Tag Archives: 6th Wigan Diggers Festival

by

6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – A resounding success!

Quite definitely our biggest and best so far, this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival was a resounding success. Here are some photos of the day’s proceeding (courtesy of Al Balmer) which saw our best ever line up of live entertainment, five excellent educational talks, two puppet shows, over 60 stalls and a terrific speech from this year’s Gerrard Winstanley Spade Award recipient, veteran Socialist fim director Ken Loach (see below). The weather, food and beer were pretty good too.

Lots more photos on our Facebook Page.

Video of Ken Loach speaking at the Festival. What a brilliant speech.

More photos and video clips to follow.

 

by

6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Saturday 10th September 2016 – Final Programme Announced

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 1

WDF6Leaflet2

Come & enjoy our best ever line up of live entertainment.

More educational talks – lots of new stalls – more stuff for the kids – and a presentation to Ken Loach

Here are the final details of the programme for this year’s Wigan Diggers’ Festival, which coincides with the 340th Anniversary of the death of Gerrard Winstanley, the Wigan born leader of 17th century radical movement known as “The Diggers“, who were referred to by the late Tony Benn, as the “first true socialists“.

WDF6FestProgHeader

WDF6MainStage

DorothyFryman

ParishChurch

GWGardens

WiendBarPlus

This year’s main festival sponsors are HeinzBranchStampA big thanks to them, plus to all our many other trades union branch and regional sponsors, stall holders, artists, speakers and festival volunteers for making our annual FREE to the public event to celebrate Gerrard Winstanley & The Diggers possible.

Facebook Event Page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1027519810669157/

PLEASE SHARE & INVITE YOUR FRIENDS

THIS YEAR’S GERRARD WINSTANLEY SPADE AWARD WINNER

is film director, campaigner and lifelong socialist KEN LOACH

Loach   GedWinstanleysSpadeSmall   IMG_1844

Ken will receive his “outstanding contribution to the Diggers’ cause” award at around 1.00pm from previous winners Maxine Peake (2014) & Jimmy McGovern (2015) on behalf of the Festival Committee.

TonyBennTolpuddle  Tony Benn was the first recipient of the award in 2013.

6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – More about this year’s performers.

WDF6ArtistBios

Diggers’ Festival – Site Map & Stall Location, etc

WDF6 Site Map

FESTIVAL SITE LOCATION IN WIGAN TOWN CENTRE

Wigan Diggers' Festival Site Map

The Diggers’ Festival site (A) is less than 5 minutes walk from Wigan Bus Station (between Market Street & Hallgate) and both of the town’s railway stations. Turn left out of Wallgate station, right out of Wigan North Western.

The best place to park your car (if you’re coming by car) is in the multi-storey car park on Wallgate immediately adjacent (left hand side looking from front) to Wigan North Western railway station. It’s only £3 all day and again less than 5 minutes walk away from our main festival site.

 

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 1THIS YEAR SEES A NEW FESTIVAL BROCHURE with A MESSAGE OF SUPPORT from LABOUR PARTY LEADER JEREMY CORBYN, plus local MP Lisa Nandy.

It’s packed with background info about The Diggers, Levellers and OUR LOCAL HERO Gerrard Winstanley, also about how to get involved.

Here are a few extracts. You can view the entire brochure at: New – 6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival Commemorative Brochure

A MESSAGE OF SUPPORT from JEREMY CORBYN & WELCOME……….

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 2

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 5

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 6

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 7

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 8

WIGAN DIGGERS BOOKLET 12

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER UPDATES

 

by

6th Wigan Diggers’ Festival – Saturday 10th September 2016 – IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Scene from stage during Merry Hell's performance at last year's Diggers' Festival.
Scene from the stage during Merry Hell’s performance at the 2014 Diggers’ Festival.

Calling all politically progressive bands and performers! Have you got what it takes to perform at this year’s Digger’s Festival?

If you think you have, then our music & entertainment committee would like to hear from you. Just download the application form, fill it in, and e-mail it back to us via: diggersstageentertainment@gmail.com

Closing date: 1st April 2016

Application for playing at Wigan Diggers Festival 2016

Want to put on a stall at this year’s Festival? Then here’s the 2016 Stallholders’ Application Form

We are now taking stall applications for the Wigan Diggers’ Festival 2016. The number of pitches available is limited, so please please send your completed application form, and a cheque for the appropriate amount, as early as possible to avoid disappointment. All cheques payable to Wigan Diggers’ Festival.

You will hear if your application was successful by no later than 31st July

Diggers-Stall-Application-2016

Want to Volunteer to help out before, and/or on the day?

Every year we need rafts of volunteers to help out with a variety jobs and roles, both before, and on the day of the festival itself, and this year will obviously be no exception. If you can help out any time during FRIDAY 9th SEPTEMBER 2016 when we will be erecting our Marquees, Beer Tent, and preparing the entire festival site, and/or alternatively are prepared to help out for AT LEAST FOUR HOURS on the day of the festival on SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2016 as a festival steward, or in helping to staff our stall, running errands, as a first aider, or working behind the bar, then you should message us via our Facebook page Wigan Diggers’ Festival stating in what capacity you’d like to help, and on what days and times, and we’ll get back to you.

If you’d like to help out a lot more than that and become a member of our growing, and welcoming Wigan Diggers’ Festival Committee then why not come and join us every 3rd Monday of the month, in the private meeting room of The Anvil pub, Dorning Street, Wigan. 7.30pm k.o.