MAD 2007 stage

MAD About Waddesdon is a celebration of the visual and performing arts in Buckinghamshire. An opportunity to experience the talent, energy and creativity at the heart of our schools and community. The weekend is a spectacle of music, dance, drama, poetry, story telling, film, photography and much more, performed and presented at every level throughout the gardens at Waddesdon. Everyone is invited to enjoy, watch, listen, participate, and celebrate what will truly be Art in Action in our community. There are performances and workshops over the two days with plenty for all the family to enjoy.

MAD was conceived in 2005, out of our ambition to create a closer working relationship with our local, multicultural, community and to identify ways that Waddesdon could be used more effectively as a resource for them. We had already begun to transform the Stables at the Manor to provide a lively performance and education based space designed around families and children and this was very much the next step. In many ways, MAD was ahead of its time as it closely mirrors the values and objectives set out in the Government’s “Find your Talent” and “Creative Partnerships” schemes, and the schools festival “Shine”. These initiatives championed by DCMS and DCSF give young people the chance to experience high quality arts and culture, creating opportunities for schools to work with creative professionals such as artists, writers and actors.

Our discussions with schools, education officers and our local council back in 2005 and the three subsequent MAD festivals in 2006, 2007 & 2008 have proved how much energy there is out there for arts and performance projects and the importance of sharing these across the community. Waddesdon has provided a perfect platform to bring these projects together for a wider audience. Last year 15,000 people came to watch more than 3,000 children take part in performances, workshops, projects and a myriad of other activities over the weekend.

This is a not for profit event. Waddesdon provides the site, and the management and operations team for free and has to find the money from ticket sales, fundraising events and sponsorship to cover the £100,000 cost of staging the event. Partnerships, therefore, have been key to the success of the festival, and we have been immensely grateful for the support of The English National Ballet, Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Art, BCUC and many other societies, groups and individuals who have run workshops and activities making it an unforgettable experience for those who take part. African and Japanese drumming, samba workshops, photography competitions, collaborative art projects, conducting workshops, urban dance, ballet, digital art and musical and drama performances of all kinds – there is something for all ages and interests.

Related posts:

1. RCA Collection for Waddesdon Manor
2. MAD about Waddesdon 2009 Event Feedback
3. MAD about Waddesdon – latest news.
4. MAD 2010
5. Helping to spread the word!