30 May - 1 June, St George’s Arts Centre

Join Rosie, Anne and Lauren for a funny, interactive family puppetry show for wildlife enthusiasts. Fox Can’t Sing is the story of a Fox living in Gravesend, and the trouble he causes his various animal neighbours with his terrible singing. With themes of kindness and friendship, we invite the audience into our story, reminding us that being the best at something doesn’t always matter, as long as we have fun together along the way!

Run time: 45 minutes. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Created for ages 3-8 and their families.

30 May - 1 June, St George’s Arts Centre

Fox Can’t Sing is the story of a Fox living in Gravesend, and the trouble she causes her various animal neighbours with her terrible singing.

This adapted performance is for young audiences who benefit from multi-sensory storytelling. With a shorter run time and limited audience numbers, the session has been designed to appeal to 3-8 year olds with Sensory Processing Disorders, Autism and Additional Needs, and their families.

1-9 June, St George’s Church Railings

We welcome Artrack (National Autistic Society) back to the Gravesham Fringe with their wonderful exhibition ‘Everyone is Different’. The exhibition will be made up of small boats made from driftwood and rags, decorated by artists at Artrack to represent their theme of everyone is different. The NAS has a Moonshot Vision which is to have a society that accepts everyone; this exhibition encompasses this campaign by showcasing the artistic talents of the autistic community.

They will hang the boats in the trees by St Georges church and shopping centre and in the trees in Princes Street heading up to New Road.

1-9 June, Blake Gallery, The Woodville

When we think of museum exhibits we usually think only of centuries old, priceless items unearthed in digs or taken from far off colonies. But what of those small personal objects we all cherish at home that come with equally interesting, but perhaps more recent histories

The Museum Of Small Stories wants to learn about your family artefacts and share your memorable tales with a bigger audience during the Fringe Festival. It’s the story that’s important not the age or value of your object so do please get in touch if you have something fascinating that might touch or inspire visitors.

1-9 June, Phone Box, St George’s Arts Centre

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself. Step into our sound booth for a few brief moments and allow a soundtrack of mood enhancing sounds and words to fill your headspace.

1 June, across the Borough

Change is rapid. With increasing speed our urban environment is being developed and more often than not recording and documenting these historical shifts is forgotten. To celebrate 50yrs of Gravesham Borough the Gravesham Fringe Festival is organising a photography event entitled ‘A Day In The Life’ which will take place from on Saturday 1st June 2024. Photographers of all ages, backgrounds and technical abilities are invited to go out into their neighbourhood on this day and capture what they see. The collective work will form part of an ongoing digital archive that will hopefully be added to every year in order to create a long term visual history of our town and borough.

1-9 June, AIFA Gallery, St George’s Centre

ocal artists collective Art is for All will be displaying an installation of decorative bunting before and after the Fringe. Bunting before the Festival commences will be made by artists, but this will be gradually added to by members of the community during workshops throughout the Fringe.

Artists within the co-operative will also be offering a range of paid workshops throughout the festival; keep an eye on our website for further details.

AIFA is a group of experienced artists including mixed media, wood, paint pouring, illustrators, visual artists and more.

Date/time/location TBC

lueprint Arts bring a historical and artistic exploration into the Princess Alice disaster, working with local communities to develop a reflective piece involving elements of visual art and theatre.

On 3rd September 1878, The Princess Alice docked at Gravesend before continuing the journey home to London. The Steamer picked up families who had been to visit Gravesend and the Rosherville pleasure Gardens in Northfleet. ‘The children were tired but happy after their day at the famous Rosherville Pleasure Gardens in Northfleet, playing on the promenade at Sheerness or wandering around the popular resort of Gravesend’

But tragedy fell when the steamer was struck and split in half by a huge coal carrier (a much larger vessel) plunging the steamer and its occupants into the sewage infested waters below. Most of the passengers died.

Whilst the incident was indeed tragic, it was the catalyst for a change and tightening in maritime laws to protect domestic passengers..

1-9 June

Tess Carey is a local artist who featured in last year’s Gravesham Fringe. Producing nature-inspired abstract artwork, Tess is college taught & has individually developed her craft.

1-2 June, St Andrew’s Quayside

Gravesend art group is a community group of amateur artists. They will be displaying a selection of their work “on the railings” in St Andrews Gardens next to the Light House Ship LV21 during both weekends of the Fringe Festival. It is an opportunity for local artists to display work to the community they all come from and for the community to meet and talk to the artists about the work and the inspiration behind it. In previous years this has provided amazing engagement and opportunity for people who wouldn’t normally go to a “gallery” as the outside space is welcoming and open to all.

Artists from the exhibition will be present both weekends of the Fringe from 10am-4pm.

1 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Local Singer-Songwriters performing a selection of their own songs and others by those who have influenced them; including Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Noel Gallagher and more.

2 June, The Woodville

Join us for an evening of live music & spoken word:

Angeldee is a neurodiverse trans female singer songwriter hailing from Southeast England. Growing up in the 80s in Thanet and being who she was, she was really out of time, but after obsessively listening to any Beatles record she could get her hands on, she travelled through hip hop, punk, metal, baggy, rave, electronica, reggae, ambient and psychedelic rock to mould her sound that she would later form which would help her express herself and heal her soul.

Performing as part of the indie pop group the Pretty Route and producing with Drum and Bass collective Retronym, she has had an official release under her belt and has played at large LGBTQIA+ festivals up and down the country.

Nowadays she is crafting thoughtful and thought-provoking songs delivered with passion and belief in the hope to connect with as many souls as she can from as many walks of life as the universe will allow. Love is love and love is life after all.

—

Emma True is a Kent-based actress, filmmaker, and spoken word artist. Her writing explores themes of mental health, nature, relationships and our place in the world. She believes our greatest struggles can also be the greatest inspiration for creativity, and enjoys sharing stories through self-penned short films and performance.

From a young age, she has acted on stage, in films, and in television series, winning a BAFTA award and (more locally) a TryAngle Award for her contribution to the arts. Her enjoyment for writing led her naturally into a merging of both – and into the world of spoken word. Emma is the resident poet for She Lives Collective, and can be found featuring at live scratch nights and on BBC Radio.

2 June, Mug & Meeple

To kick off their Annual Painting Competition, The Mug and Meeple is hosting a Paint-a-Thon for Gravesham Fringe. Some of their best pro painters will be leading workshops on tips, tricks and techniques.

They’ll have displays of work, and, if you’ve never painted a miniature before, you’ll have a chance to experience this fascinating art-form by painting your very first mini with help from the Meeple Minions.

Workshops and painting space for the day will be charged at £6 play pass (£3 Concessions) but paint your first miniature demonstrations are free.

Contact the Mug & Meeple for details on how to book.

2 June, Molehole Micro Pub

An evening of live music at The Mole Hole:

The Godless Reds: A spiky indie punk Band established in 2001, sharing the stage over the years with bands like Chumbawumba, King Adora, The Dirty Feel and Reuben.

Russ Kearton Trio: Honest, Soulful, in-the-pocket. Blues foundations with Jazzy Chords. Blues/Soul/Swing/ Funk Trio

5 June, Gravesend Library

Join G from the Arts and Culture Team for a special Fringe edition of Storytime!

Storytime takes places once/twice a month at Gravesend Library on a Wednesday morning at 11am for half an hour (in-between the two Rhyme Time Sessions).

G reads a selection of children’s books with at least one book usually pertaining to a family event or activity happening within Arts and Culture in Gravesham at the time. Sometimes there are also ticket give aways to workshops or events.

Sessions are aimed at pre-school children. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the session.

5-9 June, Iron Pier Brewery, Northfleet

Local artist Duncan Grant returns to this year’s Fringe, exhibiting original art at Iron Pier Brewery from 5th to the 9th of June. He is the artist behind the creative beer can designs for Iron Pier & will be exhibiting other works too.

On the 7th June, Duncan will be present to chat about his work, and you can also sit back & enjoy live music from Staggered Ray & Jack Hayter. On the 8th June, we’ve got live music from Shanakee – PLUS a food truck available on both evenings.

(Please note the brewery opens at 5pm Tuesday to Friday and from noon at the weekend)

5 June, The Woodville

Join us for an double-bill evening of comedy as part of Gravesham Fringe:

Phil Green
After back to back sell out Edinburgh Fringe runs in 2022 & 2023, an Amused Moose Comedy Award nomination, Durham Comedy Festival Golden Knocker Award Winner, selling out London’s Soho Theatre, with millions of views on TikTok… Phil Green returns to this year’s Gravesham Fringe with his brand new work in progress show, ‘Guilt’.

Dylan Dodds
Beginning his performing career as a founder member of The Village Idiots Mask Theatre Troupe, Dylan enjoyed several sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the group before falling in love with stand-up. After failing a chemistry degree, and scraping through a second attempt on Archaeology, he turned his hand to comedy and never looked back.

Dylan has now been performing stand-up around the country for more than half a decade. Entertaining fans with his unique blend of whimsical observations, silly one-liners/songs, and bluer tales of his humdrum/sexy life. Along with several jokes in the script of BBC’s Newsjack he has appeared in two compilation shows at the Edinburgh Fringe (Happy Hour Comedy Club, and Small Town Fools), and his debut Dylan Dodds and Friends: (Friends Not Included) (“Most enjoyable […] endearingly thorough […] great rapport with the audience […] strong and amusing” – Wee Review)

He previously ran his own nights in London – Famous First Words and Jazz Comedy. The second was an anarchic experimental show where acts performed over live jazz drums played by Dylan. A format he hopes to bring back one day.

6 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Gravesend Ukelele Club & the Mole Hole proudly present – Ukulele Club Kids!

Learn an instrument in a stress free environment – £5 per player

Braden and Courtney both have an enhanced DBS, however adults remain responsible for their own children and are required to stay on the premisest through the duration of the club.

For more information contact Braden on 07376253121 or bradenfenlon@gmail.com

6 June, TJs Pub

Join Go Rogue Theatre Company for a pub quiz at TJs, with a twist! An evening with all the usual pub quiz suspects, just not in the way you might expect. Watch our silly team of (very serious) actors take to the stage and act, sing and dance your favourite quiz rounds.

Example line up:

Act One
Picture Round 1 (with bossa nova dancing)
Sports Round (inspired by silent movies)
Music Round (in the style of Bridgerton)
History Round (sang as karaoke songs)

Act Two
Picture Round 2 (with more dancing)
Geography Round (performed on kazoos)
Film Round (in the style of ‘Finish the Lyrics’)
Current Affairs Round (through the medium of interpretive dance)

6 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Gravesend Ukelele Club & the Mole Hole – Ukulele sessions & jam sesh!

Learn an instrument in a stress free environment over a drink – £5 per player

For more information contact Braden on 07376253121 or bradenfenlon@gmail.com

6 June, Molehole Micro Pub

The Mole Hole proudly presents their open mic night for Gravesham Fringe!

These well established and popular Open Mic Night welcomes Singers and Musicians of all genres, ages and experience to come and perform in their intimate cellar venue.

Please bring your friends and family to support you; it’s always a great night!

*PA all provided; Just Bring You, your instrument or if you use a backing track(s), a player device and adapter/cable to connect it to a 6.5mm/quarter inch input socket.

7 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Come along to the Mole Holes very own unique karaoke experience! Belt out your favourite tunes and dance along to the hits of the past 7 decades.

Guaranteed to be a brilliant night!

8 June, The Kent Room, The Woodville

We are excited to be bringing The Brick People to Gravesend as part of this year’s Fringe Festival.

Join our various LEGO® activity tables, some containing self-building activities such as mosaics, tower building, etc, and other tables featuring monitored activities such as a timed speed or tower build, where names of the builders are entered onto a leader board for the day for all to see. There are also a selection of amazing official and unofficial LEGO® creations by The BRICK People and the wider LEGO® hobbyist community.

The BRICK People and makin projects love the way that these events bring families together, in an inclusive and active environment which caters for both children and their grown-ups. LEGO® is hugely popular at the moment with all ages.

Come along for an hours session letting your imagination run wild!

8 June, LV21 Lightship, St Andrew’s Quayside

An introductory DJ lesson for 10-14 year olds interested in vinyl records and basic mixing. Learn fun skills on our decks below decks on the Lightship LV21 moored at St Andrew’s Quayside.

No experience required.

Limited places; booking required!

£2.50 per ticket.

8 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Sing, Play, and Get Creative with Household Percussion!

UNLEASH YOUR INNER MUSICIAN

Join our Jam Session featuring harmonizing voices, ukuleles, and inventive household percussion! Don’t miss this unique opportunity!

REQUIREMENTS
No previous knowledge required
Any household item you can drum on
A ukulele if you’d like to play it during the session

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Harmonizing with others
Drum patterns and techniques
Easy ukulele chords and strumming

FREE ENTRY BY SIGNING UP (40 SPACES)

Send an Email to info@barn54.de to sign up and receive more info

Let us know if you’d like to participate as a singer, percussionist, or ukulele player (or try all) Donations are welcome to help fund the Ellenor Hospice

8 June, Molehole Micro Pub

A night of live music at the Mole Hole!

Barn54
An indie-rock band based in southwestern Germany, hitting you with pure acoustic string power, emotional piano licks, and infectious harmonies. A melancholic vibe and rock ‘n’ roll feel, building a rich tapestry of stick-in-your-head melodies

Braden Fenlon
Ukulele aficionado, tutor and all round nice guy. Playing fresh originals and covers

Rebellion Empire
Influences from Rock, Folk and Synth. This Ukulele and bass duo are bringing acoustic versions of their original album tracks to the stage whilst throwing in some classic covers from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s to bring back those memories.

9 June, St George’s Arts Centre

Meet Nick Woods – a seasoned acoustic artist from Gravesend, Kent, with over 15 years of experience. He has played a mix of originals and covers across the UK and internationally, captivating audiences with his performances.

Smooth Sunday Sessions
Great Art, Tasty Food and Amazing Music from talented Kent-based Acts

Join us at the St George’s Arts Centre Café on the second and the last Sundays of the month for live music from talented singers and musicians.

Music starts 12.45pm lasting 45mins – 1 hour
No need to book, just turn up

9 June, Blakes, Queen St

As part of the Gravesham Fringe Festival, Blakes Club is excited to be hosting a West End Musicals Bottomless Brunch. Spend a relaxed Sunday afternoon in the company of friends enjoying 2.5 hours of bottomless Prosecco / Vodka Cocktails and tasty Pastries. Sit back and enjoy live performances from three talented singers belting out favourite hits from popular West End Musicals.

Leanne Jones, Olivier Award Winner for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the West End production of Hairspray; will be joined by friends from West End Musicals singing the biggest hits from our favourite shows.

Blakes Club, 23 Queen Street, Gravesend, DA12 2EQ

Seating is unallocated, guests will be invited to sit where they choose.

9 June, Molehole Micro Pub

Half of party band Gold, Alice and Rich bring stripped back acoustic covers, classic songs and forgotten gems from 50’s to present.