Image
WHOOP Festival Logo

 Saturday 17th May | 10am - 4pm

FREE FAMILY DAY OUT

Slough Fort, The Brimp, Allhallows, Rochester, Kent ME3 9QF
Free parking on site | Bus route 191

FUN ACTIVITIES FOR ALL THE FAMILY


Creative Drop-in Workshops
Live Performances
Interactive Installations
Arts & Crafts

And much more…

FULL LINE UP ANNOUNCED SOON!
 
For latest news and programme announcements please follow us on:

For any enquiries please email info@whoop.org.uk

๐Ÿ•Š๏ธTHIS WEEKEND! ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ ๐Ÿชถ The Lonely Avoc ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธTHIS WEEKEND! ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ

๐Ÿชถ The Lonely Avocet: Shadow Puppetry & Birdlife on the Hoo Peninsula

๐ŸŽจ Join us for a hands-on creative workshop exploring the incredible birdlife of the Hoo Peninsula through the magical art of shadow puppetry.

๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ As part of the early development of The Lonely Avocet โ€” a new shadow puppet performance inspired by the real-life return of avocets to Cliffe Pools โ€” participants will create their own bird shadow puppets based on species found in this unique landscape.

๐ŸŒฟ From wading birds to marshland visitors, this workshop offers a fun way to learn about local wildlife while experimenting with light, movement, and silhouette. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and creative minds of all kinds!

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

Follow Blueprint for updates and behind-the-scenes content:
๐Ÿ“ท Instagram: instagram.com/blueprint.arts
๐ŸŒ Website: www.blueprintarts.co.uk
๐Ÿ“˜ Facebook: Blueprint Arts
๐ŸŽ‰ THIS WEEKEND! ๐ŸŽ‰ Anna Braithwaite & Jeremy ๐ŸŽ‰ THIS WEEKEND! ๐ŸŽ‰
Anna Braithwaite & Jeremy Scott presentโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ’ฅ HULKED ๐Ÿ’ฅ

An exciting, interactive celebration of the Thames Barges and Kentโ€™s maritime past โ€” with music, storytelling, knot-tying, and more!

๐Ÿ”— GET KNOTTED!
Hands-on family fun! Learn to tie traditional sailing knots using our easy-to-follow guides.
๐Ÿชข Rope and instructions provided โ€“ just bring your curiosity.

๐Ÿ—บ MAPPING THE HISTORY OF THAMES BARGES AT HOO PENINSULA
Have stories or memories of the barges, the local industry, or the people who worked on them?
๐Ÿ“ฃ Come share your tales and help us build a living history of the Hoo Peninsula!

๐ŸŽง SLOUGH FORT SOUND WALK
Download the *free* Echoes app and explore Slough Fort to the sound of original songs and poetry about the Medwayโ€™s working waters.๐ŸŽถ 

๐ŸŽค LIVE PERFORMANCE โ€“ 12pm & 2pm
Sea shanties, folk songs and poetic tales from the river โ€” an entertaining, one-hour family show bringing the heritage of the Thames Barges to life!

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

---

๐ŸŒŠ ABOUT HULKED

โ€˜Hulkedโ€™ was born from a Creative Estuary pilot project and is now a powerful collaboration between sound artist Anna Braithwaite, writer/academic Jeremy Scott, and mariner Ed Gransden.
Together theyโ€™ve unearthed and reimagined the music and stories of Kentโ€™s maritime heritage through immersive sound walks and live performance.

๐ŸŒ https://www.hulked.co.uk
๐Ÿ“ธ https://www.instagram.com/hulkedproject
๐Ÿ“˜ https://www.facebook.com/hulkedproject
๐Ÿ‘ป THIS WEEKEND: Slough Fort โ€“ ghosts of the p ๐Ÿ‘ป THIS WEEKEND: Slough Fort โ€“ ghosts of the past ๐Ÿ‘ป

What lingers behind the walls of Slough Fort?

Local artist Jonny Dixon and students from the Marlborough school in Hoo have teamed up to explore what life might have been like for soldiers stationed at the fortโ€ฆ with a slightly spooky twist ๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ

Expect creative storytelling, haunting illustrations, and a few ghostly surprises as they imagine the echoes of the past in this historic space.

Come by to see the students' work and find out more about the stories behind Slough Fortโ€™s mysterious reputationโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May
๐ŸŽจ Meet the artist
๐Ÿง  Uncover untold local tales
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐ŸŽจ Jonnydixon.co.uk
๐Ÿ“ธ instagram.com/jonnydixonartist

#whoopfestival #ghostsofthepast #sloughfort #hooheritage #locallegends #mysteryandhistory #communityart #medwaymagic
THIS WEEKEND โ€“ Whoopโ€™s Coming! โœจ The Hoo Pe THIS WEEKEND โ€“ Whoopโ€™s Coming! โœจ

The Hoo Peninsula is a unique landscape with a rich natural, historical, and cultural heritage. Whoop celebrates this local heritage and brings together inspiring stories, people and places from across the peninsula ๐Ÿ‘€

๐Ÿ“… Saturday 17th May
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort, ME3 9QF
โฐ 10 AM โ€“ 4 PM
๐ŸŽŸ Free entry + Free parking

Discover the Hoo Peninsula through:
๐ŸŽจ Site-specific art installations
๐ŸŽญ Local performers & storytellers
 ๐ŸŽ‰ Family-friendly workshops
๐Ÿฐ A scenic setting steeped in heritage
๐ŸŽ Bring a picnic, bring your people โ€“ and be part of something special. We'll be asking YOU on the day how you'd like Whoop to look like moving forward, so grab the opportunity to shape an exciting festival for your local area!
Our Reflections โœจ๐ŸŒŠ Get hands-on with art! J Our Reflections โœจ๐ŸŒŠ

Get hands-on with art!

Join artist Wendy Daws from the MESS ROOM and make your own tactile drawing inspired by the rich history of the Peninsula. Weโ€™ll provide all the special materialsโ€”just bring your creativity!

Add your piece to our growing tactile tapestry or take it home to keep.

Drop in and make your mark!

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

#CommunityArt #TactileArt #AccessibleCreativity #MESSROOM #WendyDaws #FamilyFriendlyFun
๐ŸŒŠ Tangleweed ๐ŸŒŠ Drift into an underwater worl ๐ŸŒŠ Tangleweed ๐ŸŒŠ
Drift into an underwater worldโ€ฆ made from the stuff we throw away.

Artist Xtina Lamb invites you into a glowing kelp forest made from repurposed beach plastic and scrap materials found along the Hoo Peninsula ๐Ÿšโœจ

Inspired by real underwater kelp beds that protect our coasts, this immersive installation glows under UV light and gently sways as you explore โ€” a quiet but powerful reminder of pollution and erosion ๐ŸŒ

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Join in by creating glowing sea creatures or garlands to add to the growing forest
๐Ÿ’ก Made by hand, powered by community, lit by imagination

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

๐Ÿ“ธ instagram.com/xtinalamb
๐Ÿ’ป intraarts.org
๐Ÿ“˜ facebook.com/intraarts

#WhoopFestival #Tangleweed #XtinaLamb #KelpForest #EcoArt #PlasticPollution #HooHeritage #CommunityInstallation #ArtFromWaste #GlowUpNaturally
๐Ÿ‘ป Slough Fort โ€“ ghosts of the past ๐Ÿ‘ป What ๐Ÿ‘ป Slough Fort โ€“ ghosts of the past ๐Ÿ‘ป

What lingers behind the walls of Slough Fort?

Local artist Jonny Dixon and students from the Marlborough school in Hoo have teamed up to explore what life might have been like for soldiers stationed at the fortโ€ฆ with a slightly spooky twist ๐Ÿ•ฏ๏ธ

Expect creative storytelling, haunting illustrations, and a few ghostly surprises as they imagine the echoes of the past in this historic space.

Come by to see the students' work and find out more about the stories behind Slough Fortโ€™s mysterious reputationโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ“ Happening all day at Slough Fort
๐ŸŽจ Meet the artist
๐Ÿง  Uncover untold local tales
๐Ÿง‘โ€๐ŸŽจ Jonnydixon.co.uk
๐Ÿ“ธ instagram.com/jonnydixonartist

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

#whoopfestival #ghostsofthepast #sloughfort #hooheritage #locallegends #mysteryandhistory #communityart #medwaymagic
๐ŸŽฎ๐Ÿ’ฅ MEDWAY FIGHTER ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐ŸŽฎ History meets pix ๐ŸŽฎ๐Ÿ’ฅ MEDWAY FIGHTER ๐Ÿ’ฅ๐ŸŽฎ
History meets pixel power at WHOOP!

Ever wanted to uppercut your way through Medway history? ๐Ÿฅ‹
Medway Fighter is a brand-new fighting game inspired by Street Fighter โ€” but with a local twist! Co-created with Medway residents, the game stars historical figures from across the region, reimagined as playable characters with epic backstories and legendary moves.

๐Ÿ•น Come meet Jon Schwochert (Senior Lecturer in Games Design at Canterbury Christ Church University) and help shape the game!

๐Ÿง  Got a favourite Hoo-based historical figure?
๐Ÿฐ Know a legendary place or story from the Peninsula?
๐ŸŽจ Got ideas for character design?

Drop by the Medway Fighter zone at the festival to share your ideas and become part of the creative crew behind this epic local game.

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

๐Ÿš€ Launched at Medway Gaming Festival 2024
๐ŸŽฎ Full game release: 2026 @ Electric Medway Digital Arts Festival
๐Ÿ”— Find out more: medwayfighter.org

\#WhoopFestival #MedwayFighter #StreetFighterVibes #GameDesign #LocalLegends #PlayableHistory #HooPeninsula #ElectricMedway #CCCU #MedwayGaming
๐ŸŒฟ Waysiders with Filaments Arts Collective & St ๐ŸŒฟ Waysiders with Filaments Arts Collective & Stephen Turner
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

Take a walk through the wild, wondrous side of the Hoo Peninsula ๐ŸŒพ
Local artists from Filaments and guest artist Stephen Turner have each chosen a wild plant or flower native to Hoo โ€” starting with a walk through Allhallows-on-Sea. Their finds have inspired a beautiful new collection of artworks for the festival!

For example, Stephen's chosen plant is Mugwort โ€” a magical herb with ancient ties to dreams, the moon, and intuition ๐ŸŒ•๐Ÿ’ญ
โœจ Fill your own dream pouch with locally gathered mugwort
๐Ÿ•ฏ Watch a live demonstration of mugwort incense making
๐Ÿฆ‰ Discover Stephenโ€™s owl-shaped incense burner, sculpted from this powerful plant โ€” a creature of the night, and keeper of mystery

๐Ÿ–ผ On display throughout the day
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort, Saturday 17th May
๐ŸŽŸ Free entry

Meet the artists:
@filaments.art | facebook.com/filamentsartcollective

Filaments Arts Collective are five professional contemporary artists based in Kent.
Often their works are site-specific, responding to the local history, the natural environment, and the architecture of the buildings and spaces themselves, ranging from individual artworks to collaboratively created large-scale immersive installations.

@stephenturnerartist | twitter.com/exburyegg

Stephen Turner works across different media (including photography, video, the written word as well as sculpture, drawing and design) in projects that encourage curiosity about our troubled relationship with the natural world.  He says โ€œI try to listen to nature and in an age of hubris, speak on behalf of the tides, terns and turnstonesโ€. He has many years experience working along the estuary of the river Medway and was recently elected a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

๐Ÿ”— www.whoopfestival.co.uk

#WhoopFestival #Waysiders #MugwortMagic #FilamentsArts #StephenTurner #HooPeninsula #WildHeritage #DreamPouch #EstuaryArt #MoonMedicine
๐ŸŽ‰ Save the date! ๐ŸŽ‰ Whoop Heritage Festival i ๐ŸŽ‰ Save the date! ๐ŸŽ‰
Whoop Heritage Festival is coming to the Hoo Peninsula โ€” and you're invited!
Join us for a free, family-friendly day out celebrating the people, stories, nature and creativity of this amazing corner of Kent.
๐Ÿ“… Saturday 17 May
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort, ME3 9QF
โฐ 10amโ€“4pm
๐Ÿš— Free parking!
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Free entry!
Expect hands-on workshops, performances, installations, games, local history, and lots of unexpected fun in a stunning historic setting by the sea ๐ŸŒŠ
Bring a picnic, bring the kids, bring your neighbours โ€” everyoneโ€™s welcome!

Whoop Heritage Festival is part of the wider Whose Hoo partnership project.

#WhoopFestival #HooPeninsula #HeritageCelebration #FamilyFestival #KentEvents #SloughFort #FreeDayOut #GetInspiredHoo
๐ŸŒ๐ŸŽจ Layers of the Hoo Peninsula ๐ŸŽจ๐ŸŒ Get ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŽจ Layers of the Hoo Peninsula ๐ŸŽจ๐ŸŒ
Get creative with artists Duncan Grant and Fiona Spirals as we dig into the many layers โ€” seen and unseen โ€” of the incredible Hoo landscape!

From the skies above to the soil beneath your feet, this hands-on, drop-in art activity invites you to explore what makes the Hoo Peninsula so special. Using a mix of materials and techniques, you'll help build a giant collaborative collage that captures the textures, stories, and spirit of the place.

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ Fun for all ages
๐ŸŒพ Inspired by nature, history, and community
๐Ÿงฑ Above ground, underground, all around!

Pop by, get messy, and help shape a beautiful portrait of this one-of-a-kind landscape.

Meet the artists:
๐Ÿ“ธ Duncan Grant โ€“ @duncangrant1965
๐ŸŒ Fiona Spirals โ€“ www.fionaspirals.co.uk

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

#WhoopFestival #HooPeninsula #CommunityArt #LandscapePortrait #DuncanGrant #FionaSpirals #HandsOnHeritage
๐ŸŒโœจ Just announced for WHOOP! โœจ๐ŸŒ Camille ๐ŸŒโœจ Just announced for WHOOP! โœจ๐ŸŒ
Camille Dunlop โ€“ Anatomy of Embodied Ecologies

Step into a living digital world that moves with you! ๐Ÿ‘ฃ
This immersive artwork responds to your body in real time, transforming the space around you as you walk, shift, and explore. Think: virtual ecosystems, local history, motion capture, and a hint of magic.

Inspired by the ecology of the Medway Estuary and the haunting beauty of Hoo Fort, this work weaves together the past, present, and future in a shimmering digital dreamscape.

๐Ÿ“š Born from archival maps and historical sketches
๐ŸŽฎ Made with motion capture and real-time engines
๐ŸŒฟ Where the body becomes a living, moving map

Come be part of the landscape โ€” and see how your movement stirs the digital wild.

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop Heritage Festival 2025 for the Whose Hoo partnership project
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

๐Ÿ”— www.camilledunlop.com
๐Ÿ“ธ Follow: camilledunlop

#WhoopFestival #HooPeninsula #DigitalArt #MotionCapture #EcologyArt #CamilleDunlop #MedwayMagic #AE_Lab #EmbodiedEcologies
๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ NEW FESTIVAL WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT! ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ

๐Ÿชถ The Lonely Avocet: Shadow Puppetry & Birdlife on the Hoo Peninsula

๐ŸŽจ Join us for a hands-on creative workshop exploring the incredible birdlife of the Hoo Peninsula through the magical art of shadow puppetry.

๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ As part of the early development of The Lonely Avocet โ€” a new shadow puppet performance inspired by the real-life return of avocets to Cliffe Pools โ€” participants will create their own bird shadow puppets based on species found in this unique landscape.

๐ŸŒฟ From wading birds to marshland visitors, this workshop offers a fun way to learn about local wildlife while experimenting with light, movement, and silhouette. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and creative minds of all kinds!

๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Part of Whoop: A Heritage Festival in Hoo
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort โ€“ Saturday 17th May

Follow Blueprint for updates and behind-the-scenes content:
๐Ÿ“ท Instagram: instagram.com/blueprint.arts
๐ŸŒ Website: www.blueprintarts.co.uk
๐Ÿ“˜ Facebook: facebook.com/artsblueprint
๐ŸŽ‰ ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST WHOOP FESTIVAL FEATURE! ๐ŸŽ‰ ANNOUNCING OUR FIRST WHOOP FESTIVAL FEATURE! ๐ŸŽ‰
Anna Braithwaite & Jeremy Scott presentโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ’ฅ HULKED ๐Ÿ’ฅ

An exciting, interactive celebration of the Thames Barges and Kentโ€™s maritime past โ€” with music, storytelling, knot-tying, and more!

๐Ÿ”— GET KNOTTED!
Hands-on family fun! Learn to tie traditional sailing knots using our easy-to-follow guides.
๐Ÿชข Rope and instructions provided โ€“ just bring your curiosity.

๐Ÿ—บ MAPPING THE HISTORY OF THAMES BARGES AT HOO
Have stories or memories of the barges, the local industry, or the people who worked on them?
๐Ÿ“ฃ Come share your tales and help us build a living history of Hoo!

๐ŸŽง SLOUGH FORT SOUND WALK
Download the *free* Echoes app and explore Slough Fort to the sound of original songs and poetry about the Medwayโ€™s working waters.๐ŸŽถ 

๐ŸŽค LIVE PERFORMANCE โ€“ 12pm & 2pm
Sea shanties, folk songs and poetic tales from the river โ€” an entertaining, one-hour family show bringing the heritage of the Thames Barges to life!

---

๐ŸŒŠ ABOUT HULKED

โ€˜Hulkedโ€™ was born from a Creative Estuary pilot project and is now a powerful collaboration between sound artist Anna Braithwaite, writer/academic Jeremy Scott, and mariner Ed Gransden.
Together theyโ€™ve unearthed and reimagined the music and stories of Kentโ€™s maritime heritage through immersive sound walks and live performance.

๐ŸŒ https://www.hulked.co.uk
๐Ÿ“ธ https://www.instagram.com/hulkedproject
๐Ÿ“˜ https://www.facebook.com/hulkedproject
Save the Date โ€“ Whoopโ€™s Coming! โœจ The Hoo P Save the Date โ€“ Whoopโ€™s Coming! โœจ

The Hoo Peninsula is a unique landscape with a rich natural, historical, and cultural heritage. Whoop celebrates this local heritage and brings together inspiring stories, people and places from across the peninsula ๐Ÿ‘€

๐Ÿ“… Saturday 17th May
๐Ÿ“ Slough Fort, ME3 9QF
โฐ 10 AM โ€“ 4 PM
๐ŸŽŸ Free entry + Free parking

Discover the Hoo Peninsula through:
๐ŸŽจ Site-specific art installations
๐ŸŽญ Local performers & storytellers
 ๐ŸŽ‰ Family-friendly workshops
๐Ÿฐ A scenic setting steeped in heritage
๐ŸŽ Bring a picnic, bring your people โ€“ and be part of something special. We'll be asking YOU on the day how you'd like Whoop to look like moving forward, so grab the opportunity to shape an exciting festival for your local area!
Instagram post 18079408381775299 Instagram post 18079408381775299
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ImageWhose HooSlough Fort Preservation Trust
Heritage Fund
ยฉ WHOOP FESTIVAL 2025