Belper Goes Green 2018: Derbyshire Eco-Festival Announces Final Line-Up

Transition Belper’s Belper Goes Green has announced the full line-up for its 6th eco-festival, which takes place on Friday 1st June – Sunday 3rd June 2018 at Belper Rugby Club, Derby Road.

Having listened to feedback, the volunteers at Transition Belper worked hard to give this year’s Belper Goes Green festival a refreshed look with new musical acts, a book festival, workshops for all ages and an expanded wellbeing and children’s area.

The community-based event remains, as ever, free to enter.

Staying true to their roots as an eco-festival, the organisers have sought to be as environmentally conscious as possible. Some of their bold initiatives include solar powered stages and recharge points, reusable glasses to reduce single plastic use, recycling in partnership with Wastecycle and all promotional material being printed on 100% recycled paper.

Site manager Mark Creed said: “One of the biggest issues facing any festival is the tremendous amount of rubbish that is created. As an environmentally conscious event we are striving to reduce plastic use, recycle as much as we can and cut down on waste.”

30 diverse acts will be hitting the solar powered stages over the weekend with the opening Friday night being an evening of psychedelia and experimental sounds. Launching the festival is Graham Graham Beck; The Lords Of Valhalla, Shom and then headliners Paytron Saint – local custodians of epic indie fuzz-guitar.

Over the three stages on Saturday acts playing include; Jonathan Tarpley, Jacks Got A Plan, Double Cross, Tony Stark, Robyn Wallis Johnson, Helen Gale, Kitty & The Cadillacs, Molly May, Lucy Milford and Luna Cycle B. Meanwhile Sunday sees Dathan Horridge, Sue MacFarlane, Eliza P & the Misfits, Restless Soles Appalachian Dance and The John Martyneers.

New to Belper Goes Green this year is the ‘Green Book Festival,’ a quiet space offering a little sanctuary and culture away from the rest of the entertainment. On the Sunday it will see authors speaking about their work and a strong line-up of spoken word poets.

In the Fun Palace, organised by Woollen Woods creator Anne Clark, there will be two days of workshops and activities. Visitors will be able to learn new art, craft, scientific and recycling skills with bitesize lessons taught by experts in their individual fields. As part of the area the team are organising a local photography competition, more details of which can be found at www.transition belper.org.

The Wellbeing area of the festival will bring together like-minded businesses and organisations to promote the ‘inner’ side of Transition Belper. The aim is to help and support the community to take good care of themselves and they will be doing this with stalls, demo’s, talks and workshops throughout the weekend.

The Kids’ Zone, with help from the Derbyshire Toy Libraries, will have a huge range of games and toys available for just £1 per child. Children can play with a large range of outdoor toys, games and circus resources, plus Hook a Duck, Treasure Hunt, Craft Activities, Jumping Clay, Badge Making, Bubble Fun, Parachute Activities and Face-Painting by Abigail Sawyer.

From 6.00pm to 11pm Friday and 11am to 11pm on Saturday & 12 noon to 10pm on Sunday a CAMRA beer festival will be held in a marquee on the field. There will be a minimum of 40 beers and 10 ciders and perries on sale. A wide range of styles, types and strengths of quality beer will be available from local and not so local breweries.

An organiser said: “Belper Goes Green really does have something for everyone this year. Whether it’s music, culture, food, crafts or well-being the environmentally focused festival has sought to cater for all areas of the community.”

Transition Belper can only do this because the Transition Belper volunteers, Rugby Club volunteers, entertainers and workshop and activity leaders give up their time for free.

For further information see the website, Facebook page and Twitter

Programmes with a map of the site and details of all the events will be on sale throughout the weekend, priced at £1.00.