The cakes are ready (still drooling from storing them this evening), the generator is here, drums are rolling, and the clouds WILL NOT bother us.

Also, here’s a sneak peek at what tomorrow will entail, from BBC Radio Leeds this morning.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00h1kjl

[From 0.32.50]

(If the link does not work, try http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/programmes/schedules/2011/06/04, and click on the Bob Walmsley programme.)

We’re coming, people.

The feet are being bared..

See you all tomorrow!

The Barefooters

Just to let you know that the deadline for our poetry&prose competition has been extended till Friday, so get submitting for a chance to be published on the website of renowned poetry magazine The Stand (International FAME!), and for free poetry coaching with the lovely people at Cadaverine!

Also, please note that your ticket gives you unlimited entry!
So you can come and go as you want throughout the day. Go on, you know you want to…

Don’t forget to invite all your friends, tag the event in your Facebook status, tweet about it, tell your carrier pigeons, shout it off the rooftops, and just let as many people as possible know about this amazing day of poetry, prose and music!

Love,

the Barefooters

With one week to go, the Barefoot team are pleased to announce our special guest for the evening slot.

Behold: KATE FOX

“Kate Fox is a poet and comedian. A regular on Radio 4’s “Saturday Live”, she has also recently performed her satirical poems on the Radio 4 shows; “You and Yours”, “The Wondermentalist Cabaret”, “Arthur Smith’s Edinburgh Bash” and “Doggerel Bard” as well as on BBC2’s Daily Politics Show and BBC2’s Chelsea Flower Show coverage.”

(All content is property of the author)

So come, join us all for a brilliant day of poetry, music, comedy, cake and SUNSHINE!

the Barefooters

Tis us, your friendly neighbourhood Barefooters!

We have our Special Guest to be announced pretty soon, so keep your eyes on this space…

As for the poetry&prose competition, the deadline is Wednesday 1st June (next week).
We’ve already received a couple of submissions, and trust me, the competition will be GOOD!

Last note, we have struck a deal with the devil’s baker: Michel’s Bakery is providing refreshments on the day, so someone will have to keep me busy (apart from festival-running duties) or I will devour those deliciously scrumptious buns, cakes and whatnot!

Keep those submissions rolling, tell your friends and we’ll see you all on the day!

Smiles,

The Barefooters

We have tickets up and running, we have an action-packed schedule, we have more melodic and poetical intrigue than a murder mystery compèred by Paul Simon.

Here is said action-packed schedule:

12noon – Doors open
12.30pm – Scribe Magazine Session
1pm – storyteller Matthew Belwood
1.30pm – poet Vahni Capildeo
2pm-2.40pm– 1st Open Mic
2.50pm-3.20pm – band – The Love Birds
3.30pm – poet Adam Strickson
4.05pm – performer Henry Raby
4.40pm – poet Michael McCarthy
5.10pm – Cadaverine Magazine session
5.40pm – poet John Whale
6.10pm-6.50pm – 2nd Open Mic Session
6.50pm – 7.35pm Slam Battle
7.45pm-8.15pm – band – The Clifford Village Band
8.25pm – poetry&prose Competition Results Presentation
8.35pm – poet Kate Fox

Yes, people, the second edition of the Poetry&Prose Competition is now OPEN!

To enter, visit the Competition page. Simples *wink*.

Tickets are also on sale, just click on the button on the right –>

Or visit the Tickets page.

You can follow our updates on Twitter and Facebook (my my aren’t we busy..).
We will soon be revealing the name of our special guest for the evening, so stay tuned!

Catch ya soon,

the Barefooters

What a night dude(tte)s, WHATANIGHT!

The lovely lovely people from the English Society helped us set up a brilliant fundraising event!

Hyde Park Social Club was overwhelmed by a cohort of fabulous artists last Monday, some of which will be performing again at our very own Barefoot in the Park!

From troubled childhood, (very short) epics, musical dissertation anguish, two-day guitar learners to spoken word, self-pleasing, pizzas and Vegetarian-Egalitarian-Gallagher!

We are trying our best to make sure they will show up in June, as the crowds would go ballistic (in a good way, of course) at seeing/hearing/loving them all again!

(But look for yourself, in the photos section..)

But let us not forget the CAKES! Oh the glorious chocolate brownies and caramel cupcakes. I still wake up drooling in the middle of the night, remembering their sweet sweet flavour.

And the RAFFLE! Lucky winners went home with tickets for Barefoot, book vouchers, poetry books, meal coupons, cakes and many many more fantabulous prizes.

Tickets will be on sale soon, so keep an eye out for our advertising!

Cheerio,

The Barefooters

Welcome all, youth-challenged and adult-impaired, to the NEW, yes NEW BAREFOOT IN THE PARK!

This year, you will be wanting to pay us triple the amount just to get a glimpse of our very special guests. I can guarantee you that!

The festival will be taking place on Sunday 5th June, so keep that date free in your diaries.

The Poetry&Prose Competition will be running again, and we will let you know more as soon as we can. We are negotiating deals with really high calibre publishings (Shhhhhh!)..

FIFTH YEAR RUNNING, people! And we’ll be even biggerer and betterer!

Come back for updates, we’ll be loading more stuff as it comes up.

[Keep your eyes and ears open for our BarefootinthePub fundraising, and various other marvellous (to say the least) events prior to the festival.]

We are ready, are you?

theBarefooters

Peruse our account of the day’s festivities in a blog post later, by Festival Co-ordinator Vicky Ellis, or view the short film about the exciting arts extravaganza that was Barefoot, by talented, up-and-coming filmmaker Finnian Varney from Aberration Films, coming soon.

In the mean time, check out Leeds Eye View‘s take on the day’s proceedings.

Crucially, the Barefoot team would like to thank the legions who turned up to support the fest and see our incredible range of performers and bands, who we’d also like to thank in their turn – knock-out poetry, music, prose and theatre all round. Fan-TAS-tisch. Not forgetting the incredible artwork provided for the Arts & Vintage tent from University of Leeds’ students, which was very impressive.

Thanks also to Leeds City Council, Leeds Guide and The Literateur Magazine, Cadaverine Magazine founder Wes Brown, Vintage Wardrobe and Dusty & Dylan, and everyone who helped out with the fundraising, planning and promoting of the festival - we couldn’t have done it without you.

Until next we meet (2011, anyone?),

The Barefoot team x