The Small Festival origins...
In 2001 Celia and Bernard had their wedding at a cottage and adjoining field belonging to their good friend Deborah. The wedding went on all weekend but people had been arriving ealier on in the week to help prepare, including putting up the marquee, stage and PA system. A ten minute play had been written to commemorate their marriage and there were going to be a couple of songs too.
But what hadn't been expected was that the stage became more and more used as people spontaneously got up and offered their contributions; a small poem, a couple of jokes, eulogies to love, a rough rendition of Tambourine Man - all was welcomed and included.
And if people forgot their lines or played the wrong chord then the audience cheered all the more. There was a certain magic in the air which freed peoples creativity and the Small Festival came from the decision to keep on having that same wonderful time every year from then on....