River Festival Coventry 2023

Talking Birds are a Coventry-based company of artists known for their gently provocative projects which explore, and seek to illuminate, the profound and complex relationships between people and place.

Audiences enter through the Whale’s opening mouth one at a time or in small family groups to experience a witty and charming 3 minute watery themed theatre show, performed by a solo actor just for them.

Building on the workshop carried out in Lady Herbert’s Garden in October 2022, Ludic Rooms will return to capture more watery tales from the people of Coventry. Through the sharing of archive materials and lost histories, they will encourage Coventry to think once again about the Sherbourne River.

This time they will be gathering, sharing and revealing imagined and slightly broken whispers of Coventry's watery past. Exploring folk traditions that might have happened if the city stayed watery. Renaming well known places with liquid inspired language. Expect a sonic library with visual elements.

Ascension Youth are contemporary dance sessions inspired by parkour, freerunning, and breakdance which channel creativity, support and focus through dance to build confidence. SOAR and VERTEX are Ascension’s senior youth groups for all young people aged 11-14 presenting performances at River Festival Coventry.

Indira is an audio-visual artist based in Coventry, UK. She uses a mix of techniques including field recording, programming, microcontrollers, DIY Electronics and composed sound using various instruments and found objects.

Indira is creating sound based works which respond to the River and our connections and relationships with water.  This will be an interactive piece, integrating sculptural and visual elements with community voices and composed sound.

In 2020, Coventry-based filmmaker Ben Cook partnered with Argentinian artist, Mariana Bollati, and South African producer Pierre Heistein to make a documentary on the Atuel River to build awareness of the impact of human consumption and climate change on the river and open a discussion on possible solutions.

Ray has been an integral part of Coventry’s music scene through some of its biggest cultural moments, playing on community radio stations and festival events. A well-respected and sought out Dj who plays funk, soul house and racks up Coventry Dining Club, and HMV Empire on his portfolio including support for Craig David.

Young Rosie dreams of carving a special turnip lantern for the Festival of Light. Little does she know how absolutely ENORMOUS her turnip will grow! To plant and harvest the turnip, Rosie will need plenty of help from the audience, her animal friends and one small but very important gnome. This delightful show for young audiences, suitable for everyone age 3+. Book using the link below.

A female-led movement bringing the power and positivity of dub music and sound system culture to the people.

The Upsiders are ‘fun’ personified. They are friends who just want to invite you along to their party. Never boxed in by their musical style or genre, their versatility knows no bounds, with songs in the style of funk, folk, disco, pop and from all corners of the universe.

Humans on Wax is a Coventry based collective focusing on the love of analogue music. Building community for vinyl DJs to collaborate on creative projects, events and to have the opportunity to explore analogue in a digital world.

Open Theatre uses nonverbal physical theatre to collaborate with young people with learning disabilities (YPWLD), creating quality art which reflects and celebrates their unique creativity. We wholeheartedly believe in the ability of YPWLD to contribute to the creative and culture life of the places where they live, and work as advocates for their valued involvement as artists and leaders.

Nicky Ager is a singer/songwriter from Coventry who is a regular on the acoustic and open mic scene. His songs are personal but also reflect a wider view of life and with his soulful voice has become a great exponent of the adage “Sing your Life”. Nicky also writes music for films and has recently co-written music for a successful musical that has toured Britain.

Adele carefully documents the places she finds herself in, seeking to playfully highlight, introduce or restore the more inconspicuous beauty of everyday life. She is interested in analogue methodology and the materiality of film and video tape, taking unplanned walks, plant-life, elusive moods of stillness and balance, and urban topography.

Adjei Sun is a poet, artist and community organiser whose work focuses on mental health, environmental + social justice, and love. he was selected as a bbc 1xtra future figure and made a finalist for youth artist of the year birmingham 2023. adjei performs nationally and internationally and also delivers poetry workshops in schools to engage young people in conversations around mental health and the environment. in the last year, he has performed at places such as the world expo in dubai, bbc world questions, the queen's baton relay homecoming celebration birmingham, and the natural history museum.

Zimbabwean born Coventry Native Sibby Du beck Blvck; is an aspiring writer, musician, host and all round good citizen.

Emily is a young nature enthusiast and writer living in rural Warwickshire. She enjoys photographing her local wildlife, wildflowers and fungi and sharing photos on Instagram, Twitter and Vero. She is particularly fascinated by corvids, having rehabilitated a fledgling jackdaw last year. This comes through in her writing, including her piece "To The Roost" which won the Young Wild Writer Competition, Hen Harrier Fest 2022 and her poem "Jackdaw Gifts" which was awarded First Place in Guernsey Lit Fest's Young People's International Competition 2022.

Michael is a local mural artist who is pushing the boundaries of street art, using a spray can to do fine art. He runs an instagram account called dynamickart.

Katie O is a mural artist working on large scale projects with various communities.

Lady Herberts Garden will serve as a quiet space for people and families to go and chill out during the festival. There will be storytelling from around the world here between 2pm and 3:15pm on both days, and a few small garden games to play and unwind with.