The Melbourne Festival consists of an Art and Architecture Trail and a Festival of Performing Arts. The Art & Architecture Trail, the core of the Festival, takes place over the middle weekend, September 18th - 19th. The Festival of Performing Arts takes place over a fortnight from September 11th - 25th. Last year nearly 4000 people visited the Trail and we are hoping for a bumper turnout again this year.

For the 2010 Melbourne Festival Art and Architecture we have more than 40 private houses, public halls and churches hosting visiting artists. This year The Dower House, Castle House, The Hollow, The Old School House and many others houses are hosting artists, none of these homes are normally open to the public. In these houses and halls professional artists and craftsmen and women will be exhibiting alongside good amateurs and local schools and art groups. All of the work is original, for sale and the artist and craftsman or woman will stand alongside it and many will demonstrate their skills. There will be paintings, photography, pottery, sculpture and jewellery - in fact something for every taste and pocket. We always like to include a variety of special activities over the Trail weekend and 2010 is no different! Artists @ Arts Melbourne our local group of professional artists are out in force again this year look out for their logo to identify members exhibiting around the Trail this year. We are also pleased to welcome a over twenty members of Peak District Products to Melbourne don’t miss this wealth of creative talent along the Trail.

In 2010 Trail visitors will be find buskers and musicians performing along the Trail and for visitors in need of a bit of exercise will be pleased to discover that this year are taking things one step further - the 1623 Theatre Company are bringing The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 to Melbourne at the Bill Shone Leisure Centre at 4pm on Saturday 18^th September. The Great Shakespearean Workout 2010 is based on the language and characters of Troilus and Cressida , Shakespeare's only play inspired by the mythology of Ancient Greece, birthplace of the Olympic Games - feel free to come and join in! The beat of Shakespeare's verse provides the pulse for a series of fun exercises developed by 1623 Theatre Company in association with Royal Derby Hospital and "air: arts to aid wellbeing".  Exercises are inspired by aerobics, kung fu, tai chi and yoga. The 1623 Theatre Company were awarded the prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark so don’t miss out when the 2012 Olympics come to Melbourne!

As in previous years, food will be in various locations around the Trail including Castle House, Bill Shone Leisure Centre, Melbourne Senior Citizen Centre and numerous restaurants and pubs in the centre of the village, local charities will also be providing refreshments. For those visitors with restricted mobility we are planning an Easy Access Trail highlighting properties which can easily be visited.

Children will be specially catered for with a special, safe area for young children with plenty to amuse them at Scallywags Private Day Nursery in Castle Street, there will be pottery demonstrations, an Art Exhibition showing work from the local schools.

The Festival of Performing Arts has become more adventurous and more successful each year selling over 1500 seats in 2009 we anticipate selling even more in 2010! Just to whet everyone’s appetites the programme starts with blues singer Dani Wilde – predicted to become a household name after her new album comes out in August, other unmissable events are Andra Sparks, Idle Hands, Camp David and Hothouse Big Band, at the other end of the spectrum we have Sitwell Singers or Musica Donum Dei and for the singers amongst you “Come and Sing”. For those of you who prefer the spoken word don’t miss My Brilliant Divorce starring Debbie Kelly in a one woman show, the Melbourne Comedy Club and Between the Covers – “The Perfect Crime” . A full list of concerts is available on the concerts page of this website – call our booking office on 07962 430450 and get your tickets ahead of the crowd!