THE Kingdom Project is inviting members of the public to take a jaunt through the Kingdom of Hay this coming August bank holiday weekend, when it provides a taster of three events coming to the town in 2019.

Starting the ‘Jaunt’, at 3pm on Saturday, August 25 in St Mary’s Church, is the ground-breaking stage show Coulrophobia. Created by Pickled Image, one of the UK’s foremost puppet companies, and hot from a leg of their European tour direct to St Mary’s church in Hay, Coulrophobia is the story of two clowns trapped in a cardboard world…

A co-production funded by Nordland Visual Theatre, Norway and the Arts Council of England, join (Pontrilas-born) Dik, his companion Adam and a whole lot of cardboard, “disappointing nudity” and “some language better suited to those aged 14-plus” on a ridiculous, anarchic, often hysterical and sometimes terrifying quest for freedom.

The next stage of the Jaunt heads to Old Electric and the Globe where, playing live from 7pm, will be some of biggest names of BBC Radio 3 and 6, including Late Junction presenter and Kingdom Project curator Max Reinhardt.

Also performing live at the Old Electric will be the “original sitar girl”, Sheema Mukherje, of musical collectives Transglobal Underground and The Imagined Village.

Sheema has collaborated and performed with an impressive array of artists such as Paul Weller, Martin and Eliza Carthy, Bobby McFerrin, Boris Grebenshikov, Natacha Atlas, Kula Shaker, Noel Gallagher & Cornershop, Mercan Dede, Yanka Rupkina, Courtney Pine, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Sir John Tavener and Steve Hackett!

There will be an opening solo performance at the Globe by Footdragger – the artist described on Late Junction as a “A mesmerising post Late Junction revelation.”

Travellers through the Kingdom will be treated to a live DJ performance by Rita Ray, presenter of BBC4’s three-part documentary ‘Africa: A Journey Into Music’ and ‘Global Beats’ the BBC World Service flagship music series.

Co-founder of the influential, pan-Afro music and culture session Mwalimu Express. Rita pioneered the Fela Kuti inspired Shrine club nights and co-founded the Shrine Synchro System with Max Reinhardt, which has featured artists such as Tony Allen, Eliza Carthy, Shingai Shoniwa, Andy Sheppard and Alabama 3. We are delighted that Rita is also joining us annually in Hay as a Kingdom Project curator, along with Max Reinhardt and the next iconic figure appearing live at our jaunt through the Kingdom.

The third Kingdom Project curator to perform live in August at our teaser event is legendary musician, Grammy award winning film maker and BBC Radio 6 presenter Don Letts.

Some of Letts’ film work will be shown during his performance at the Globe. Don’s film work has exhibited internationally at prestigious events, exhibitions and locations such as The Kitchen NYC, The Institute of Contemporary Art, The NFT in London and was honoured at Brooklyn’s BAM festival and The Milan Film festival. 

Letts was DJ at the Roxy club in 1977, known for bringing reggae and dub to the punk crowd - he later worked with The Clash and The Slits & co-founded Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones in 1984. 

Following on from Don in the Globe and getting the Globe jumping we are delighted to welcome to Hay BBC Radio 6 presenter and modern day musical anti-hero Tom Ravenscroft. When playing live Tom selects diverse and eclectic tracks featured on his radio show. The result – an up-tempo mash up of pioneering underground music, and at breakneck speed!

Tom introduces quality new music to listeners around the globe via a number of projects including his regular Friday night 9pm show and Recommends show on BBC Radio 6 Music. Showcasing music hand-picked from as many far flung places as possible, a mish mash of sounds painstakingly put together into a coherent mix.

Full information and prices can be found at www.KingdomProject.co.uk but be quick, tickets for these intimate venues are strictly limited. For more details visit https://www.kingdomproject.co.uk.