5th Sign Circle Deaf BSL Camping Festival | Longridge Showground, Preston, Lancashire | 22-25 July 2011

Countdown to Sign Circle has begun!

We are sure you all have been checking the weather forecast as often as we have! It seems to change every day - BBC Weather now promises sunny intervals on Friday and Saturday. Woop woop! Bring warm clothes just in case and don't forget your wellies - you will need them for Sign Circle Challenge on Sunday anyway! If you don't have them we won't let you join!

The festival gate opens on Friday at 2.00pm sharp. For those who are travelling with satnav - postcode for the site is PR3 3SQ. If you are travelling by bus or would like more details, have a look at www.signcircle.org.uk --> Information --> How to get there. You can find our Rules & Policies from our website as well - have a look so you know what we expect from our lovely campers.

Now, we have something exciting for you... The FESTIVAL PROGRAMME! Woo hoo!

Click here - FESTIVAL PROGRAMME SHEET ONE

Clcik here - FESTIVAL PROGRAMME SHEET TWO

Hug you all very very very soon,

Paul, Colin, Vicky, Claire and Heidi

Sign Circle 2011 TeamNEW TICKET DEADLINE 7th JULY

Ticket sales are going so well - last year we had 420 people enjoying themselves at Sign Circle, and we are already over that number! Amazing!

To celebrate this and to give more people a chance to get a ticket to the BEST and most FUN Deaf BSL Festival of 2011, we decided to extend the ticket deadline. Grab your second chance and head to 'www.signcircle.org.uk --> Tickets' before 7th July!

(Remember, if you miss this year's festival you will need to wait for TWO LONG YEARS before the next Sign Circle in summer 2013.. Ack!)

A quick overview to some of what we definitely have so far:

- Rich or Plain BSL? A Language Development Workshop with Mark MacQueen
- Experiment and invent with the Science Museum
- Fairy Cakes with Chef Scott Garthwaite
- Up Up and Away with the Science Museum
- Mud Wrestling
- Icy Cool Adventure with the Science Museum
- Arts & Crafts with Contemporary Designer Jonathan Lloyd and his team of creative volunteers
- Rhythmbridge Drumming workshop
- Double Decker Play Bus
- Climbing Tower
- Archery
- Power Kite Flying
- Sign Circle Challenge (NOTE: Limited 8 teams only! Bring your wellies or you can't join the challenge!)
- Performance and workshop by Giuseppe Giuranna
- Performance and workshop by John Smith
- Sign Circle Cafe selling hot and cold food and drinks
- Fantastic fun games and sports with Martin Robertson and his gang of fun-loving Activity Supervisors

We are negotiating some new additions to the festival programme and we shouldn't really tell you yet, but shhh... we may be getting some magic acts.. some Deaf history.. and maybe some juggling.. and some more visual poems.. possibly some dancing.. and something you can bounce on.. Just don't tell anyone!

Head to 'www.signcircle.org.uk --> Tickets' before 07 July! We look forward to seeing you all at Sign Circle Deaf BSL Camping Festival!11 June 2011 >> Programme Update!

We thought we'd let you know the festival programme is filling up nicely! (Psst, there are still more and more coming - watch this space!)

Experiment and invent with the Science Museum - Invent a mystery object, try your hand at some experiments or draw your own star map, join the staff from the Science Museum, London, for a workshop packed full of things for you to make and try! Kids will love this!

Fairy Cakes with Chef Scott Garthwaite - All children and teenagers are welcome in Sign Circle Cafe to meet the Chef and make their own yummy Fairy Cakes! Ooh, we are already drooling!

Up Up and Away with the Science Museum - Again, for the kids, an exciting storytelling event from the Science Museum! Fasten your seat belts and get ready to soar! From hot air balloons to glorious gliders, join us on this high-flying adventure through the clouds in this fun interactive storytelling.

Mud Wrestling - Put your best war paint on your face and jump in the mud pit! Trick your opponents one by one and become the ultimate warrior of Sign Circle!

Icy Cool Adventure with the Science Museum - Kids will explore the wondrous wintry world of Iceland in this fun, interactive storytelling session with erupting volcanoes, giant glaciers and a little bit of imagination!

Arts & Crafts with Jonathan Lloyd - the Arts & Crafts marquee is open on Saturday and Sunday as usual, and a Deaf Contemporary Designer Jonathan will make sure kids, youths and adults will have their hands and minds full of creative activities! Check out his website, it's impressive! www.jlarts.co.uk

All this and much more at Sign Circle Deaf Camping Festival - Don't want to miss the fun? Just click www.signcircle.org.uk --> Tickets!

01 June 2011 >> Official Announcement: Sign Circle to run every two years

Sign Circle Deaf BSL Camping Festival has been successfully running for the past four years and will celebrate its 5th anniversary on 22-25 July 2011 at Longridge Showground in Preston, Lancashire. In total Sign Circle has provided entertainment for 1,200 campers and volunteers, and it still continues to grow.

May 2007, 142 people at Fanwood Campsite in Yorkshire
May 2008, 250 people at Fanwood Campsite in Yorkshire
May 2009, 386 people at Longridge Campsite in Lancashire
May 2010, 417 people at Longridge Campsite in Lancashire

Sign Circle, which is organised and run by a team of volunteer managers, is proud of this growth - it would not happen without support from volunteers, campers, funders and friends. After spending the last five years to build a strong foundation, Sign Circle will now run every two years. After this year's festival, the next Sign Circle will take place in summer 2013.

Tickets for this year's festival are selling like hot cakes - visit our website www.signcircle.org.uk to grab yours!

Sign Circle team

Paul Challinor
Colin Singh
Vicky Sowden
Claire Perdomo
Heidi Koivisto

15 April 2011 >> Early Bird Special Offer tickets - SOLD OUT

Yoo hoo campers! We have had an overwhelming interest towards Sign Circle 2011 - ticket bookings are flooding in!

The first 100 Early Bird Special Offer tickets are sold out and prices are now back to normal.  Adults - £70Under 18's - £35Under 5's - FreeFamily (4) - £170Youth groups of more than 8 people get 10% discount.

Visit the ticket's page to book your ticket, or email Claire at bookings@signcircle.org.uk. We look forward to seeing at the festival!

12 April 2011 >> What's On

Yoo hoo! Sign Circle wants to give campers and volunteers a peek into what will happen on 22-25 July 2011 at Longridge Showground in Lancashire!

Rhythmbridge - Drumming workshop is back! Feel the rhythm and join the drumming circle. This all-time favourite will leave you wanting for more and more! http://www.rhythmbridge.com

Play Bus - Kids will love this! This double decker bus has been converted into an indoor playground! It has lots of fun things like top to bottom slide, ball pool, piano mat, disco lights and interactive games! Hours and hours of fun fun fun! www.clownaround.org/playbus/

Climbing Tower - This tower is highhh! Can you climb to the top? Don't worry, harnesses and other safety gear will be provided.

Archery - Up to 5 people can try their archery skills at the same time! Can you hit the bullseye and become the Robin Hood of the campsite?

Power Kite Flying - This is fun! The stronger the wind.. The more power! Yoo hooo!

Giuseppe Giuranna - This Sicilian born Deaf gentleman has performed all over the world. His signing is so beautifully visual that your jaw will drop! Remember this man - his stage name is 'Recital Jose'. He will also run workshops in visual gestures at Sign Circle. Ooh lucky us!

John Smith - This Deaf man does not need any introduction. The legend of BSL stand-up comedy will make you overdose with laughter, and you will see him making fun of our other performers - uh oh, poor them!

All this and much, much more at Sign Circle - Deaf BSL Camping Festival! Stay tuned and watch out for the next update.

06 Feb 2011 >> New website open!

Welcome to the new website of Sign Circle! Here you will find information about the 2011 festival and can grab your 'Early Bird' special offer tickets (first 100 tickets only!). Click ahead and find out about our fabulous volunteering opportunities or have a look at photos from the past four festivals. Feel free to contact us with any ideas or enquiries - we look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at the festival!

And ooh, we are on Facebook too! Join the event to receive regular updates about the festival programme and see who else is going!

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