On 5th, 6th, and 7th July, OAUK took a cohort of artists, producers, and festival makers to Winchester Hat Fair to deepen their knowledge and commitment to the sector. The cohort had the opportunity to engage in curated group discussions, while experiencing works by a number of artists including No Fit State, Jeanefer Jean-Charles, Johnny Autin Dance, and Tit for Tat. Hatting street artists included Imre Bernath, Darryl J Carrington, and Matt Pang amongst others.

2024 marked 50th anniversary for Hat Fair, which proudly carries on its legacy as the oldest running festival in the UK. The festival opened with a community co-created opening ceremony, which involved local groups such as Blue Apple Theatre, Ukrainian and Hong Kong Refugee Groups working with some local artists to create scripts, songs, and dance performances to symbolise the festival theme: “Look back, Look Forward and Look Up”.

Image Credits: HOUSE! by Fidget Feet, Parade – The Giant Wheel by Autin Dance Theatre, BAMBOO by NoFit State Circus and Street Comedy by Garaghty and Thom at Hat Fair, captured by Adrienne Photography

The co-creation theme ran through the rest of the programme, with Johnny Autin’s “The Wheel” and Fidget Feet’s “House!” both co-creating and co-presenting with local people. Hat Fair also received some audience development support from Without Walls to engage and provide transport from members of the public in the nearby Gosport, a Priority Place of Arts Council England. Portsmouth based artist Majid Dhana (aka JidosReality) also presented an intimate performance of his spoken word piece alongside local diverse talent from the naval city, which is another Arts Council Priority Place.

Although the wet weather caused all sorts of logistical challenges, the festival still ran smoothly by rejigging the schedule swiftly. It was insightful for the cohort to have the behind-the-scenes access to witnessing the rescheduling process.

OAUK would like to extend our thanks to Play to The Crowd and Winchester Hat Fair for hosting us, and congratulations for continuing to make impact on a wide range of local communities despite the rain and cuts to core funding.

Image Credits: Photos of the On The Road Roundtable and Networking event with , as well as group discussion with the Festival Focus cohort.