At the end of the first season of events at The Hostry last year, Stash was approached by a firm of solicitors who showed interested in potentially supporting any further work he may be planning. A meeting was held with all interested parties in early 2011, and the result of which was one of Norfolk’s oldest established law firms, Fosters Solicitors Ltd joining forces as PBSK’s major sponsors. This meant that the plans Stash had been working on could now be a reality, namely the creation of a whole week’s worth of events, all coming in under the name of The Norwich Cathedral Hostry Festival 2011. Stash’s vision for the expansion of ideas could now take place annually. A new annual festival for the arts for Norfolk has been secured, with Helen Mc Dermott being one of the first official patrons to lend her support.

Details of the Hostry Festival 2011 included a classic American play; a concert celebrating 3 high profile songwriters; a specially commissioned radio play to be performed live on stage with sound effects being done in front of the audience; the staging of a passion play, with Q&A with the author, plus a panel of experts; and the festival will be opened by the newly formed inclusive theatre company Total Ensemble.  Vist the Hostry Festival website for more information.

The Autumn Festival Of Norfolk.

As the title of this section suggests, the Hostry Festival has provided Norfolk with its own fully independent bespoke festival celebrating artists and projects from Norfolk for a decade of creativity.

2021 sees it celebrate its official 10^th anniversary, and within this archive you can view all the festival brochures so far. Through the PBSK Partnership well over 100 commissions have been produced. Almost a 1,000 volunteers have taken part, 500 + artists have been engaged, and thousands of people have enjoyed attending events each autumn.  

Signature Projects initiated and developed under the festival’s creative umbrella include THE NORFOLK ARTS AWARDS. TOTAL ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY. PAINT OUT. THE AFRICAN CHOIR OF NORFOLK.  

Click on the following website links to find even more about it all, and how you can play your part, on stage or off, in front of, or behind the scenes at,

The Autumn Festival Of Norfolk.

Best wishes,

Stash Kirkbride & Peter Barrow
Co-founders of the Hostry Festival at Norwich Cathedral
Produced by the PBSK Partnership, a Not-For-Profit, Community Interest project.

PBSK Partnership

In association with the Eastern Daily Press

The Norfolk Arts Awards was founded in 2012 by Stash Kirkbride & Peter Beck, with Executive Producer Peter Barrow. The awards take place each autumn as part of the       Hostry Festival at Norwich Cathedral. This gala event celebrates people and projects in Norfolk, with thousands of people voting for their favourite artist, project or venue through the EDP People’s Choice Awards each year. The 14 awards are sponsored by Norfolk businesses, charities, trusts, and individuals, all of whom enable this greatly admired event to take place. From high profile winners such as Olivia Colman, to unknown artists who contribute to Norfolk’s cultural landscape, this award ceremony highlights and gives thanks to them all. To find out more, and to have your chance to vote, visit:

To find out more visit www.norfolkartsawards.org
email:   info@hostryfestival.org

The Hostry Festival at Norwich Cathedral first commissioned Rebecca Chapman to set up this inclusive project in 2011. For the last decade Rebecca has delivered extraordinary devised Movement Theatre© for young people from across Norfolk. Those with additional needs and those without, all come together, through multi-generational rehearsals to produce outstanding original work. Total Ensemble’s Boy In The Lighthouse premiered at the festival in 2018, and may well stand as the first of its kind in the UK, with down syndrome performer Hugh Darragh taking the title role. Total’s Outreach has engaged with marginalised people from all over the county, notably opening the NNF Festival in 2017, and touring with the new Bishop of Norwich in his Welcome visits to landmark churches.

To find out more visit www.totalensemble.org
email: Artistic Director Rebecca Chapman rebecca@totalensemble.org

James Colman’s Paint Out began under the creative umbrella that is the Hostry Festival. A plein air visual arts event that has consistently developed and grown over the last 6 years. The joy and overriding passion from all the artists who take part can be seen in the artwork created. The artists selected for each Plein Air event deliver outstanding quality, often within just 3 hours of painting on the streets of Norwich and beyond. Indeed Paint Out now tours the county of Norfolk, and will soon venture further afield. Each Autumn James and his team produce a 2 day Paint Out, resulting in a Private View and wee-long exhibition held at the Hostry building, at Norwich Cathedral. The artwork is for sale, and is enjoyed by many thousands of visitors to the festival and Cathedral each season.

To find out more visit www.paintout.org

Festival Patron: Dr John Kani

Festival producers Stash & Peter explain more…
“In Norfolk there is a wealth of African talent, but we felt there was space for a bespoke African Choir whose remit is to bring that amazing vibe to a wider audience.

Inviting Anna Mudeka to head up this soon to be year ‘round project, we have secured someone whose natural energy, personality and talent will enthuse all who work with her on this new adventure reaching out across Norfolk and beyond.

Monthly workshops throughout the year continue for people to come and try out. No experience needed, just a genuine desire to be a part of this exciting new choir.

Anna says…

“I am so delight to have been asked to be Artistic Director of the choir by Stash Kirkbribe and Peter Barrow. From the day of our first rehearsals I could feel the energy and spirit of Africa from North, South, East, West, from young to mature, sharing songs from the motherland, laughter, joy and sisterhood. I knew we were on to a winner straight away and I can’t wait to show this through all the  amazing hidden talent. The energy has continued to flow with a dedicated bunch of amazing women connecting energies, interweaving song, stories and supporting each other on this unique journey. You too can be part of it so why not contact us today”

Join us as we officially launch the African Choir at the Hostry Festival, autumn 2021. 

The evening will include an African themed buffet, bespoke costume, celebrating many of the 54 countries that make up Africa, and of course an entirely evocative and authentic programme of African songs and music.

Do not miss the launch of this wonderful new annual festival event. 

1: If you are of African heritage, living in Norfolk and would like to join the choir…
2: If you’d like to support by volunteering…
3: If you’d like to book the choir for your event, business team build, education…
4: If you’d like to become Principal Sponsor of the choir…

We’d love to hear from you soon.                                          

Visit: www.africanchoirofnorfolk.org
Email:  africa@hostryfestival.org

All images by Rodney Smith© Holt Festival 2018.

We had taken over 50 large long wheel based transit van loads of ancient rubbish to the dump. Organised overnight ripping up of the carpet throughout the building. Re-designed the entire bar   (In partnership with a local brewery) Created a vast montage of the theatre’s performance history (fully sponsored) gutted and transformed the Box Office, the entire backstage, including new storage rooms, costume spaces, electrical storage rooms, new staircases, new roof line, new sound system, new facilities in the Scene Dock, staff and volunteer training and development, with a new and important focus on health and safety throughout. We converted the historic cottage into offices and created income from rental. The studio theatre was modernised and re-named the Emmerson Studio Theatre. For the first time in the theatre’s history all 12 monthly In House Productions found sponsorship. We raised over £60,000 through Norfolk business and trusts. A fundraising gala auction raised £9,000 (£7,000 in one night) There was more press coverage throughout the two years than the theatre had seen, perhaps in its history. The percentages of takings went up from an average of just 28/30 % Box Office, to an average of 65% and on some shows up to 85%. The quality of work shared on stage improved enormously and directors began to return knowing there was a drive and vision happening again.

I remain proud of what was achieved in so little time, and remain grateful to the staff who held the faith whilst our whirlwind programme of re-launching one of the gems in the heart of the city centre took place. And to those on the trust who trusted us, a huge thank you, to those who didn’t I understand! it was quite a journey, but one I’m glad we all took, The theatre is a safer, better run place now than it has been for many, many years. As it celebrates it’s 100^th year in 2021, I am proud to have played a part in its history, both on and off stage.

Directing at The Maddermarket

New Bar

Studio Theatre Fundraising

Not long after his return from London in 2005, Stash was asked to head up the re-launch of a proposed new studio theatre at The Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. He produced a A3 colour brochure and half hour audio documentary, bringing together many of the high profile people he knows from London, all of whom lent their support to the project. He invited actress Kate O’Mara up to the theatre, where he interviewed her in front of an invited audience about her life and the need for a larger space for the education department at The Maddermarket.

Kate has since become the Patron of the New proposed Studio Theatre project.
His enthusiasm, at a meeting with the then editor of the Eastern Daily Press, secured front page coverage and a two page spread on the New Studio Theatre appeal.

In 2003 Stash devised a documentary outline/proposal, in order to profile
DAN CRAWFORD, a director he had worked with many times over a period of ten years at The Kings Head Theatre Islington, London. No one had celebrated this man on film in any great measure, and so together with huge encouragement from Ann Pinnington and Dan’s wife Stephanie Crawford they set about making it happen. As Executive producer on the project Ann raised the first £5,000, and after Alan Rickman had agreed to be interviewed for the feature, the entire population of actors/directors/producers/critics/designers from all over the UK came to tell their story of how Dan Crawford had influenced their lives. It turned out Stash had stumbled on something that was to take the next two years to complete! More finance was needed! Stash started more fundraising by visiting local businesses in the area, and after a 2 hour meeting in a café in Islington, he came away with a further £17,000 from the proprietor. It turned out he too had admired Dan’s work and wanted to support. Stephanie then returned to the enormously generous restaurant owners when a further £20,000 was needed to complete the project.

Together with STEPHANIE CRAWFORD (Director) and co Director JASON FIGGIS, they filmed a profile and homage to a man who had single-handedly brought Fringe Theatre back to England in the early 1970’s, not seen since Shakespeare’s time.
A MAVERICK IN LONDON was completed just days before Dan passed away in hospital, with Stash taking the final copy to his bedside for final approval.
It had been a labour of love from a team of amazingly committed people, all of whom knew they were a part of something very special. The documentary was shown on SKY TV many times over, and is still available on DVD at the Royal National Theatre bookshop, South Bank, London.
The DVD can be viewed here (but not to download). The design of the 12 page booklet can also be viewed. The booklet was “a must” for Stash, as was the making of a DVD of the film, in order to ensure maximum evidence of what it had all been about after the film had been aired.

DVD

The DVD of “A Maverick In London” was devised, assembled, designed and produced by Stash Kirkbride, with the layout being realised by (name from DVD box) Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding dress designer. Stash arranged for The DVDs to be sold at The National Theatre Bookshop, Southbank, and French’s Theatre Bookshop just after the screening of the documentary went out on SKY Television. Not available to copy or purchase at this website. For viewing purposes only.

In 1991 I came up with the idea of writing a sequel to Shakespeare’s most famous play Hamlet. I had a beginning, a middle and an end, it just needed filling in! I had waited 25 years to find a person passionate enough to co-write the story with me. Peter Beck had graduated from the UEA in Creative Writing and Direction, and like me he had a never ending fascination with the bard. 

All within 8 months we had written a 2 hour story set in the after-life, picking up at the end of Shakepeare’s play. HAMLET The Undiscovered Country became the Central Production of 2012 at the Hostry Festival, Norwich Cathedral. www.hostryfestival.org 

Acclaimed Norfolk based inclusive theatre company Total Ensemble created a highly charged and memorable piece of Movement Theatre as a prologue. Well-known actors such as David Banks put their faith in us, and together we all created a totally original piece of drama. This production really does serve as one of the highlights of what the PBSK Partnership has achieved. 

We believe It will one day be a feature film, all filmed on location in Norfolk, starring Kenneth Branagh, and a host of famous artists who like us simply love “playing Shakespeare”. If the images, original music score, and script resonate, and you have what I call “Adventure Capital of £2 million pound + this is still very much on mine and creative partner Peter Barrow’s To Do list.

Swan Of Avon Films awaits a co-production.
Email: stashkirkbride@hostryfestival.org   

“ Thank you very much for an enjoyable and stimulating evening at the Hostry last night. I do congratulate you on your original and powerful sequel to Hamlet, the whole performance left the audience with a lot to think about. I was particularly moved by the Prologue from Total Ensemble Theatre Company. Congratulations and  all good wishes.

Sir Timothy Colman 

“Congratulations on an excellent production and skilled writing – it must have involved a huge amount of time to get it all together,  I hope you are all deservedly happy with your achievement”

Roger Rowe MBE 

“The setting was gorgeous. I felt like I was watching the real thing (genuine Shakespeare) intense, powerful, rich with emotion”

Colin Mace director of Booja Booja

“This must continue onwards”

Paul Timmberton, Norfolk & Norwich Festival trustee

“The team behind the Hostry Festival have a pure ambition to demonstrate the best creative talent in the county. We at the Theatre Royal know that without risky and exhilarating experimentation the performing arts can never develop, so we welcome Stash and his colleagues’ initiative. On a personal level, I admire many of the performers and writers who are being showcased during the Festival, and I’m delighted that there will be such a prominent, and so well supported, platform for their work. I salute Fosters Solicitors for their significant financial contribution, such a great example of the kind of partnership between the arts and the business community that enables both to find a common voice. Long may the Festival flourish.”

Peter Wilson, Chief Executive, Theatre Royal Norwich 1992 -2016
Founder of PW Productions: Credits include the West End’s The Woman In Black & An Inspector Calls.