“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole Hog.” - Roald Dahl
Rolling your sleeves up and getting involved is highly encouraged at Port Eliot. It’s much more than a spectators’ sport and there are myriad ways for you to participate. You’ll discover something wonderful happening around every corner at the festival but we highly recommend seeking out the following…
Flower & Fodder Show
Is your strawberry jam a family treasure? Does your lemon drizzle reduce people to tears? Are your floral arrangements a cut above the rest? Then our Flower & Fodder Show is the perfect platform for you to demonstrate your prowess. Very much in the spirit of the festival, the rules are limited and it’s ALL about enjoying yourself. With top prizes for the best entries, this year’s judging panel includes Michael Howells, Dan Pearson, Matthew Fort, Rose Prince and Russell Norman. Click HERE to find out more and to enter. The closing date for entries is July 24th.
The Great Outdoors
We’re blessed with 6,000 acres of beautiful Cornish countryside here at Port Eliot so outdoor adventures are a big feature of the festival. We have so many ways for you to convene with nature including wild swimming, foraging walks, canoeing, survival skills, an overnight forest school for kids, astronomy adventures and much more. Click HERE to find out more and to book.
The Wardrobe Department Fashion Show
The Eighties Now! Inspired by this year’s astonishing rise of 1980s influences, we’re mixing imagery, clothes and makeup from then with now. There’s a show spectacular - cast on festival-goers - and weekend-long chances to get Eighties-styled hair and makeup with M•A•C and Bumble and bumble. Discover your own inner designer/illustrator/makeup artist/model/future fashion thinker in The Wardrobe Department. Click HERE to find out more.
Larks Haven
Our brand new mindfulness and wellbeing area has a jam packed schedule of talks, workshops and classes as well as a luxury massage area brought to you by Weleda. Tucked away in a peaceful corner of the festival you’ll find yoga classes galore, meditation sessions, alternative therapies and talks from a whole host of wellbeing experts covering everything from somatics to sonic enchantment; ‘Nesting in Nature’ to ‘No Bullshit Consciousness’. Click HERE for more.
The Rubbish Olympics
Roll up, roll up for a glorious celebration of twittery courtesy of Jenny Dyson and her Rubbish team. Just sign up to take part in: Running Man Race; Human Dressage; Throw the Disco; Zoolander Musical Statues; Cartwheel Contest; Egg and Spoon; best Cheerleader; Toss the Pencil! Compered by Benet Brandreth with prizes for the winners and a special prize for Best in Show.
Craft & Making Workshops
Due to popular demand, we’ve doubled our craft programme this year so there are even more ways for you to get creative. With classes taking place in the Workshop Barn and in Hole & Corner’s Makers Tent you can try your hand at blacksmithing, calligraphy, screen printing, furniture making, pottery, botanical illustration, paper flower making, leatherwork, bead making and much more.
Foraging & Outdoor Cooking
We know you love cooking and we know you love the great outdoors so we’ve developed a programme of talks, walks and workshops to hone your foraging and outdoor cooking skills. Learn how to make the most of the freshest ingredients in nature’s cupboard and cook up a storm with the wind in your hair. For the full programme click HERE.
The Idler Academy
The Idler Academy at Port Eliot brings you old school savvy for the new world. Instead of simply asking writers to talk about their books The Idler Academy asks them to teach something at the same time. This year, legendary music producer Youth will teach us how to make a hit record, Harry Mount will give us a lesson in Latin, John Mitchinson will teach us how to be happy and The Mudflappers will teach us how to Lindy Hop. For the full programme click HERE.
Science
This is the first year that science will have its own dedicated venue at Port Eliot and the programme features plenty of interactive experiments. Blast into space with Tim Peake and the Eden Project, witness a groundbreaking duet between a Mezzo Soprano and a quantum computer or delve into the humble fruit fly’s surprisingly complex romantic life. These are just a few of the highlights from Port Eliot’s very first science programme. Click HERE for more.
The Pencil Atelier
Located in The Wardrobe Department, The Pencil Atelier is back with its merry gang of incredible seamstresses, makers and doers to provide workshops of wearable wonder and a creativity injection for all who take part. Inspired by the fashion and style and general vibes of the year 1984, expect to make ra-ra skirts and giant slogan t-shirts emblazoned with ‘PORT ELIOT SAYS RELAX’, ‘MAKE LOVE NOT WAR’, and more.
Hullabaloo
Rogue Theatre returns to Port Eliot with a brand new version of their award-winning show Wild Woodland Summer Ball. Get lost in a world of wizards and sea monsters, wolves, witches and under water forests, and at the end, it’s your chance to dance (it is a ball after all). Faeries, wolves, witches, wizards and sea monsters are all welcome. Fancy hairdos and marvellous hats are encouraged (though not essential).
The Paper Boat
Help us to build a giant Paper Boat - and lots of smaller boats - then join the Paper Boat Parade on Sunday. The parade will culminate in the boats’ launch into the estuary at high tide.
The Grand Port Eliot Clothes Swap
An estimated 350,000 tonnes of useable clothing goes to landfill each year in the UK. Can swap shops provide a way to conserve, think, or even protest? You are invited to join in the discussion with an item of clothing you’re ready to let go of. The collective mind of Port Eliot will be compiled into a zine after the festival and you could walk away with a fab new addition for your wardrobe. Everyone’s a winner!
