MONDAY 8TH - SUNDAY 14TH AUGUST 2011

I Am Joy Arts Festival was born in 2007 after a long night of poker and red wine. Three new friends decided that there needed to be an event that united and celebrated all that was creative in Chichester. The dancer, musician and artist met the next day in a coffee shop; nursed their hang overs and discussed the idea of a free-entry 5-day all-ages arts festival. It was an exciting prospect with daunting days ahead if it was to actually happen.

Guy Adams, Chris Chapman and Joe Worthington worked like magpies collecting shiny objects to get the festival up and off the ground. The first ever I Am Joy took place in the city centre locations of The Boys Club and La Havana Bar. A team evolved around Joy to present an art exhibition, live music, dance, film and poetry afternoons and a plethora of creative workshops. The three friends had said to each other in the beginning that “if anything happened, it was a good thing”. Happen it did and since 2007 a Joy Festival has taken place every August with more and more people entering the creative maelstrom.

Since 2008 the three friends became two with the exit of Guy, who is still missed and pined after. However, Chris and Joe still work every day on Joy, like reclusive moles surviving on worms and scraps of bread. Every year starts from November where they fund-raise and commit themselves to hours of tiresome form filling-in-ing. Then a New Year starts and the Joy Collective reconvenes to find talented artists, musicians and performers to paint, design, speak, sing and act at the festival. Up until August the team recruit helping hands to make the festival possible, AND A BIG THANK YOU GOES OUT TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE AND ARE STILL HELPING THE FESTIVAL BECAUSE WITHOUT YOU THERE WOULD BE NO JOY.

Alongside the festival the Joy Collective has produced a magazine, run a gallery and staged Dirty Cabaret, Comedy and Post-Rock events, as well as masked and musical happenings, so keep your eyes in the sky for the Magpies of Joy for upcoming activity.

The organisation has recently set up as a Community Interest Company which means the festival has social targets to aim for. A major aim is to provide platforms for young artists and musicians to perform and exhibit at. Chichester is a sleepy place and sometimes it can leave aspiring creatives out in the cold, so I Am Joy’s ethos is to link the community spirit and make everybody aware of each other.

View my website http://www.iamjoy.co.uk/