Ambition
Starts: 23rd Jul 2015
Croydon
An eclectic four-day mix of performances and installations in the heart of South London. Curated by cultural champions, expect to be absorbed by music, theatre, comedy, dance, and the visual arts. Many stages will be free of charge, but most evening shows will require tickets or weekend wristbands.
Lineup
About
Soul II Soul, Tinariwen, Mad Professor, Swing Zazou, Flashmob Jazz, Lazy Habits, Too Many T's, Beans on Toast, Nick Harper, Alternative Dubstep Orch.
AMBITION is the name of the new curated festival, which is to take over Croydon town centre from 23-26 July next year.
The festival, which will take place in around 30 town centre venues and outdoor areas, is to feature four days of music, comedy, theatre, spoken word, dance and art.
Free-entry performances and activities in open spaces and smaller venues will also take place during Ambition, which organiser John Bownas previously said would be similar in spirit to Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival.
The first act booked was 15-year-old BRIT School student and singer-songwriter Natalie Shay.
Natalie said: “It's great to be asked to play at Ambition Festival – Croydon has some fantastic venues just crying out for more to be done with them.
“This is a brilliant opportunity for bands and music fans to try out some spaces which deserve to be used more often.â€
Councillor Timothy Godfrey, Croydon’s cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport, said: “This is all part of Croydon’s continuing journey to regain the cool factor. East London might be where most of the hipsters hang out right now, but you only have to look around to see that Croydon is where many of them live, making up part of our vibrant and diverse community. We’ve got loads of great venues and what this festival will showcase is why we’re brilliantly placed to become the next hotspot on London’s cultural landscape.â€
Craft stalls, street food and outdoor bars will all add to an eclectic festival vibe, and with much of the council-backed weekend being free entry, there will be a chance for everyone to experience the event, including those with families in tow.
Dance class sessions will take place on Saturday and Sunday for anyone wanting to find out how fit can be fun, and local dance students will be joined by professional dance troupes on Sunday 26th to show the crowds how it should be done.
Theatre will take place in The Spread Eagle pub, St Michaels Church and the Ashcroft Theatre, where the Debarred Theatre Company will be performing alongside Poetic Arts Media for a day of plays, spoken word, and song.
On the music front many firm festival favourites are spread across the bill – alongside handpicked emerging talent from across the UK, and established and emerging local performers.
Names that will be familiar to many music fans and regular festival-goers include Beans on Toast, New Groove Formation, Lazy Habits, Too Many Ts, Karl Phillips, Neck, King Size Slim, Lewis Floyd Henry, Skip MacDonald, Nick Harper, and former Terrorvision frontman, Tony Wright.
Hotly-tipped South London three-piece, Movie, will also be playing. Hailed in the national press as ‘the saviours of indie’ their infectiously quirky songs promise to be stuck in many people’s heads before the weekend is over.
Venues:
Fairfield Halls:
Concert Hall (seated, 1,500 capacity)
Arnhem Gallery (standing, 700 capacity)
Ashcroft Theatre (seated, 700 capacity)
Foyer (informal stage, bar and cafe)
Forecourt (outdoor, comedy bus and bar)
Outdoor stages and entertainment:
Fairfield Gardens (Saturday/Sunday)
Queens Gardens (Saturday/Sunday)
Mint Walk (Saturday/Sunday)
Platform @ East Croydon (Thursday – Sunday)
North End (Thursday – Sunday)
Wandle Park (Sunday)
Exchange Square (Saturday/Sunday – family entertainment)
Other venues:
Croydon Minster (church)
St Michaels (church)
Matthew’s Yard
The Oval
Scream Lounge
Spread Eagle
Green Dragon
Half and Half
Bad Apple
Braithwaite Hall
Clocktower Cafe
Quaker meeting hall
Whitgift Square
David Lean Cinema
The Barn
St Paul’s (church)
PERFORMERS
Soul II Soul
Tinariwen
Mad Professor plus special guest
Swing Zazou
Flash Mob Jazz
SwingPatrol
Farida Momtaz
Mike Galsworthy
Shareefa Energy
You & Me
Ragz Cv
I & Ideal & Eyesis
Jonas McCloud
Lazy Habits
Too Many Ts
Lucan Mills
Karl Phillips and the Midnight Ramblers
Ragz CV
D-Kel
Grace Savage
Suffice
Alternative Dubstep Orchestra
Noemie
Nick Harper
Drumscapes
Jean Genie's Massive Hugs
Elephants & Castles
Superman Revenge Squad
Cassettes
Brothers of Mother shovel
Beans on Toast
Glenn Hodge Banned
Gilli Bloodaxe
Debbie Bond and the Tru Dats
Unitary
Solar Wolf
New Groove Formation
Skip MacDonald
Akasha
King Size Slim
Funkt Up
Tall Tales
Blizzard LIVE
Forleigh
Neck
Tony Wright
The Tribe
Lewis Floyd Henry
Whitestar
Mashville
Kings Parade
Black River Wild
Under a banner
The Arhai
Smitha
Dubmarta
SIMMS
The Tailormade
Mee and the Band
Movie
Endurance Steel Orchestra
Little Blue Light
Man Bites Dog
Olly Reeves
Leslie Lewis Walker
Differential
Simon Scardanelli
Natalie Shay
Harry Houseago
JamFam
Aylmer the worm
Ivanmore
Mark Bowler
Corky
Dandlemann
Stephen McGourty
Dave Sears
Tom Janssen
Jenny Lockyer
Superman Revenge Squad
The Tethers
Mara Simpson
Michael Sebastian
F.O.X.