This year, community arts group Canopy, brought an arts and cultural element to the Blakeney Duck Race with a series of free workshops and events throughout the day.  ‘Everyone Sing’ with Kirsty Abraham kick started the day off alongside Emma O’Brennan from Wilful Ink who offered a free watercolour demonstration.  A hundred participants then joined the parade led by Forest Thump Samba along with Morris Dancers, Community Choir, Drybrook Male Voice Choir, local families, a 7 metre long water serpent puppet with Djabot African drumming band bringing up the rear.

Children and families waved batik flags and banners made in batik workshops with textile artist Joanne Callaghan whilst others held up decorated poetry ducks on sticks which had been made with support from artist John Slater at the Dean Heritage Museum. 

At The Rec Canopy pitched 8 Arts stalls in the top corner creating a real festival atmosphere. Wild Oats Morris danced, Darren Hoskins drew a large audience with his hilarious story telling using a ‘Cranky’.  Drybrook Male Voice Choir sang while Djabot, in their brightly patterned African attire, played with their wide range of drums and instruments.

Canopy sponsored drop-in workshops were offered by farOpen artists following a duck theme with watercolours with Emma O’Brennan, Clay workshop  with Dorota Rapacz and Painting with Chris Waygood.  In addition, artist John Slater provided a workshop making 3D paper ducks, Artspace offered an aerial rig for people to explore the trapeze and the Community Shed volunteers prepared many approaches to using wood to create ducks.  Canopy volunteer, Krysa Hazelwood, led an engaging Creative Walk for children and families in the woods running alongside the field using nature as their inspiration to create lots of lovely marks and textures. 

Blakeney artsFEST is the second festival brought to the Forest of Dean this year by Canopy following the recent appointment of Katie Sanderson as event manager following a successful bid for Arts Council Funding.