Viva Lafrowda 2010 proved to be a latin-tastic feast of flamenco, Elvis, skeletons, magic, tango, our own town band and so much more, with everyone in St Just seeing and taking part in a Hispanic flavoured fun. Every year, schools get a little bolder and more involved in the festival – Cape’s take on the Pamplona Bull Run ahead of the main procession set hearts beating a little faster… and with a latino beat? Look East as a theme for 2011 seemed brilliant choice offering the vast inspiration of the mysterious and not so mysterious East. First off, we launched what we hope will be an annual event:

Cinema Lafrowda’s February Film Festival kicked off quite literally with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and continued with its vaguely eastern theme, with Chris Morris’s darkly humorous suicide bomber comedy, Four Lions. With every film the festival gathered momentum, and the last two films (Kusturica’s gypsy mayhem Black Cat, White Cat and Coppola’s Tokyo-set Lost in Translation) were screened to a packed WI hall. The atmosphere was great, the cakes were delicious, the drinks plentiful, and company fine. What better way to warm your cockles on those dull February nights. The children’s matinees were also a runaway success, and sure to make a reappearance next year, so keep your ear to the ground and look out for details of our festival next February!

The events and workshop programme this year absolutely offers something for everyone from line dancing to Ceilidh and Hog Roast, a comedy karaoke to band night, a special celebratory Lafrowda night, pub quiz, street art, Ash Tree Actors, Pendeen Silver Band, a Bardic gathering, a community church service, nights of choirs and poetry and of course the one, the only, the legendary Strictly Come Dancing…. could it possibly be any more exciting to be in St Just in July?

Yes! For doers and makers and take-parters there’s a ton of stuff to do this year. The theme Look East has set minds racing and imaginations soaring, so if you want to take a spot of Chinese tea, or have a go at Bollywood dancing, roll a sushi delight or hand bind your own haikus (perhaps one for comedy night), kit yourself out in a kimono or design the ultimate paper plane, we have the workshop for the job! The school , right at the heart of what we do, are throwing themselves wholeheartedly into exploring the cultures of the East, and whoever you are , know that all we do is proudly free and open to all.

Lafrowda is our festival, meant to reflect the creative energy of the whole community in St Just. Every year we get a bit closer. This year, we’ve been helped by The Clore Duffield Foundation, Awards for All, and Feast. As always, we rely on the support of the schools, the people of and visitors to, St Just. Particular thanks to Giles Trembath of AC Removal and Storage for transporting our images, Penwith Volunteer Bureau, Ivan Rowe and Clive Williams, St Just Town Council, West Cornwall Cars, St Just Newscentre,and all the people of St Just for their ongoing support and goodwill.

Wednesday 29th June
Lafrowda Look East Trail Day
In a cheeky pre-festival spoiler we are going to be building the Lafrowda Trail a week early. If you have an idea for an Oriental object, a Sanskrit sign, something funny, something serious you want to display in and around St Just, or if you’d like to help make something spectacularly Eastern, all as part of the Lafrowda Trail, let us know: Kate on 786302 or Tamsin 787163, or come along to the Trail Day
Nancherrow Centre 10-4pm
Free and open to all

Friday 1st July

Willow Workshop starts!
The Recreation Centre at the top of Fore Street will be open every day from now til Lafrowda Eve, and Liz, Graham and James plus a host of helpful willow-wrestlers will be on hand to help you make a Chinese lantern or your own processional figure, and will be delighted if you want to help build the beautiful giants that are the centre of our three Lafrowda Day Parades. Please see posters and press nearer the time for detailed timings, but the hall will have its doors open every day, so come on up and see what all the fuss is about.
Redcreation Centre Every day
Free and open to all
Materials and refreshments supplied

Library Storytelling and Japanese scenes-in-boxes
St Just Library regular storytelling group is kindly hosting a Lafrowda Look East storytelling session plus we will be making dramatic shoebox scenes, or Tatebanko, perhaps a Tokyo highrise, perhaps Chinese pirates, perhaps Redruth town centre. The follow up session will be next Friday 8th July. All materials and refreshments supplied for family fun.
St Just Library 3.45 –5pm
Free and open to all

Saturday 2nd July
Kimono making
The Talented Ms Hulme will be helping us make our own festival Kimonos. Like last year’s Flamenco skirts, we think Kimonos will be the costume of the day and we can supply materials, machines and sewing know-how to do it!
St Just WI hall
2-5pm
Refreshments, Free and open to all.

Sunday 3rd July
Family Yoga
Wake up with a stretch and join us for a fun family yoga session on Sundays during he festival Bring a mat or a blanket if you have one
The Plen (Town hall as wet weather alternate)
10 – 11am

Bollywood Class
Join dance goddess Liz Newman in what promises to be a slumdog millionaire-tastic feast of Bollywood dancing. She’s going to show us a simple routine that we can just enjoy, or perform with her on Lafrowda Day.
WI Hall 2-5
Refreshments, free and open to all

Monday 4th July
Kite making at Geevor
We are delighted that Geevor Tin Mine is hosting a flying and traditional kite workshop at the World Heritage site. We will be building box kites for flying and fighting (on Tuesday 12th July at Geevor) and talking about and recreating kites of our childhood. The workshop is free and open to all, and we particularly welcome families and older people. www.geevor.com
Geevor Tin Mine 2-5pm – ask at reception
Free and open to all, refreshments

Tuesday 5th July
Printmaking at Nancherrow and Lafrowda Library
The chance to get messy and make posters, prints, print on paper kimonos, illustrate the Haiku you made at school or just make your mark – block printing using simple traditional techniques…and plasticine. You can bring the prints you make to the bookbinding session on Wed 6th July to create your own book, and if you want to create a fanzine, your own small self made book, we will have the paper, pens, and photocopier to do it, and you can place your publication in the Lafrowda Library.
Nancherrow Centre 2-5
Free and Open to All
Materials and refreshments provided

Wednesday 6th July
Bookbinding at Nancherrow and Lafrowda Library
Create your own beautiful book using traditional Japanese bookbinding techniques. Use the prints made at the printmaking workshop (Tues 5th July) or bring the haikus you made at school, or your own ideas to create a one off piece of oriental art.
Also, the Lafrowda Library will be open to make and accept Fanzines – your own low tech publication about the things you like.
Nancherrow Centre 2-5
Free and Open to All
Materials and refreshments provided

Thursday 7th July
Sushi Workshop and Pop Up Sushi Restaurant
Sushi making for beginners, generously hosted by The CookBook. You will be creating delightful Eastern morsels … and inviting your friends to sample your wares!
Sushi workshop 6-8pm,
Sushi tasting 8-10pm, £5
The workshop is free but places strictly, so please phone Jeremy on 787649 or Jamie on 786302 to sign up!
Cookbook bookshop and café, 6pm – 10pm
Workshop free (ingredients provided) and open to all. Sushi tasting £5.

Friday 8th July
Library Storytelling and Japanese scenes-in-boxes
The second session of storytelling group, and we will be assembling our high rise city of scenes and populating them with mini matroshkas, weeny ninjas and baby kimono ladies
- plenty of family fun All materials and refreshments supplied.
St Just Library 3.45 –5pm
Free and open to all

Saturday 9th July
Lantern Workshop
Come along and create a beautiful oriental lantern to illuminate the Lantern procession on Lafrowda Day – also Sunday 10th July
Recreation Centre – 11am onwards
Free and open to all

Sunday 10th July
Family Yoga

Bring the kids and enjoy a little bending and stretching in the morning sunshine – it’ll set you up for the day! Bring a mat or a blanket if you have one.
The Plen (Town hall as wet weather alternate)
10 – 11am
Free and Open to all

Lantern Workshop
Come along and create a beautiful oriental lantern to illuminate the Lantern procession on Lafrowda Day – also Saturday 9th July
Recreation Centre – 11am onwards
Free and open to all

Lafrowda Oriental Day
St Just WI Hall will be the setting for a celebration of oriental culture – we are going to pop on the kettle for Chinese tea and fortune cookies, and explore the gentle arts of Chinese calligraphy, origami, flower arranging, Choki Ori cut and fold paper craft, tray gardens and tiny worlds. We will be refreshed by the mysterious pop up noodle bar, and the afternoon will conclude with the Paper Plane semi finals out on the Plen, or in the WI Hall if wet.
St Just WI Hall
11-4pm
Free and open to all, materials and refreshments provided

Tray Garden Competition you are invited to take part in the Lafrowda Look East Tray Garden competition- the tray garden or Bonkei (盆景)) is both a traditional Japanese artform – miniature landscapes of trees, rocks, figures and buildings and a traditional British summer fair competition and so is the perfect way to celebrate St Just Looking East. Come along to the Oriental Day (Sun 10th July), make your own at home, or if you’re at school, enter as part of your class. Entries should be brought to the plen for judging on Lafrowda Day at 11 am

The Ultimate Paper Plane Challenge can you construct a plane that will stay longer in the air than any other paper plane in St Just? Now is the time to find out – paper plane construction and materials at The Oriental Day (Sun 10th July), Knockout heats in the Plen on Sunday 10th July at 4.30 just before the Ceilidh. Grand Finale Lafrowda Day.

Tuesday 12th July
Kite Flying at Geevor
We are hoping for wind at Geevor for flying the kites made at the Kite Making workshop (Mon 4th July) or kites brought from home. All the kites, ornamental or flying-fit will be on display, and the event is free .
Geevor Tin Mine 2-5pm – ask at reception
Free and open to all, refreshments