Timber 2020 - first acts announced

Caught up in the run-up to Christmas you might not think it's time to be planning next summer, but the organisers at Timber festival are doing just that, with the announcement of the first wave of performers. 2020 will be the third year of arts, music, crafts and discussions at the National Forest's Feanedock site, and from my experience in previous years it will be wonderful, thought-provoking and entertaining.

The Unthanks

The first guest appearances and musical acts have now been announced. Northumbrian alt-folk group, The Unthanks will be bringing their ethereal, dreamy sound to the Field Notes stage - and to be honest it's hard to imagine a better setting for their music than a moonlit woodland glade.

Sam Lee

 Joining them on the line-up will be Mercury-nominated folk singer Sam Lee, playing two sessions - one on the big Filed Notes stage, the other a more intimate affair around the woodland campfire in the As The Crow Flies area. Gary Stewart will be back (he's previously played Timber as part of Hope and Social), this time with a seven-piece band recreating Paul Simon's Graceland album.

Simon Armitage

Geoff Bird, from BBC Radio 4, will be returning with his Wilderness Tracks feature, in which guests from the worlds of music, literature and art chat about their favourite nature-inspired pieces of music. Previous guests have been as diverse as Phill Jupitus, Robert Macfarlane and Laura Barton; announced so far for next year are Grammy Award winning percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, and Poet Laureate Simon Armitage (who'll also be DJ-ing into the night on the Eyrie stage)









For me, one of the highlights of last year's festival was Lost in Translation's production of The Baron in the Trees, which combined aerial acrobatics, trapeze and circus skills, so I'm delighted to see similar acts listed for next year; Chris Bullzini with a Treetop Tightrope Spectacular taking place above the forest canopy, Ramshacklicious, the Band at the End of the World, a dystopian troupe of strange silent characters, and Heliosphere with acrobatics performed suspended from a helium balloon.

Although there will be plenty of pure entertainment, there's also a more serious side to Timber, encouraging us to explore the benefits of nature and to consider the impact we have on it. In 2020, the emphasis will lie on our impact and how we can tackle the climate crisis. Speaker and discussion leaders are yet to be announced but tying in with this theme will be a reading of  Letters to the Earth, a book of moving and inspiring letters from the public about the climate crisis, and in an associated audio-installation audiences will be able to listen to recordings of contributors from Greta Thunberg to David Attenborough.
The amount of food which goes to waste is a shocking issue, but Leicester-based community organisation Perfectly Edible UK will be trying to reduce this the Binner Party, a popular feature from last year's festival in which a two course meal is created entirety from food which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

So far, it looks like Timber 2020 is shaping up to be another wonderful weekend in the forest.

I've been along twice, courtesy of organisers Wild Rumpus, in 2018 as a day visitor, last year trying out the full camping experience, and it's a remarkable experience combining activities, discussions, and music suitable for both young and old, and anyone inbetween. My general caveat would be - not for petrol-heads or fans of heavy metal.

 There are more details on Timber's website, and if you're still looking for Christmas gifts, the National Forest Co are donating a tree for every early-bird ticket purchased before 24th December.