Rock legend Rick Wakeman will appear as a special guest at Yardley’s Creative Spirit Show — a community led celebration showcasing local talent, creativity and the achievements of residents who have worked together to strengthen and protect their neighbourhood.
The event takes place at Dovehouse Theatre, Langley School, Kineton Green Road, Solihull, on Saturday, October 3rd, from 7-9 pm.
The show will showcase local musicians and dancers while highlighting the successful campaign to protect Barrows Lane Fields — the district’s last remaining green space for organised sport, leisure and community activities.
Supported by the Yardley Neighbourhood Network Scheme (YNNS) and the National Lottery Community Fund, the Creative Spirit Show is a collaboration between Yardley Community Protection Society (YCPS) and The Conies, the Yardley-based children’s safety charity for which Rick Wakeman is an ambassador.
Rick, a CBE recipient and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, will give a special guest performance at the show. His prolific six-decade career includes working with Yes, David Bowie and Cat Stevens, as well as producing more than 100 solo albums including The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
He said: “I am really looking forward to being part of the Creative Spirit Show. Creativity has always driven my music, and it is inspiring to see that same spark in Yardley – from protecting Barrows Lane Fields to encouraging children to explore art and music through The Conies. As an ambassador, I am proud to support the work they are doing for children’s safety and wellbeing, and it is a pleasure to join an event that celebrates imagination and community.”
Fay Goodman, Chair of YCPS, said: “We are thrilled to have Rick Wakeman join us in celebrating the strides we have made as a community in saving our beloved Barrows Lane Fields from private development. This achievement has only been possible because of the passion and determination of local residents, volunteers, and partners such as Arts in the Field, Yardley Preservation Society, and Sport England.”
She added: “Our final challenge is to secure ownership of the site and develop it as a thriving community asset for generations to come.”
The event also celebrates the success of The Conies, founded in 2014 and awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service this year. Its cartoon family of traffic cones, who deliver safety messages, have become the UK’s new children’s safety heroes, replacing the Green Cross Code Man and Tufty the Squirrel.
The charity encourages schools, parents, and children to follow the characters’ adventures and safety initiatives online. Its latest programme, Conies Safe Explorers, offers free workshops that blend music and art with safety education for children aged 4-11. Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, the sessions help children learn how to stay safe near roads, rivers, railway lines, and building sites, as well as in their homes and gardens and while online.
The Creative Spirit Show will also celebrate the work of Masamune Dojo, which has recently launched Shefuay personal safety and wellbeing courses including self-defence, tai chi, yoga, tessen fan and body & mind. The free, funded sessions for all ages and abilities are led by Fay Goodman, a 7th Dan in Iaido and 6th Dan in Jodo, alongside specialist trainers, at the Masamune Dojo on Vibart Road, Yardley.
Fay said: “These sessions are part of our continuing aim to improve health, wellbeing and quality of life within our Yardley community. We welcome residents to come along, meet new people and enjoy the sessions together.”
Tickets for the Yardley Creative Spirit Show are £25 (£15 concessions) and available in advance only at https://www.soundlighting.uk/dovehouse/whats-on/.
For more details of Shefuay sessions, contact Fay on 07976 426463 or at fay@masamune.co.uk
Masamune Dojo: masamunedojo.co.uk.
For more information about The Conies, visit www.theconies.org.