Folkestone Mermaid Festival 2013

 

So I haven't blogged for a looooooong while!

I have either been busy, or struggling with the lethargy & depression that BPD brings, so sorry about that.

Anyhow, I am feeling a bit better now and have been able to start/finish some work that has been on the go for a while.

This is my old sea map inspired map/poster for the 1st Folkestone Mermaid Festival, which is taking place in the coastal park on Saturday 1st June 2013.

 

 

(click on the image for a larger version)

 



Events will include;

2pm - Mermaid Parade, starting from the Leas Lift and finishing on Mermaid Beach.

 

3pm - Fancy Dress Competition

6pm - Siren Song at the Amphitheatre, live music from local ladies including Maiuko.

For more information, have a look at their facebook page in the link above, or go to www.folkestonefestival.org.

 

For a taster of Maiuko's music, watch this:

 

 

Things that I love about Folkestone: 1 - The Folkestone Urban Sirens

 

I don't know if there are E.U. quotas on 'Crazy' but if so, Folkestone seems to have got more than its fair share of people who fell out of the loony tree hitting every branch on the way down, and then climbed back up again for a second go.

My favourite of these are a group of self-styled '30 something bored housewives' calling themselves the 'Folkestone Urban Sirens' whose hobby is to dress up artist Cornelia Parker's 2011 statue , the 'Folkestone Mermaid'.

 

(photo by Mick Dudley)

 

The ladies believe (and they have a valid point I think) that the statue, placed on Sunny Sands, is 'not a mermaid as it has no tail'. They have renamed it the 'statue of the naked bird with her bits out' aka S.O.T.N.B.W.H.B.O. and to highlight their 'cause' they carry out 'covert operations' whereby they dress the statue in a variety of costumes which are then photographed and sent to the local media!

 

After a quiet period, they announced their return in Grand Style this morning with a couple of photos protesting the conviction of Pussy Riot posted on their Facebook page:

 

I'm liking the new look BTW Ladies!

 

If you don't know who Russian Punk Protest group Pussy Riot are, a) where have you been? and b) click this link for more info.

A selection of my favourites from the archives include:

 

 

 

This one was titled 'If you can't beat them, join them' and was inspired by comments from a disapproving local that they needed to 'read some books'.

 

 

And last but not least; this hilarious 'Interview' with local radio station Academy FM, which makes them sound like East London builders!

 

 

I'll keep you updated on their antics!