Cinderford came alive on Saturday 17th May 2025 as Cinderford artsFEST delivered a vibrant, joyful day full of art, crafts, music, dance and community in this historic Forest of Dean town.

From our brilliant performers to the creative workshops, the town was buzzing with talent and inspiration and the sun shone all day on the celebrations.

The festivities began with a spectacular parade that swept through the town centre in a blaze of music, movement and imagination. Puppets crafted by Gloucestershire College Art & Design students inspired by folklore and magical creatures from the Forest of Dean danced in the streets alongside batik flags made by local schoolchildren, plus morris dancers, musicians and performers. The parade was led by the rhythmic drumming of Forest Thump who really got the party started with their infectious energy and bold beats.

From The Triangle to The Wesley, live performances ran throughout the afternoon, showcasing an incredible range of local talent. We experienced the energetic morris dancing of Forest of Dean Morris and Wild Oats Morris in The Triangle, the heart-warming voices of the Drybrook Male Voice Choir at The Wesley, the silliness of Darren Hoskins getting all ages giggling and shouting along and the joyful energy of groups like Ships and Giggles shanty group and DJABOT African drumming group, the Forest of Dean Wind Band and the Forest Flute Choir. Kirsty Abraham got the audience singing with her workshop and performance of a song she wrote for the day, we had two dance performances from local groups run by Kim Owston and we had theatre performances from both Found in the Forest Youth Theatre and the Savoy Youth Theatre.

There were so many moments of dancing, singing, clapping and even spontaneous audience participation – all adding to the festival’s joyful, inclusive atmosphere.

Art lovers and curious minds of all ages joined in with a wide variety of free hands-on workshops, spread across community venues like The Wesley, Artspace, The Picture House Gallery, The Music Works and CANDI. Whether weaving paper with Dorota Rapacz, exploring watercolours with Emma O’Brennan, trying willow work with Jenny Slater, learning about music production, crocheting with Karen Lougher or crafting tissue paper stained glass windows with Krysa Haslewood, visitors had the chance to learn new skills, meet local artists and simply enjoy getting creative.

John Slater’s workshop at the Wesley was funded through the Green Pledge project (held by Gloucester Archive) to create a piece of work collecting stories of past, present and future. In doing so he has created a grandfather clock and was collecting these stories at the festival. 

Cinderford artsFEST 2025 was a celebration of everything that makes the Forest of Dean special: its stories, its people and its shared sense of belonging. The beautiful weather and the sheer buzz throughout the day all added up to a truly unforgettable experience.

Thank you to everyone who took part, and the artists, performers, volunteers and organisers who made it all happen.

We’ll be back soon to let you know about Newent artsFEST in October. Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter and follow us on social media to be the first to hear about our events and news.

As a fitting closing for a fabulous day, here’s the chorus of Kirsty’s song she wrote for the day:

🎵 🎶 Welcome all who come this way
Cinderford sing and Cinderford play
Celebrate the month of May
With Cinderford artsFEST day! 🎶🎵

Listen to Dean Radio coverage

Have a listen to Dean Radio’s coverage of the festival on a “gloriously sunny day” for the full atmospheric audio roundup. Just listen to that town crier! Wonderful!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7a7485AHCqH8izdMd572Dg?si=pBM8Snq_SAOmxD80QjCeXQ