July 15, 2015 5.17 pm This story is over 103 months old

New Lincoln Magna Carta festival to include family friendly entertainment

Festival 800: A range of events for families to enjoy will be on offer as part of a new Magna Carta festival to be held in Lincoln.

Organisers of a new Lincoln Magna Carta festival have announced a range of family friendly events for residents of Lincoln and further afield to get involved in.

As previously reported, Festival800 has been organised by cultural solutions UK on behalf of Lincolnshire County Council and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The event will offer ten days of live music, comedy, spoken word, street theatre, lectures and debate, focusing on how Magna Carta’s powers of liberty, justice and freedom of speech have shaped today’s society.

In addition to acclaimed musicians Billy Bragg and the Levellers; author, screenwriter and comedian Shappi Khorsandi; YouTube sensation Alfie Deyes; and Poet Laureate Dame Carol Ann Duffy, Festival 800 will see a range of fringe events for the whole family to enjoy.

The annual Steampunk Festival will return to Lincoln Castle over the August bank holiday weekend transforming the streets into a neo-Victorian fantasyland.

The castle will also host the Children’s Festival of History on the August 22 and 23 where visitors will be able to make their own clay Tudor rose and medieval tiles.

On August 20, three Magna Carta Trails will be held at Hartsholme Park with Rhubarb Theatre bringing the story of Rotten King John’s historical capers to life.

The Medieval Maniax will also be high above Lincoln’s streets performing their Magna Carta themed spectacle of chains, padlocks and stunts on an 8ft platform.

David Lambert, festival director, said: “The fringe events are a vibrant part of the Festival800 programme and really convey the freedom of expression and cooperation that is at the heart of this event.

“We welcome the opportunity of working with our partners on the varied mix of performances and activities,that allow visitors to get up-close and involved in the entertainment.

“The fringe events are deliberately family-orientated and will make ideal summer holiday days out, especially as some of them are free of charge.”