Alt Reading - thank you for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed the Here Comes the Sun Festival as much as we did!

Here is the full article by Katie Maddocks: 

Experimental art finds its home at Here Comes the Sun Festival

Every time I discover a new festival I invariably find myself feeling like a maths geek stuck at a beauty pageant – not this festival! This August, I attended Reading’s very own ‘Here Comes The Sun Festival’ at the Rising Arts Centre on Silver Street and I could not have felt more welcomed.

With banners and bunting of every colour blowing in the breeze, along with the enticing smell of BBQ and Red Stripe beer, kids with tiger faces, families aplenty, cakes shaped liked Suns, a Punch and Judy stand with finger-puppet workshops, a fire-breathing papier mache dragon, and three music stages to boot – the Here Comes the Sun Festival was a colourful day for all the family.

The Rising Arts Centre is the cornerstone of a community of volunteers and art lovers that everyone is emotionally invested in – this love and passion could be seen throughout the festival. Joanne Kelly, one of HCTS’s organisers told me that: ‘this is our biggest fundraiser as we get no major grants at this centre. We’re all so passionate about the local music scene in Reading, as there are so many amazing bands and great things going on’.

Standing outside listening to the fabulous Helen Beth on the Tree stage, I asked a few people what this festival meant to them – the consensus was that it meant the world to them. This was a project, run by, and for the all of the community.

Most notably, a large part of the festival’s design had been masterminded by the Rising Arts’ own Move Up Project. This collective is a group of adults with learning difficulties who write their own scripts, design their own spaces and put on their own poetry nights at the centre. Mandy from Move Up explained the phenomenon of the Sky Stage: ‘The idea was to make it like a front room. We made all the lanterns and papier mache balloons and we decorated all the sofas with crotchet clouds. We’ve spent weeks doing it and we’ve enjoyed ourselves. We had to think big!’

The music truly was outstanding: Vienna Ditto were just spectacular and when I spoke to Nigel, Hattie and Alice from the band they all agreed that HCTS held a very special place in their hearts: ‘We love this festival. It’s a community thing. We know everyone here and it’s a big collaboration. There’s lots for young people to do when they leave school and everyone’s accepted here’.

As we were speaking, a local Morris Clog group, the Aldbrickham Dancers, stepped up and performed for us and were met with the same attention and appreciation as all of the indie bands playing on the Sun Stage inside. Ryan from Buildings on Fire explained the importance of the festival: ‘It supports experimental music, unlike other festivals. Last year there was jazz and there’s been a real diversity of bands this year. They get to showcase their material and become more recognisable around the Reading scene.’

Outside on the tree stage, I happened upon the sublimely talented Haze, who when she stood up to sing ‘Reckless Heart’, haplessly stole mine. She and her backing singer were simply breath-taking and I have to say that her song, ‘Let the music play on’, made me want to get married, just to have that as our first song. I was additionally knocked sideways by a harp and flute duo known as Syrinx -these two stunning women were playing beautiful, classical, ethereal, transcendental music that simply made time pause.

Also on the Tree Stage, I was delighted by the fabulous Kate-Nash-meets-Michael-Stipe sounds of Reading-based musician Filip Nest. He grabbed my attention with his cleverly captured ‘Traffic Light Party’ song, avec complimentary partial-strip-tease of his traffic light coloured clothing. I told him that I was a musician too and asked how I could land a gig myself next year. He proclaimed, ‘why wait until next year? This is Here Comes The Sun! It’s magic, you can do anything’ and found me a spot at 6.30pm that evening.

The Here Comes The Sun festival was art at its best. It thoughtfully combined soul-on-sleeve poetry, theatre and music to leave every festival-goer feeling thoroughly loved and embraced. It will save you thousands in therapy, will bless you with a new community and will only cost you £7. Until next year!