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News comes my way of the Homegrown Festival up at the Lakeside Theatre later this month, celebrating all that is worth celebrating at the University, Colchester and out into the wider realms of East Anglia.

Steady ye nerves, oh cynic – that’s actually quite a lot worth celebrating. Overlooking the Homegrown Festival name (I once held one of these in the privacy of my own student bedroom in the Towers,) this certainly looks like a trip up Colchester Road will be well rewarded:

“From classic and contemporary drama to fun filled kids’ shows, from local musicians to interactive mystery performances, the Homegrown Festival is two weeks of high quality locally sourced cultural goodness.

A visit from Nobel Prize winning poetDerek Walcott will open the Homegrown Festival on April 30th. Look out for Broken Tongue’s brilliant version of Macbeth, accompanied by the haunting string music of Colchester musician Dan Merrill.

Watch the hugely popular Colchester based artist Chris Dobrowolski and 30 Bird perform their new show about football and family relationships Poland 3 Iran 2 live from the campus Top Bar. See cutting edge new physical theatre from former choreographer Karla Shacklock developed at the Lakeside Theatre in the spring of this year.”

But it’s not all about Nobel Prize winners and experimental football theatre:

“Kid’s have their Homegrown Festival day set aside too. The 8th of May is designed especially for them as two shows are set to capture young imaginations. The outdoor interactive puzzle cracking show Constables Cryptic Code returns after its huge success last year, then puppet-masters Theatre of Widdershins present their latest show Billy Goats Gruff.”

I may even have to source myself a young child to accompany me for the day on this one. You can view the full Homegrown Festival line up over on the Arts on 5 blog.

No place like home. Or even East Anglia.

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