Fringe Arts Festival Bath 2010

The FAB art fair (Fringe Arts Bath www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/) joined up with the Fringe’s Bedlam Sunday, outside the Theatre Royal in Bath on Sunday 6^th June, for music, art and shenanigans. Amalgamating music, art and food, with a touch of crazy, FAB brought one hell of a day to the people and visitors of Bath on Sunday.

The weather was sunny and hot most of the time, despite a constant threat of rain, which did nothing to dampen the upbeat spirit of the crowd and artists. Setting up the stalls was a great way to meet and mingle with fellow craftsmen, all of whom displayed their own style and creativity from paintings and prints to illustrations, cards and hand-made toys. After wrestling with the wind, my gazebo was set up and ready for action, with the hope that the sporadic wind gusts would give up the ghost and change direction or vanish! 

My big paintings and prints were rested against the display table, enticing the crowd to peruse and enjoy at their leisure. The colours attracted a lot of attention and the womanly shapes of the naked women (in much of my work), proved a crowd pleaser (especially with the excited husbands). A brazen child walked past with her family audaciously covering her eyes with one hand, shouting loudly that she wasn’t allowed to look at ‘rudie’ pictures! Exactly what I wanted – controversy!

Speaking of controversy, the Bedlam performers caused quite a stir! Laughter resounded around the square, as ‘Skate Naked’ performed daring acrobatics, donned only in tiny pants, causing astonishment with their fire-torch-antics – ouch! St. Joan’s Ambulance was next, a man and woman duo involving more acrobatics, a banjo, audience participation and dancing! The walkabout performance from students from Circomedia, ‘Bristol’s world-renowned academy of the alternative performing arts’ treated the crowd to a spectacle of weird and wonderfulness! A very tall old(ish) man, donned in a fantastically-gaudy (yet amazing dress), massively extravagant hat and white tights walked around, towing a very cute, wooden toy dog – marvelous! The grand finale were Newcastle native ‘The Baghdaddies’, a ‘Balkanistic boogie dance’ band – wowing the audience and creating a mass of dancing revelers, swinging their hips to the groove.

As the day drew to a close, the buzzing revelers got ready to go home. Sleepy and satisfied from the wine, sun and delicious food from Gascoyne Place (the official bar and restaurant of Bedlam Sunday), we began to pack up the stalls. Chatting and exchanging news on the success of the day, we all parted ways and vanished to all four corners of the country.


A FAB day had by all.