A giant inquisitive fox called Farrah is visiting Ivybridge on Saturday
She wants to understand from the people who live & work in Dartmoor- what is it like?
She will be wAndering along Fore Street to Victoria Park, where the festival will continue!
Along the way she will watch the traditional Bridge Ceremony on the old Ivy bridge
Join the Carnival
on Saturday 6th June at 11am
Come dressed
to reflect Dartmoor’s
rivers & moorlanD
11am | Fore Street > Erme Road > Station Road > Victoria Park | 12pm
Flowers for the Bridge Ceremony | Making
Let’s dress Ivybridge in flowers! Join us to create giant wildflowers using willow, crepe paper, wire, and fabric — a joyful, hands-on making session contributing to the Bridge Ceremony.
Workshops | Friday 5th June 10–11:30am, 2–3:30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
River Erme Mini-Makes | Making
Bite-sized creative workshops feeding into the larger River Make led by Paul Liengard. Expect fabric, found materials, and quirky odds and ends as we use playful techniques to build river creatures, reeds, rocks, and all manner of exciting river finds.
Workshops | Friday 5th June 11:30am–1pm, 4–5:30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Drop in for a session or stay for the day — all are welcome to take part in the Rivers and Moorlands Parade workshops, a shared space of making, gathering, and creative celebration
Frits on Sticks | Making
Young people have been learning about the conservation efforts on Shallowford Farm of the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly. Make a butterfly on a stick and join a kaleidoscope of butterflies in the Carnival Parade.
Workshop | Friday 5th June 11-4pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Dance like a curlew | Dance
This year’s Rivers and Moorland Parade features endangered creatures such as the curlew. Learn a short piece of choreography inspired by the Curlew’s movement and call. This routine will be performed by school children and members of the public during the parade on Saturday 6th June
Workshop | Friday 5th June 5-6:30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Be part of the procession | drumming
Come and learn the carnival rhythms derived from Brazilian samba styles, and join in the Carnival Procession. No experience necessary and instruments will be provided!
Introduction | Monday 11th May 6-7.30pm | Erme Primary School, Station Road, Ivybridge
Rehearsal | Friday 5th June 6:30-8pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
Performance | Saturday 6th June 10-12midday | Fore Street, Ivybridge
Iola Weir is a Devon-based visual artist, sculptor, and carnival designer creating one-of-a-kind large-scale puppets, costumes, and parade structures that combine monumental scale with precision, lightness, and beauty.
Rooted in carnival arts and community participation, her work transforms public space through spectacle, movement, and celebration.
Join Maria Tarokh (Company SHE, NDP Circus) for a fun dance workshop exploring all things curlew. This year’s River and Moorland Festival Parade features endangered creatures such as the curlew. Through dance, we’ll seek to better understand our feathered friends!
Expect guided improvisation, dynamic stretching, some technique and plenty of groove! Together we will let go of mind chatter and get into our bodies. We will learn a short piece of choreography inspired by the Curlew’s movement and call. This routine will be performed by school children and members of the public during the parade on Saturday 6th June. You don’t need to be able to participate in the parade to join the workshop - everyone welcome!
This is an open level class, no dance experience needed. A willingness to improvise and learn choreography is encouraged.
People with long term health conditions or disabilities can be accommodated and modifications given. If you have specific access needs please get in touch with maria@ndpcircus.com
Check out our Socials @riversandmoorland to see Maria dance
Join us for a unique and uplifting community music workshop led by James Carr from Drum Devon, using plastic waste collected from the sea and provided by Till the Coast is Clear CIC
Combining the powerful rhythms of West African djembes with creatively reused marine plastic waste, we’ll make instruments, play music and create a joyful community junk band together. This is a chance to get hands-on, connect with others, and turn ocean waste into something positive, energetic and inspiring!
No musical experience is needed — everyone is welcome.
join the Drum Devon Samba Band in the parade at the Rivers and Moorland Festival the following day, meeting at 10am
Come and be part of a creative celebration of community, rhythm, and environmental action!
Paul has over 30 years experience in circus, theatre and the performing arts having produced and directed outdoor international touring shows as well as working in film and television.
Paul specialises in combining disciplines to create Theatrical Circus, a blend of art forms that are combined to carry the thread of a narrative using different mediums and performance styles. Passionate about encouraging collaboration to tell the story and using a combination of techniques drawn from theatre, circus and a life on the road, Paul is adept at guiding and enabling experienced and inexperienced performers to ‘play their part.’
River Erme Mini-Makes | Making
Bite-sized creative workshops feeding into the larger River Make led by Paul Liengard. Expect fabric, found materials, and quirky odds and ends as we use playful techniques to build river creatures, reeds, rocks, and all manner of exciting river finds.
Workshops | Friday 5th June 11:30am–1pm, 4–5:30pm | Methodist Church, Fore Street, Ivybridge
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BRIDGE CEREMONY AND MORE OF IVYBRIDGE’S HISTORY, VISIT: IVYBRIDGE-HERITAGE.ORG
Schools Workshops | 11th & 12th May
If you’d like your school to be involved, please email info@riversandmoorland.org and we will try to visit your school on one of these days.