Voices Project

Our Baltic friends arrived late on Thursday 15th. Some of them had flown from Latvia, some flew from Estonia and the Lithuanians arrived on their coach having driven for three long days! They checked themselves in at the UEA Guest Suite and got some rest ready for an early start the next day.

Friday 16th was jammed packed with radio appearances from some of the musicians and fashion designers on a number of different Radio Norfolk shows. Interspersed with this were tours of Norwich city centre and visits to nearby local landmarks, along with some English refreshment, yes you’ve guessed it, good old Tea (and lots of croissants!).

The main event for the day was the official Civic Reception at City Hall, which took place in the evening. It was a chance to hear some speeches from the Lord Mayor of Norwich, the head of Lithuanian Association Norwich and a member of the Lithuanian Embassy. It was also a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other, consume some tasty English food and drink and celebrate the fact that it was the first time that these cultures had ‘officially’ met. We also enjoyed some music from the Lithuanian folk band, Griezyne, and the Estonian band, Ro:toro. Our guests were then able to experience the grand tour of the BBC at the Forum.

The big day had arrived and the festival got going at 10am. Many of the Lithuanians that came over were crafts people and they displayed their talents to the public throughout the morning and afternoon. Among them was a blacksmith, a woodcarver, a clothes maker, a weaver and a painter. People had a chance to experience the scenery of Lithuania by way of BBC ‘green screen’ technology. They were able to sit and watch themselves being super-imposed onto background urban and rural Lithuanian landscapes. It was a hit with many local Norwich folk. And those from the Baltic States who reside in Norfolk had a chance to make a DVD postcard to send back to their relatives. We also showed some Baltic films on a plasma screen TV and people were able to brush up on their knowledge of the Baltic countries thanks to display boards and by chatting to members of the Lithuanian Association and a Baltic travel agent.

Meanwhile outside, the public had a taster of what was to come later that evening, with some showcasing of the Baltic musicians, who played a couple of songs each to amazed crowds. The use of rare instruments brought much interest, with Ro:toro using upside down plastic bowls laid in tubs of water as a drum kit, combined with Saxophone and bagpipes all played with sophisticated musicianship, to create a highly original sound. Latgales Damu Pops brought their own brand of Euro-pop to cheer up the locals with their high energy dancing and vocal harmonies. While Griezyne took the crowd back to their folk roots with their Lithuanian folk music, which used a home-made double bass, an accordion, harmonica, fiddle and wonderful singing. The Welsh/Estonian folk duo Sild used guitar, singing and violin to beautiful effect.

This daytime taster proved to be a great PR exercise, as we ended up selling out of all our tickets for the evening concert. The concert itself was a brilliant experience. The forum looked wonderful. The flags from each Baltic country had been put up along with a huge stage, including a catwalk. The anticipation was immense, and people kept arriving to get tickets, even though we’d technically sold out. We ended up having to let people come in and stand at the back, as the seats were all full. Once the concert started no one minded having to stand!

The concert began with the Lithuanian choir, which was a group of Norwich based Lithuanians who had got in contact with Community Music East in Norwich to create a piece of music especially for this event. It was great to see those guys getting up and delivering a solid showcase of the musical talents they probably didn’t realise they had until a few months ago. Great stuff.

The four acts who came over from the Baltic region then gave us a full 20 minute set each to add to what they showed us earlier in the day. The crowd loved the range of music and different types of instruments. People were clapping and dancing in their seats. It was so great having something like this all happening in the middle of the Forum. There were many comments from those in the audience made throughout and afterwards saying how privileged they felt to have seen something this unique in Norwich.

After the interval, we were given the opportunity to witness a play by the Kelme Little Theatre from Lithuania. The extent of their costumes and set designs were unbelievable. They wore huge faces which were the size of their bodies, and then controlled different features of the face with their hands, while speaking in funny voices. I couldn’t understand the dialogue because it was in Lithuanian. Even so the play was still really enjoyable and full of visual humour for all to appreciate and the people from the local Baltic community loved it.

Lastly, but most grandly, came the fashion show. Two Lithuanian designers using local models, including our very own volunteer Zack Cochrane, displayed a glorious array of cutting edge European fashion ideas. All handmade out of Linen and containing a fine sense of style and acute attention to detail (I was able to see the clothes close up when I was back stage), the crowd were stunned by the sheer class of the clothes and the energy of the show. What a way to end a truly exhilarating day.

We would like to thank everyone who helped with the organising and running of the event. There was an immense amount of effort and time spent on the whole festival, a lot of which was provided by volunteers, so thanks again. Everyone involved should be proud of themselves for creating such a special occasion on many different levels for many different people. Well done to all!