Wednesday, 8 July 2009

DIPPERS AND DUNKERS

A major new event, celebrating New Variety and Burlesque, is coming to Margate later this summer.
Dippers and Dunkers takes its name from the town's history as a sea bathing destination and runs from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 August. Aiming to acknowledge the heritage of Margate's seaside traditions with a contemporary twist, the festival is being coordinated by Arts Development at Thanet District Council, with wide-spread support and funding including Margate Charter Trustees and EKLAAP. It's hoped it will be a taster event for a full week long event in 2010.

International New Variety and Burlesque performers will descend on the Theatre Royal Margate on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August, to perform in the specially created 'Sassy Seaside Show' produced by Sword-swallowing 'Miss Behave' and Professor Vanessa from the National Fairground Archive, University Sheffield. The show includes magic, acrobatics, aerial displays, glamour and burlesque.

The Festival will also bring back the incredible Slideshow Illusions that were in Dreamland in the 1950s, including the famous 'Woman in a Goldfish Bowl' and the amazing "headless" and "legless" women. Street magic and circus skills workshops are amongst the other highlights in the festival and these start from Monday 17 August to Wednesday 26 August. For those that have always wanted to try their hand at being a 'Burlesque Performer' beginners workshops are available for men and women, their are suitable for all sizes and abilities.

Prior to the Dippers and Dunkers weekend itself, people can visit the touring exhibition from the National Maritime Museum, Skin Deep, in the windows of the former Roseby's shop in the Centre, Margate. Running from Saturday 1 August until Sunday 6 September, the exhibition traces the history of its tattoo and will showcase the best of local tattoo art. Admission is free. During the weekend itself, between 10am and 5pm, you can share the history of your own tattoos with the opportunity to have it photographed. These images will then be used to create two giant Thanet tattoos that will become part of the exhibition.

Cllr. Shirley Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: "Dippers and Dunkers promises to be one of the most colourful and unique highlights of Margate's packed programme of events. The idea behind this festival is wonderful and it's great to see Margate's illustrious history as a superb seaside destination being showcased in this way. It fits in perfectly with the plans to create the world's first amusement park of historic rides at Dreamland and I look forward to enjoying what's on offer over the weekend."

For more information, visit http://www.dippersanddunkers.org.uk/ or call 0870 264 6111.

Ed the picture is of the clock chiming bells on the Montefiore synagogue in Ramsgate.

1 comment:

  1. Not another effing event for Margate. I live in Ramsgate but my council tax all seems to be spent in Margate.

    ReplyDelete

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