Golowan Workshops

The Golowan Community Workshops will form a vital part of Penzance's unique community festival.

From its earliest evolution in the mists of time the Golowan Festival has been about involving the whole of Penzance in a celebration of civic and community pride. Community involvement has taken many forms and perhaps the most tangible has been the participation of schools and community groups in creating wonderful sculptured images which they have then paraded in the four parades that delight a thronged Penzance on Mazey Day. While appreciating this level of involvement, together with the music and dance which local people have contributed in spades throughout the years, we wish this year to extend the opportunities for people to participate and get involved in creating a Golowan Festival that they can truly say they own.

To do this we are planning in the weeks in June 2022 leading up to Mazey Day on 25th June to establish a series of community workshops that will enable everyone to get involved in a creative process that will add to the life and colour of the Festival and be educationally rewarding and life enhancing for those taking part. This will be a radical extension of the Golowan Festival’s commitment to community involvement.

Working with local partners – Truro & Penwith College (who want the people of the town to be more fully engaged with its wonderful, modern campus and facilities), Penzance Council and a whole range of local artists we will set up a series of workshops delivering skills in Banner Making, Circus Skills, Masks. Hats/Headdress Making, Costume Making & Upcycling, Cornish Music, Cornish Dancing, Serpent Dance, Contemporary Dance, Photography & Digital Skills, Model Boat Making, Lantern Making & Environmental Awareness that will involve a large section of the community in participating in the Golowan Festival and acquiring skills that they can utilise and pass on to future generations.

As we emerge from the ravages of Covid-19 in a changing and uncertain world, cementing the binds of local community has never been more vital or important.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Community Renewal Fund in Cornwall.