmosphere – my choir members felt like true rock stars! So we’re really chuffed to be performing again and honoured to be the headline act. We’re busy rehearsing and learning some great new songs at the moment ready for the big day!”
Performing at Create Festival for their first performance ever, the Ashford Borough Council Workplace Choir (12.45pm) was set up to break up a Friday lunchtime and give staff something to do together. Around forty staff take part, and all departments are represented. They’ve only been going three months, but have already had so much fun together. They’ll be singing song including Uptown Girl, Fix You and Dancing Queen. Rebecca Pierson says “It’s a great chance to sing some classic songs in a place that is so important to Ashford.”
For something with tonnes of energy check out MGD Dance Crew (3.45pm). MGD Dance Crew are a local group based in Ashford, and have done many performances in stadiums and music videos, and worked with the likes of NIKE, FLAWLESS (Britain’s Got Talent), Cher Lloyd, Nathan Dawe and currently represent UK Dance competing in nationwide and worldwide hip-hop competitions.
Sophie from the Crew says “We can’t wait to perform at create and show you some of the stuff we have been working on and we’ve even got our open class which we run every Wednesday in Ashford involved this year in our dance set.”
Blossom Dance School is a vibrant, fun, unique Cheerleading Dance School who old community based Cheer classes in Bethersden and Ashford, Fay says that “All students attending Create Festival 2019 are very excited and have been working very hard behind the scenes to produce new routines! Blossom is a big dance family and excited to get out on the stage and perform for everyone!”
Ashford Concert Band (2.30pm) have been going almost 20 years and we have been growing in size and reputation ever since. Theynow have around 35 members who meet every Thursday evening to play a wide repertoire of music. The band regularly performs around the Ashford area, wherever we are invited. You may have seen them on the bandstand, or at your local village fete?
Tiffany Smith, Secretary, says “This will be the third year we’ve performed on the Community Stage at Create Festival and we’re really looking forward to sharing our music with the people of Ashford again. Our audiences love to join in and sing along with our popular pieces, so we hope everyone is in fine voice again this year!”
So settle back on the grass and enjoy the best of what your local community has to offer.
And So She Thinks 