Greenbelt 2010

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Category: Deaf Christian News

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This summer once again Deaf people were attending the Greenbelt Festival over the August bank Holiday weekend.

With 21,000 people, music, campers and traders aplenty, Greenbelt might look like any other Festival. But scratch beneath the surface and you find something special…

Alongside musicians such as Billy Bragg, Fightstar, Royksopp, Athlete, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, José Gonzalez, Gilles Peterson, The Proclaimers and Seth Lakeman, each year the Festival hosts a rich programme of visual and performing arts, spirituality, comedy and talks and discussion – recently welcoming the likes of Michael Morpurgo, Tamsin Omond, Anita Roddick, Jasper Fforde and Billy Childish, Union Dance and The Reduced Shakespeare Company The diversity of content not only demonstrates a commitment to the arts, faith and justice, but also our underlying values of tolerance, dialogue and hope.

Over the years there have also been some significant contributions from the Deaf Community, with Penny Beschizza hosting what must be the countries biggest open air BSL class, Clark Denmark talking about BSL recognition, Deaf  worker Ian Stillman reporting on his imprisonment in India   (the year after thousands of Greenbelters petitioned the Indian Government for his release )

Greenbelt's  37-year history is firmly rooted within a Christian tradition which is world-affirming, politically and culturally engaged. Ours is a belief that embraces instead of excludes. And, as such, the Festival is family-friendly celebration, inclusive and accepting of all, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, background or belief.

Deaf BSL users are included through the efforts of a strong interpreter team led by Gill Behenna, and co-ordinated and administeredby deafchurch.co.uk webmaster Mark Smith. There are enough interpreters for Deaf participants to chose from the hundreds of events taking place at the festival

We do all we can to keep the Festival as accessible as we can, offering a range of discounted, family and local ticket deals as well as giving away 1% of tickets each year (through our Open Festival scheme) to people who otherwise would not be able to afford to go to Greenbelt – or any other Festival. And we try to make a difference beyond the Festival, through our campaigning activity and through Trust Greenbelt, which gives grants to quirky, entrepreneurial, risky community projects combining arts, faith and justice.

Our focus will always be running a Festival over August Bank Holiday weekend. But, increasingly, we are looking to host and collaborate on events around the country year-round, reflecting the openness, bravery and creativity of the Festival’s community and its spirit.