ChocFest, the pop-up arts festival is coming to Bournville and Stirchley on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July, as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Through performance, visual and audio installations and workshops, ChocFest takes a fresh look at the cocoa trade, from the good intentions of George Cadbury to the darker side of chocolate production, and from cocoa pod to that delicious bar of Dairy Milk in your hand.
In collaboration with local communities and groups living and working in the vicinity of the Cadbury factory, as well as cocoa-growing communities and international artists from Ghana, ChocFest is a feast for the eyes and ears to get people meeting, talking and thinking all things chocolate!
ChocFest reignites and celebrates Bournville’s historic connection with Ghana, the Commonwealth country where Cadbury’s cocoa at the Bournville factory originates. At ChocFest’s not-so-soft centre is a new cabaret-style show, with music created in collaboration with celebrated Ghanaian singer-songwriter St Beryl, performed by Ghanaian-Romanian musician and artist Wanlov the Kubolor, much loved Midlands artists Graeme Rose, Amy Kakoura and Jill Dowse, with special guest appearances from renowned djembefola, Vieux Bakayoko and their community performers.
Follow the ChocFest trail map, designed in collaboration with children from Bournville Village Primary School and Deikrom D/A Primary School, Ghana – to navigate your way through their tasty weekend! Check out the performances, film and audio installations and drop-in workshops in and around Stirchley Baths, Selly Manor and Bournville Village Green – oh, and don’t forget to sample some sweet treats along the way, and maybe even a chocolate stout?
All free and un-ticketed. Suitable for ages 9 and upwards. Please note some sites are limited capacity and will be on a first come first serve basis.
You’ll be able to download your ChocFest Map here soon but in the meantime check out their timetables of performances and activities below.
The route between their two performance sites for Chocolate the Cabaret! is fully accessible with no steps and they think the stroll should take you somewhere between 20 – 40 minutes, depending on your pace.
