Winchester Hat Fair
Encyclopedia
The Winchester Hat Fair is the UK's longest running festival of Street Theatre
, comedy
, and music
which is held in Winchester
, United Kingdom
, always during the first weekend in July.
Originally a buskers' fair, the first Hat Fair was held in 1974 and is now in its 35th year. Although the City Council and the local business community initially opposed it, they now support the event, which brings about 40,000 people to watch. The Hat Fair's organizing and co-ordinating committee, which is also local to the city, has charge over the travelling players who converge from around the country and abroad to perform at the Hat Fair.
The first Hat Fair emerged from an informal gathering of friends, who tried out their new shows upon audiences, and who were paid by donations of money into a hat — from which practice the 'Hat' Fair got its name. The core group included members of the Winchester-based Attic Theatre Company, founded and directed by mime artist Jonathan Kay, who continues in the role of Founder and Artistic Director of the Hat Fair to the present day .
Over the years, the Hat Fair gained enough status that it was able to obtain funding from regional arts funders and the local authorities, as well as commercial sponsors.
The aim of the Hat Fair's organizers is to continually raise the standards of UK Street Theatre, and to aid artists in their development from buskers to professional performers, by providing them with hospitality, conducive performing conditions, and, if possible, a small fee for their performances.
Early fairs involved an evening of cabaret in which some of the best acts were showcased. Gradually, this expanded from one evening to four nights, in addition to a series of workshops aimed at developing local talent, and a street party
on the Hat Fair's last night.
Street theatre
Street theatre is a form of theatrical performance and presentation in outdoor public spaces without a specific paying audience. These spaces can be anywhere, including shopping centres, car parks, recreational reserves and street corners. They are especially seen in outdoor spaces where there are...
, comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
which is held in Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, always during the first weekend in July.
Originally a buskers' fair, the first Hat Fair was held in 1974 and is now in its 35th year. Although the City Council and the local business community initially opposed it, they now support the event, which brings about 40,000 people to watch. The Hat Fair's organizing and co-ordinating committee, which is also local to the city, has charge over the travelling players who converge from around the country and abroad to perform at the Hat Fair.
The first Hat Fair emerged from an informal gathering of friends, who tried out their new shows upon audiences, and who were paid by donations of money into a hat — from which practice the 'Hat' Fair got its name. The core group included members of the Winchester-based Attic Theatre Company, founded and directed by mime artist Jonathan Kay, who continues in the role of Founder and Artistic Director of the Hat Fair to the present day .
Over the years, the Hat Fair gained enough status that it was able to obtain funding from regional arts funders and the local authorities, as well as commercial sponsors.
The aim of the Hat Fair's organizers is to continually raise the standards of UK Street Theatre, and to aid artists in their development from buskers to professional performers, by providing them with hospitality, conducive performing conditions, and, if possible, a small fee for their performances.
Early fairs involved an evening of cabaret in which some of the best acts were showcased. Gradually, this expanded from one evening to four nights, in addition to a series of workshops aimed at developing local talent, and a street party
Street party
A street party can mean any type of social event taking place on a road.In Britain, these have historically been held to commemorate momentous events, such as VE Day or the Queen's Silver Jubilee, with "bunting, trestle tables covered with sandwiches and cakes, and children playing in the street"...
on the Hat Fair's last night.