Russian punk-arts-activists Pussy Riot are in residence all weekend at the 45th annual Greenbelt Festival. Maria Alyokhina and the Pussy Riot collective will be at the event all weekend performing, talking, reading and debating around their Riot Days book and show across seven different sessions.
Hear their thoughts on Russia, prison, feminism, BDS, activism and, maybe, even the World Cup Final.
Building on the festival’s 2017 AIF Award for an Act of Independence (for Palestinian and Muslim programming), they are bringing more Palestinian artists to the festival again, as well as two Rabbis, the first European woman to be ordained by the Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, and a clutch of Muslim writers, chefs, and activists.
Gazan born playwright Ahmed Massoud brings his hard-hitting but deeply funny play about the most lucrative business in Gaza, shroud-making; while Palestinian cook and activist Phoebe Rison will be cooking in the new food venue, The Table. Al Raseef brings street music from the West Bank and Rasha Nahas from Haifa opens up the festival’s mainstage.
Sadly, as yet another example of the increasing difficulty UK festivals are having in bringing overseas artists to festivals here, Gazan-born teenage painter Malak Mattar was denied her visa just last Friday and so will not be able to travel to the festival from Istanbul to join her collection of 19 paintings called The Grave of Dreams, which are on exhibition all festival weekend.
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenburg will be telling punters what he has learned about life and love from his dog. While Rabbi Herschel Gluck will be discussing Muslim-Jewish community relations. Rachel Rose Reid will be leading Hebrew scripture sessions, Jewish song and storytelling.
Salma Yaqoob is co-hosting a topical news chat show alongside broadsheet journalist and writer Cole Moreton; Dilwar Hussein and Sughra Ahmed will be speaking on Muslim futures and Ruksana Shain will be cooking up a storm and educating around all things halal.
As well as its usual mix of programming around fostering greater religious literacy and collaboration, Greenbelt 2018 once again has built an ambitious arts and ideas bill featuring: poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, ground-breaking playwright Bryony Kimmings, world-renowned novelist Jon McGregor, San Franciscan big band Ozomatli, indie-rock-comedians We Are Scientists, jaw-dropping light installation, Celestial Cloud, by Pif Paf, broadcaster, novelist and national treasure Simon Mayo, Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, revolutionary economist Kate Raworth, broadcaster and writer June Sarpong, journalist Sue Turton, and not forgetting anti-poverty campaigner and cook Jack Monroe.
This August Bank Holiday weekend, Greenbelt hosts its 45th festival of arts, faith and justice this year. Sometimes described as “the best festival you’ve never heard of”, it began way back in 1974 and has happened every single year since. But thinking of Greenbelt as just another ‘festival’ doesn’t do it justice. Greenbelt is also an idea, a way of seeing, a gathering of the clans – part movement, part moment. Its genius is that it defies easy description. You have to be there.
Celebrating artistry and nurturing activism, Greenbelt Festival is an act of the imagination – inspirational, provocative and fun. Energised by a progressive Christian worldview, with 19 stages, galleries, installations and outdoor performances, Greenbelt creates a festival that is inclusive, open-minded, participatory and generous in spirit.
