Who is speaking at The Downs Festival 2019?
Posted on: 19 Aug 2019The Downs Festival is now in its fourth year, and like previous years it has expanded even further for the 2019 edition. So, what's going on during the day time for those heading to the Downs on Saturday 31?
The first thing you need to know is that since the Downs Festival is all about families as well as top acts, there are also non-musical events taking place during the day and night.
For 2019, speakers at the festival will have a dedicated stage. Here's a small selection of some interesting speakers and exhibitors worth making time for:
Charlie Craggs:
A 23-year-old activist ranked among the most influential LGBTI voices in the UK, Charlie Craggs is the founder of Nail Transphobia. Charlie’s work to tackle transphobia through education and empowerment includes her essay anthology To My Trans Sisters, a collection of writing by trans women opening up about their journeys to womanhood.
Darren McGarvey:
Also known by his stage name Loki, McGarvey is a prominent social commentator and award-winning writer – he won the 2018 Orwell Prize for his bookPoverty Safari: Understanding the Anger of Britain’s Underclass.
Saba Shafi:
Saba is the Commercial Director of The Advocacy Academy, which works to educate and inspire the next generation of community leaders and organizers. They work with students, schools and in wider society to help develop leadership and advocacy skills among young people who aim to make positive changes to the community around them.
Desree:
A spoken-word performer and writer based in both London and Slough, Desree is the Artist in Residence for the EMPOWORD poetry collective.
Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene:
Authors of the hit Slay in Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible which took the book world by storm in 2018. Yomi and Elizabeth teamed up to put together their guide to inspire a generation of black British women and outline what black British women are up against in contemporary society.
Extinction Rebellion:
Extinction Rebellion will already be familiar to most in Bristol. The self-described ‘Do-it-together Movement’ aim to force our government to act now on climate change, before negative human impacts on our climate become entrenched and irreversible.
Anagram - Make Noise:
Anagram is based in Bristol’s own Pervasive Media Studio. They produce stunning interactive and immersive storytelling. Their project Make Noise used original archive footage from the Suffragettes to craft a story explaining how a group of women fought and changed the course of history.
Caring in Bristol:
Delivering projects around homelessness in Bristol to help bridge the city’s gap in provision, Caring in Bristol strive to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. They harness volunteer enthusiasm, create and sustain projects which run in new and innovative ways towards the overall mission of turning Bristol’s homelessness crisis around.
Aid Box Community:
Aid Box was formed in response to a new scale of the humanitarian disaster – the Bristol-based humanitarian group was originally set up in response to the refugee crisis. Aid Box has so far mobilized hundreds of volunteers throughout the south of England to respond to the dire conditions many refugees have found themselves in.
Doors open at 1 pm, and the show is all over at 11 pm - and remember, last entry is at 8 pm. Haven't got your tickets for the 2019 Downs Festival yet? Take a look here.
Article by:
Originally from Edinburgh I moved to Bristol 3 years ago from Glasgow! Love food, tunes, the Scottish Rugby team who are likely to smash all in their way at the upcoming 6 nations. I also write, lots.
