Sitting Down and Being Counted

Buxton's magnificent Palace Hotel - a Fringe venue

The arts, in all their aspects, are a source of entertainment and pleasure of course. They can also stimulate, challenge and contribute to social cohesion. It is best if our experience of the arts does all of these things and there is plenty happening at this year's Buxton Festival Fringe that does just that!

We are delighted to see that Stone & Water have organised a Buxton Pride Picnic for Saturday July 22nd from 3-6pm on the Old Bowling Green in the Pavilion Gardens. As they say in their invitation: "Celebrating Queer Buxton (LGBT+ and all our friends!) with a picnic of gracefulness, silliness and frivolous strength. Bring your own exquisite nibbles, an umbrella or parasol if appropriate, and join us on the lawn. Add a poem to read, an elegant dress or simply your own wonderful self." We look forward to being there for an hour, or two, or three. We may bring more frivolity than grace - and cannot guarantee elegance - but a clutch of poems will be to hand.

Recently in New Mills a group of people headed by Rebecca Harman organised an evening of music and food with the purpose of raising money to support charities working with refugees. The evening was a brilliant success and Buxton Fringe is really pleased that Rebecca is putting on an evening at The Palace Hotel - also on the 22nd, so stay in costume - to benefit the Hummingbird Project which has been doing excellent work in aid of refugees for last two years.

You can have a very busy - and not expensive - day in Buxton on Saturday July 22nd. There is some exceptional artwork to be seen - at the Green Man Gallery, the Pavilion Gardens and the Dome (University of Derby) - throughout the day. At the Green Man and the Pavilion Gardens (Art Café) there will be the opportunity to compare two exhibitions which share the theme of water in the Peak District. At the Dome the Peak District Artisans bring their annual show - 60 different artists and craftspeople will be exhibiting their work, running workshops and selling (and you won't be able to resist).

See you in the Gardens and the Palace - sitting down (or maybe dancing) for diversity and human rights.

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe