Winchester's Hat Fair fun to be even better (From Daily Echo)

Winchester's Hat Fair fun to be even better

12:04pm Tuesday 4th May 2010 in

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Winchester’s Hat Fair, the UK’s longest running street theatre festival, will take place between July 1 and 4 this summer.

Now even bigger and better than last year, Hat Fair 2010 presents innovative outdoor performances, exciting small-scale shows and an engaging programme of community arts and education, woven into the heart of the city centre.

This year’s Hat Fair will offer four amazing days, jam-packed with hundreds of breathtaking performances from more than 40 national and international companies taking place throughout Winchester’s ancient streets – all for free.

Named after the tradition of throwing donations into performers’ hats, Hat Fair started as a buskers’ festival in 1974. Now, 36 years later, its evolution has been astounding.

The 2010 programme features 44 artists and companies from all over the globe.

As ever, there are community and education projects including Inside Out Day on Thursday, involving a procession through the city by local schoolchildren who knock on the doors of civic buildings, asking senior representatives of the City a questions of choice.

Friday is traditionally Schools Day with a colourful procession of more than 1,000 children in costume with music and dance, culminating in outdoor theatre, circus and craft workshops in the grounds of the city’s famous cathedral.