ROCKAWAY ARTS WEEKEND RETURNS TO SOMERSET’S ‘DIY UTOPIA’ FOR 5TH YEAR 

Rockaway Arts Weekend (RAW) takes over the former quarry-turned-creative-community at Rockaway Park, Temple Cloud, from Saturday 19th - Sunday 20th September, with art installations, open studios, live music, film, workshops, exhibitions, crafts and home grown vegan food at its on-site cafe.

The sprawling 5 acre community space carved from a disused quarry and located perfectly between Bath, Bristol, Frome and Glastonbury will host its 5th edition of Rockaway Arts Weekend (RAW) on Saturday 19th from 11am - 11pm & Sunday 20th from 12pm - 7pm. 

The event - Rockaway’s biggest of the year, transforms the whole site into a free daytime festival of exhibitions, installations, workshops and live art, followed by a ticketed evening of live music on Saturday with Invada records Billy Nomates  (solo set) & ex Beak & Robert Plant stalwart Billy Fuller. The evening will also see a DJ set from legendary Bristol producer Ray Mighty. Tickets available at Headfirst.

On Sunday, our main feature will be an exclusive screening and Q&A of Invada films feature film GAME, with a Q&A after with writer and director Geoff Barrow & John Minton, The film stars Mark Beasant & Jason Williamson from UK musical pioneers, Sleafford Mods. Film screening is at 4pm (this is a ticketed event) Tickets available at Headfirst.

Once a scrapyard, and before that a quarry, Rockaway has grown over two decades into a thriving hub housing over 20 artists studios, a community garden, music recording and rehearsal studio, vegan cafe, two covered stages, and the self-declared “Chapel of Unrest” - a crowdfunded monument to alternative thought and protest movements. 

Described by VICE as a “DIY Utopia hidden in the British countryside” Rockaway has welcomed guests including wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham and the iconic filmmaker Ken Loach.

This year's RAW will bring together resident artists and guest makers from across the UK working in painting, sculpture, print, textiles, glass, metalwork and street art alongside a multitude of workshops curated by Fieldwork including: Badge making, Ink cap mushroom screenprinting by Justine Green and Risograph poster making by Formatte.           

Exhibitions on site feature prolific a solo show from photographer Chris Killip in the Gallery, A display of new textile works by Black Lodge Press and a special group show featuring many of Rockaway’s residents curated by Kaye Dunnings (Shangri-La Glastonbury)

Elsewhere, there are live demos in letterpress printing by House Of Jo and glass blowing by Lydia Swann, Foraging with Go Foraging and a graffiti workshop by Billy Colours.

Live art and performance on Saturday comes from the cosmic Microrave, and Acid House Therapy, while Sunday brings Clown and Shadow Puppet Show Thimble and the Bug Band