Larmer Tree Festival

The Larmer Tree Festival is a five-day music and arts festival held annually at the Larmer Tree Gardens near Tollard Royal on the Dorset-Wiltshire border in England. Described as "One of the most family-friendly festivals around",cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2007/12/12/larmer_tree_2008_feature.shtml|title= Larmer Tree Festival 2008|publisher=BBC Dorset|accessdate=2008-10-11] it is also noted for its "stunning location ... and outstanding eclectic line-up."cite web|url=http://www.globalrhythm.net/WorldMusicFestival/LarmerTreeFestival.cfm|title= Larmer Tree Festival|publisher=Global Rhythm|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Location

The festival is held in the Larmer Tree Gardens, Victorian pleasure grounds founded by Augustus Pitt Rivers and described as having "an enchanted and tranquil atmosphere".cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/entertainment/days_out/larmer.shtml|title= Larmer Tree - Wiltshire's secret garden|publisher=BBC Wiltshire|accessdate=2008-10-11] The Larmer Tree itself was an ancient landmark tree on the ancient boundary between Wiltshire and Dorset. The tree was possibly an ancient Wych elm ("Ulmus glabra") under which King John (1167-1216) and his entourage were reputed to have met when they were out hunting. The festival takes place in a setting of lawns and carefully-tended gardens, dotted with Indian pavilions and Roman temples, with free-roaming peacocks and macaws.cite web|url=http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2006/7/20/271700.html|title= Larmer Tree magic weaves its spell|publisher=This is Wiltshire|accessdate=2008-10-11] cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/main.jhtml?xml=/gardening/2003/05/24/glarm24.xml|title= A stately pleasure garden|publisher=Daily Telegraph|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Organisation

The inspiration for the festival came in 1990 when James Shephard came across the Larmer Tree Gardens while out jogging one day in Cranborne Chase. The first festival was held in 1991 and was a one-day event, featuring jazz and blues music, with about 200 attendees. The next festivals were two-day affairs, held over a weekend, with co-director Julia Safe joining the festival staff in 1993. In 1995 the festival was extended to include the Friday night, and on-site camping was introduced.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/about_us.html|title= The Story So Far|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11]

The festival is now a five-day event licensed for 5,000 people. The organisers state that "numbers are still strictly limited to protect the intimate atmosphere cherished by devotees." Tickets for the event have sold out months in advance every year since 1995.

Shephard and Safe's company J & J Events Ltd. produces the festival. Shephard and Safe have rejected several major sponsorship deals as they are keen to protect their original concept. The ensuing independence and lack of sponsors' interference has allowed the small team of staff to develop the festival along its own unique lines.

A community spirit is encouraged at the festival: nearly 500 volunteers from the local area, covering 13 different roles, help out before, during and after the event, and it has links with many local organisations.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/contact/volunteers.html|title= Volunteers|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11]

The festival organisers try to minimise its environmental impact, by such measures as recycling as much as possible and insisting on the use of biodegradable trays and wooden cutlery by the catering outlets at the event. They also encourage festival-goers to take green living measures such as lift-sharing, recycling and saving water on site.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/festival_info/green_larmer_tree.html|title= Green Larmer Tree|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Events

"See Larmer Tree Festival line-ups for line-up listings."

In 2008 the festival featured 108 hours of entertainment, including 80 bands across seven stages over five days.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/whats_on.html|title= Venues|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11] The festival predominantly features acoustic folk, world music, reggae, roots and blues. Festival areas include the main stage, a two-pole big top, Acoustic Roots Café (ARC), The Club (a "retro-rave environment"), The Social (consisting of three large tipi tents), as well as the Garden stage, the original wooden Victorian Singing Theatre building.cite web|url=http://www.entec-soundandlight.com/news58.htm|title= Entec Helps Larmer Tree Festival Celebrate 18th Birthday|publisher=Entec Sound & Light|accessdate=2008-10-11]

There is also an extensive range of creative workshops for both adults,cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/whats_on/for_adults....html|title= For Adults ...|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11] teenagerscite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/whats_on/youthzone.html|title= YouthZone|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11] and younger children.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/whats_on/fun_for_kids.html|title= Fun For Kids|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11] There are designated teenager's and children's areas which offer activities and workshops "in everything from baby yoga to unicycling".cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2005/07/18/larmer_tree_festival_feature.shtml|title= Larmer Tree Festival 2005|publisher=BBC Dorset|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Recent developments at the festival include the Club Larmer theatre productions and talks. For several years film critic and writer Mark Kermode has interviewed leading figures in the world of film, including Ken Russell and, most recently, Nicolas Roeg.cite web|url=http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2007/6/3/321463.html|title= Festival line-up revealed
publisher=This is Wiltshire|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Over the years, many different holistic therapies and treatments have been offered in the Secret Garden area, including osteopathy, Swedish massage, Thai massage, Bach flower remedies, Indian head massage, reflexology and shiatsu.cite web|url=http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk/whats_on/therapies.html|title= Therapies|publisher=Larmer Tree Festival|accessdate=2008-10-11] cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2006/02/06/larmer_tree_06_feature.shtmlml|title= Larmer Tree Festival 2006|publisher=BBC Dorset|accessdate=2008-10-11]

In addition to all the festival areas, there are 11 acres of gardens for festival-goers to explore.

Facilities

Catering facilities on site provide food and drinks from around the world, served from breakfast through to late night snacks. The site also has three bars.

The campsite next to the festival ground is free, with free hot showers. In 2006 the festival toilets won the "UK Festival Awards 2006 Portaloo Sunset Award For Best Toilets".cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/festival.nsf/webpages/larmer%20tree%20festival|title= Larmer Tree Festival|publisher=Contact Music|accessdate=2008-10-11]

Awards

In 2008 the Larmer Tree Festival was nominated for five awards by UK Festival Awards: Best Small Festival (for festivals of 10,000 festival-goers or less); Best Lineup; Grass Roots Festival Award (for "the king of anti-commercialism"); Family Festival Award and Best Toilets.cite web|url=http://www.festivalawards.com/index.cfm?section=awards.nominees&method=view&year=2008&eventid=1096|title= Larmer Tree Festival 2008: Nominated in the following categories|publisher=UK Festival Awards|accessdate=2008-10-11]

References

External links

* [http://www.larmertreefestival.co.uk Larmer Tree Festival website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2007/12/12/larmer_tree_2008_feature.shtml BBC page about the 2008 Festival]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/image_galleries/larmer_2007_gallery.shtml BBC page about the 2007 Festival, photographs]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2006/02/06/larmer_tree_06_feature.shtml BBC page about the 2006 Festival]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2005/07/18/larmer_tree_festival_feature.shtml BBC page about the 2005 Festival]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/southampton/music/larmer_preview.shtml BBC page about the 2004 Festival]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/entertainment/arts/larmer_tree_festival.shtml BBC page about the 2003 Festival]