Buxton’s Green Man Gallery is pleased to announce another exciting summer season with 70 performances of 35 live shows during Buxton Festival Fringe in July set against its unique backdrop of original and affordable contemporary art and craft by Resident and Guest Artists.
Ahead of the Fringe, there are workshops, classes and other regular events to enjoy, and a unique participatory concert in June as part of the gallery’s classical music series.
Summer Exhibitions at The Green Man Gallery
Opening on 3rd July, the John Bull exhibition can be seen on the ground floor until the end of August and will be followed by a small guest exhibition by gallery favourite, Jenny Black. Yet to be titled, Jenny’s exhibition will be a collection of beautifully illustrative paintings inspired by the magic of nature and creatures of legend.
Music meets Art and Poetry
Viola player Henrietta Hill returns to the gallery stage on 23rd June with a recital-discussion celebrating the history of her instrument from its Medieval origins, through the Baroque to the present day. Local viola players of any age and any standard are invited to ‘Come and Play’ on stage before the recital starts and can email Caroline at the gallery for more details.
Henri will also be back in July as part of Trilogy Ensemble for two linked concerts on the theme of ‘Music, Art and Freedom’, inspired by Jeff Perks’ exhibition and other work on display at the gallery.
Classical music is also represented by oboist Rees Webster taking an evening away from Buxton International Festival to present music and poetry inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Following their award-wining performance in 2023, talented students from Sheffield Music Academy return with Mendelssohn’s octet, written when he was only 16.
The gallery’s Fringe programme includes comedy, theatre, spoken word and music
The gallery’s extensive Fringe programme includes comedy, theatre and spoken word as well as music to suit every taste in the wonderful acoustics of the former ballroom on the ground floor. There’s folk and acoustic music from familiar faces such as Charlie Moritz, Danielle Banks, Ian Bowns and Hannah Brine who returns with the legendary Clive Gregson on guitar.
There’s impeccable jazz from Annette Gregory and Basin Street Jazz and Blues; an afternoon of songs and yarns from Texas by the Dimestore Dirtbags; original songs combined with medical anecdotes by pianist and former GP Stuart Bootle who also appears with Will Hawthorne’s rock/blues band, Responsibly Sauced.
New to the Green Man stage but not to the Fringe is award-winning harp guitarist Jon Pickard with his atmospheric Myths and Magic: Legends from the Celtic Isles and singer-songwriter Joe Bayliss on tour with his new album.
Comedy, theatre and spoken word
Upstairs the gallery’s Workshop Room becomes a performance space during the Fringe and is perfect for comedy, small-scale theatre and spoken word. Look out for two hilarious adult shows by Samantha Day, The Booby Trap and The Generations Game and Sh*t Lawyer (also for adults only) by Abigail Rolling. Newcomer Mark Speed brings The End of the World Show; there’s a Political Brunch with Jesters Dublin; Jewish comedian Henry Churniavsky shares wry observations on life as a grandfather; and the fabulous Miss Angela Bra is back with three shows including DumbGenz and DragQueenz with her best friend, Annie Sup.
From Canada, writer/performer John Sweet brings an autobiographical show Outside in the Laneway, Under the Stars as his Buxton Fringe debut, and poet Rebecca Faro has chosen the gallery as the launch pad for her new collection Catching the Fall.
Yorkshire actor and writer Ray Castleton returns with his moving performance Without Malice Or Ill Will marking forty years since the miners’ strike and the Battle of Orgreave at the heart of the play. From Edinburgh the gallery welcomes Debbie Cannon in The Remarkable Deliverances of Alice Thornton which was originally booked into the 2020 Fringe-that-never-was (a casualty of the Covid pandemic). Bridging both comedy and theatre are the sketch show Arancini: Balls of Fun and Life’s Little VicToms, a very funny two-act play by local writer Stephen Powell.
“Fringe shows at the gallery regularly sell out,” says Caroline. “We don’t always have tickets available on the door so booking is highly recommended.”
Beyond the Fringe – Explore the Gallery Exhibitions
Late July and August at the gallery offers a chance to relax and unwind after the festival. Entry is free and visitors can stay for as long as they like as they explore the exhibitions and shop, chat to artists, see work-in-progress in the studios upstairs or browse the extensive library of art books on the ground floor. There’s a huge range of affordable original art, ceramics, jewellery, textiles and glass on sale, along with prints and unique cards.
“The very sad closure of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery last year has had an impact on our footfall as fewer people are venturing up the hill to our part of town!” says Caroline. “Many people have assumed that we are closed too but we have continued to fly the flag for art and culture in Higher Buxton.”
You can attend Resident Artist Geoff Chilton’s popular Experimental Landscape workshop on 27th July (booking essential) or book one-to-one pottery tuition in the Earth Pig Pottery studio. There is weekly life-drawing and a monthly meeting of Buxton Sketchers; a singing group for mothers, babies and toddlers every Tuesday morning and creative writing group Buxton Spoken Words meets once a month.
Details of all the gallery’s events and booking information can be found on their website.
The Green Man Gallery is located just off Terrace Road, behind Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Opening times are 10.30am – 5pm every day during Buxton Festival & Fringe. At other times the gallery is open Tuesday & Wednesday 10.30am to 2pm; Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10.30am to 4.30pm
The Green Man Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Buxton
T: 01298 937375
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