Art in the Park to bring colour and camouflage to Leamington

Some of the 150 people who have contributed to the yarn-bombing

More than 120 artists from the Midlands will to demonstrate, teach, exhibit and sell their art, and more than 25 performers will entertain with music, dance and theatre.

This year the festival has the theme of Camouflage to tie in with the current exhibition at Leamington Art Gallery and Museum about the Camouflage Establishment, which was based in the town during the Second World War.

Art in the Park includes two camouflage-focused projects. The first project starts on Friday August 5 when ten secret ‘yarn bombers’ will creep into Jephson Gardens at dusk and install eight vibrant and decorative tree stockings and three knitted willow wheels created in the past months by more than 150 women – and one man.

Art in the Park organiser Carole Sleight said: “This has been an incredible project.

“So many people of different ages and nationalities come together to create their own unique knitted installation.”

The second camouflage-related work is entitled Hidden and enlists over 300 members of the public attending the festival to collaborate and create an installation that will cover the Czech memorial fountain in Jephson Gardens.

The festival will also feature performances by Leamington’s international dance company Motionhouse and a performance of Ratburger based on David Walliams’ book performed by Heartbreak Productions.

The camouflage theme has been woven into the Art in the Park festival weekend, with stall holders dressed up as land girls and boys and a number of themed activities.

Entertainment on the Saturday begins at 10am with a quinet from Royal Spa Brass. Highlights later in the day include a performance by the Pauline Quirke Academy at 1.30pm, Motionhouse’s show at 2pm and 4pm and Ratburger children’s workshops at 2.45pm and 3.30pm before it is performed at 6.30pm.

The Sunday begins with acoustic music from Wes Finch at 10am, followed by the Magic Voices Contemporary Choir at 11am, classically trained 14-year-old singer Tristan Barford at 11.50am and rockers Chasing Deer at 12.30pm. Other performers include Leamington singer-songwriter Shanade at 2pm and Stagecoach theatre school at 1.20pm and 2.40pm. The event is brought to a close 1t 5.15pm by Jabba Cartel, playing Latin-influenced world dance sounds mixing modern and traditional music.

Visit www.artinpark.co.uk for more information.