Thousands of youngsters from Devon join seventh annual Mix festival

THOUSANDS of youngsters from around the county, including children from Sidbury Primary, will again take part in a day of concerts, performances and workshops in Exeter next Wednesday (June 22).

The seventh annual Mix festival, which takes place at Westpoint, promises to offer everyone, from reception-aged children to students over 16, a rich, exciting selection of musical experiences.

More than 4,000 pupils from 91 schools will take part in the day; which celebrates musical work going on across Devon.

They will enjoy a superb variety of music in 17 venues across Westpoint.

From music IT to bhangra, steel pan to taiko, breakbeat to gamelan there promises to be something for everyone, and the festival involves professional artists, school performances and musical retailers.

The Lord Mayor of Exeter and Devon County Council’s vice chairman, Councillor Ray Radford, will be among VIPs attending.

An additional feature this year will be the 1,000-person capacity Clic Sargent Marquee, featuring huge drop-in ceilidh, a big ukulele playalong and junk sessions.

Schools will be able to donate or raise money for Clic Sargent on the day.

At 2.45pm pupils will meet in the arena for The Big Sing, the highlight of the festival.

Councillor Christine Channon, DCC’s cabinet member for schools and skills, said: “This highly successful Mix festival is a fantastic chance for schools from across Devon to meet up and make a wide variety of music.”

She thanked all involved in the event, organisers, teachers, school staff and children, who have been busy rehearsing for the festival.

Visit the Mix website at www.devon.gov.uk.