SATURDAY 1 JULY FROM 12NOON














SATURDAY 1 JULY FROM 12NOON
After last year’s “post-pandemic” version, it’s so nice to be back to a year with no doubt that CoCoMAD is happening. From tiny acorns the mighty oak of CoCoMAD has grown. From an enthusiastic school fete in 1997, to the festival of music, art, dance, science, circus, food and celebration we all love.
There is no other festival quite like it, you don’t need a ticket. But CoCoMAD isn’t free, it’s paid for by donations from you, your neighbours and the businesses that you use. Thank you to the sponsors, from page 12 onwards.
There are volunteers at the festival with donation buckets - so remember to bring some cash. If everyone donates at least £3, the festival is almost paid for.
CoCoMAD is run by Friends of Cotteridge Park (FoCP), a group of dedicated volunteers and registered charity in England and Wales (charity number: 1181644). If you want to know more about FoCP, or join the team, get in touch.
Best wishes for a happy CoCoMAD from all the volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who helps make CoCoMAD happen. Not just the volunteers you see on the day. Marquee erectors, litter pickers, gate monitors, stewards and lost children finders - but the months of work done by the fundraisers, planners, stall and music programmers. Thanks to the artists and performers, stallholders and food and drink providers who make the day such a pleasure. Thanks to Birmingham City Council Parks for all the help and support throughout the year. And thanks to the community of Cotteridge. Without your support, this festival wouldn’t be possible.
Editorial: Emma Woolf and Kelly Baber, Design: Kerry Leslie Illustrations: Edie Woolf, Photos: TheBrumReaper
Celebrating Tony James’ (1935-1922) Decades of volunteering in Cotteridge Park
After a long life, well-lived, one of our most dedicated volunteers died last year. Tony, was a daily litter picker for over 20 years and helped keep the park looking spotless. And in later years we discovered Tony’s cartooning skills - when he produced a series of witty and knowing jokes about the park and its users (page 8).
He was also the man who unblocked the drains - with a determination that meant that no mud withstood his efforts for long.
Tony and his wife Marian (left), as well as a succession of dogs, were inexhaustible volunteers at CoCoMAD and we will miss his efforts this year and into the future.
are there to make getting around the main field easier and so we have safe evacuation routes. You will be asked to move. Don’t put tents or gazebos in the main field. You can set up camp in the family gazebo area.
No BBQs or camping stoves are permitted on site.
We have wristbands for all children. Please come and pick one up from The Shed, or from the FOCP stall. Write your phone number on your child’s wristband. Lost children (and people) will be looked after at The Shed.
First Aid is by the main entrance.
Dial 999 if life is in danger or crime is in progress.
Do not drive to CoCoMAD. There is no parking available. Parking enforcement o cers will be on site.
As it’s a local festival, we encourage you to walk or cycle. You can lock up your bikes at your own risk in the tennis courts.
There is disabled parking on a first come first serve basis. There will be chairs for waiting at the entrance for drop o s.
Please respect that CoCoMAD is a local festival put on by local volunteers - and have fun!
Hosted by Birmingham’s brilliant Barbara Nice! With interlude DJing by Gez of Attic and Bournbrook
CoCoAcoustica
1pm—7pm the glade by the skate park
Turn up on the day, book a slot and plug in and play. It’s your chance to perform! Here at the acoustic tent - or CoCoAcoustica - we offer a warm and encouraging welcome to all performers. Whether you’re a budding star or a seasoned pro, we want you to come and play.
Have you got a cover you’ve been practising in your bedroom that you’d like to unleash on the world? Or you want to share some original material. This is the place to do it, in front of our friendly audience.
You can turn up, plug in and play. If you’d like to book a slot in advance please email: info@cotteridgepark.org.uk
Please
Low Red Moon — 12pm
Psych/Folk/Americana five piece fronted by Texan Brummie Kaytee De Wolfe. www.lowredmoonuk.bandcamp.com
Collective Sleep — 1pm
Psychedelic funk, soul and alternative, taking you on a trip through time and space. www.soundcloud.com/sinnedfinn
Jasmine Gardosi — 2pm
Birmingham’s Poet Laureate, a multiple slam champion, beatboxer and winner of the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry. www.jasminegardosi.com
Rebecca Shwartz — 3pm
Hard rock, klezmer, fiddle, and a whole lot of soul-sharing. www.rebeccaschwarz.co.uk
Calypso Moon — 4pm
Jazz band; upbeat vintage swing, calypso & Latin, fronted by Eleanor Dattani facebook.com/calypsomoonband
The Strumtroopers — 5pm
A ukulele based covers band - big songs on tiny instruments www.facebook.com/thestrumtroopers
Independent Country 6pm
Indie classics on a rollicking ride to Nashville and back with pedal steel guitars and four-part harmonies. www.independentcountry.org
Head to Attic Brew Co on Mary Vale Road (opposite Bournville Station) for the official CoCoMAD after party featuring live music by The Strumtroopers.
This event is not suitable for children.
1pm—7pm, The Orchard Sit back and relax in our very own indoor-outdoor space at CoCoLounge in the Orchard.
If you’re looking for some quiet time away from the bustle of the main event, come to the CoCoLounge. Here there will be comfy space to relax and listen to music and poetry from our tiny stage. Reflect or ruminate on the mellow sounds of house band RAW SAX, inducing a sense of wellbeing and celebrating difference.
Would you like to take your place on our tiny stage? You could present your party piece (it doesn’t matter if your family has seen it a thousand times, we will love it).
Speak to our stage managers at CoCoLounge in the Orchard. Check the chalkboards for details and timings.
Please help reduce the environmental impact of CoCoMAD. Help our volunteers by taking all of your rubbish and recycling home. If you don’t have something to carry your rubbish inwe have Cotteridge Park tote bags! Get them from the Info stall in the Main Field for a donation (specified on the stall).
As a festival organised by volunteers, we rely on your support so it can go ahead. Please keep an eye out for buckets and chuck a few quid in. We’re around £5000 short of funding for this year, every pound counts. You can also donate by text. Text COCOMAD plus the amount you’d like to donate to 70085 e.g COCOMAD 10 to donate £10.
Inspired by the work of the charity Make Space for Girls, OPUS are making an inclusive space for girls with a programme of dance, DJs, performances and workshops working with Girl Grind CIC. Dance the afternoon away in a fun and inclusive space and talk to us about what the park needs to make it more welcoming for girls.
OPUS are a women-led multidisciplinary arts and events producing house, They’ve produced some of the city’s largest outdoor events recently, including the Motionhouse show Wondrous Stories and the Commonwealth Games festival sites.
Activities run from 12-6pm on the old bowling green.
1pm-5pm, between the willow and the wood
Have you tried SwingFit yet?
There will be mini dance classes for partners and those flying solo. A selection of music to suit all tastes whether they want to dance or just sit and listen.
There will be dance demos and things to watch and participate in. Why not try a Lindy Hopa 1930s dance developed in Harlem New York - fast, fun and infectious! Something with a vintage feel for everyone.
Stalls: Food, drink, crafts & more
We are again bringing an array of stars from our local communities. From the local street food legends, and breweries, to the array of producers available at the stalls in our markets, there’s something for everyone.
When you go to the bar they will charge you an extra £2 for your first drink for a reusable pint “glass”. This isn’t a donation to CoCoMAD. Keep it as a souvenir and reduce single use plastics. Or bring your own reusable plastic festival pint glass from home.
CoCoMAD’s market proudly features some of the city’s best makers, artists and artisans. You’ll find crafts, clothing, accessories, homewares, condiments, sweet treats and more. Don’t forget to spend some time exploring the
culinary delights of our street food traders. We recommend turning up hungry with a bag to carry your new goodies in.
Two of Birmingham’s best breweries are on bar duties. You can find Birmingham Brewery and Attic in the basketball court serving up a selection of drinks, alongside non-alcoholic hot & cold drinks.
The market stalls have moved this year, and the hot food is in the main field. Everything else: go and explore.
CircusMASH
We are excited to have CircusMASH back at CoCoMAD again! They are always a big hit and we love having them at the festival. They will be providing workshops and performances throughout the day. And hullabaloo that everyone can join in with.
This year, they will be inviting the Midlands Circus Community from across Birmingham and further afield to create lots of displays of community circus, and be sure not to miss the performance on the main stage sometime in the afternoon!
CoCoMAD is put on by a group of volunteers; Friends of Cotteridge Park. We’re a charity and care a great deal about community. So, we’d like to introduce you to
other groups doing good stuff locally. Come and say “hello” to the people who are passionate about a wide variety of causes and campaigns.
1pm—6pm The Orchard
Silent Noize Events are bringing a silent disco to CoCoMAD. You can find them in the orchard with the CoCoLounge. Grab a headset, pick your channel & join the party. Free, all ages, turn up on the day. We guarantee you’ll have a great time.
Cotteridge’s longest standing barber shop will be offering fresh cuts in their air conditioned pop up shop. Find them next to the Main Stage. Cuts, shaves and free hair styling for little rock stars.
ROAM
Local charity ROAM is back at CoCoMAD. Find them nestled in Millennium Wood between 1pm and 4pm to discover nature themed challenges for all.
Learn all about Electric Vehicles in the park - meet ESB Energy by Cotteridge Park’s EV chargers in the car park.
The CoCoMAD scientists will be roaming the festival - hoping to bump into you and wow you with their science busking and massive bubbles.
The scientists have plenty of fun and exciting hands-on demonstrations to pique your curiosity, giving short science talks in the orchard. There may even be a science quiz.
Also, be part of the Royal Society of Chemistry funded ‘CoCoElectro Bag’ project by claiming your free science kit to explore materials science and energy. The kits are aimed at 9-14 year olds, but you will have to be quick as we will only have a limited number to give away.
The trees stand with a hundred years’ worth of patience under their belts – but even they are beginning to itch for the festivities to begin; for the first song to ring out through the leaves and for laughter to be shared like bread between strangers and friends. The trees are waiting for us to join them, to walk between them in this: divine celebration of a thousand front doors opening and coming together across concrete to the grass. They wait for this community to lay spread out for a day – singing in the rain if it falls and basking in the sun if it comes. Sharing smiles. Feasting on the day together. These trees of the park stand in waiting for our footsteps to be cast in the ground surrounding them. Hundreds of us. Overlapping, as One.
CoCoWOOD will celebrate all things wooden, with activities for all ages. The wood festival will be a fun way for you to learn about the importance of trees and how to use wood and tools. CoCoWOOD will also promote environmental awareness.
CoCoWOOD will have spoon carving, tree poems, bowl turning and axe demonstrations. You’ll find knife skills workshops, a handmade wooden craft
CoCoMAD is entirely run by volunteers, since our first event in 1997.
Would you like to volunteer for CoCoMAD, or for Cotteridge
There’s always something to do, including gardening, litter picking, festivals stewards, and shifts at The Shed. We’re always looking for more volunteers to help spread the workload, and we’re a really friendly bunch.
Email Emma, FOCP on: info@cotteridgepark.org.uk
If you see our volunteers at the festival say hello and give them a wave. The festival couldn’t take place without them!
CoCoMAD isn’t ‘FREE’, it’s paid for by a mixture of sponsorship from local businesses, fees paid by traders and your donations.
The festival costs about £22k (most of the work is done by volunteers). If every person (adults and children) put at least £3 in the buckets we can keep CoCoMAD going.
The rest of the cost is covered by the lovely organisations that sponsor the programme (please take some time to read through their adverts later), and the fees from stallholders. Please chip in - via textgiving or donation buckets. BRING CASH TO COCOMAD!
market and nature games. Not only that - experience fire lighting techniques, folklore and willow crowns. As part of the CoCoWOOD area, there will be a place to carve and chat and an area to chill out and take a breather. There’s something for everyone!
To book on to the knife skills workshop please email info@pathcarvers.co.uk, £10pp or pay what you can.
To support your local festival put on by volunteers in the park, you can donate by text:
Text COCOMAD plus the amount you’d like to donate to 70085 e.g COCOMAD 10 to donate £10For more park poetry: cotteridgepark.org.uk/poetry
Can you find 15 words to do with CoCoMAD? Words can run forwards, backwards, vertically or diagonally but always in a straight line.
Illustrations by our volunteer Tony James (1935-1922)
For the answers, go to cotteridgepark.org.uk/answers
CoCoMAD newspaper prize crossword #2
Seven clues (marked with *) refer to six activities which are provided free in Cotteridge Park. For the prize, please name all six activities and when they happen. The winner can have free drinks for one at The Shed for a month!
Across
1) Amounts of medication (5)
4) A type of energy related to movement (7)
8) See 6 down* (3)
9) Carving wood with a small knife* (9)
10) Oriental fruit (5)
11) Gets someone back (7)
12) Spotted insects which are an unusual colour (4,9)
16) The “queen of pop” (7)
18) Belonging to them (5)
19) Black headed bird that, oddly, lives in fir trees (6,3)
21) --- cream (3)
22) More dangerous (7)
23) Baby carriage used for fitness in the park* (5)
The Shed is the community building in Cotteridge Park.
Staffed by volunteers, it’s the base for all the activities that go on in the park. And it’s the best place to go to find out what’s on.
It also has toilets, hot drinks and somewhere to sit down.
Down
1) The ten commandments (7)
2) What we do in the Shed before we “bitch” * (6,3)
3) A place to cut wood (7)
4) More polite version of 2* (4,3,6)
5) French for “our” (5)
6,8ac) Slow martial art* (3,3)
7) Where birds are kept (5)
12) Sunday morning activity in the park* (9)
14) A container for bathing (7)
15) Medical operations (7)
16) What we use to cut grass (5)
17) Biblical girls name (5)
20) Comes before “Vegas” (3)
The Shed will always be open during park activities - you can find out when The Shed is open by looking at our timetable on our website.
Please check the website for updates before you head out: www.cotteridgepark.org.uk
The Old Post O ce 1533 Pershore Road Stirchley B30 2JH 2JH
book your desk online: theoldposto ce.space
Monday to Friday 9am—5pm
CoCoMAD offer for a free welcome drink quote “cocomad23” when you book online
1474 Pershore Road, Stirchley B30 2NT verbenakitchen.co.uk @verbenakitchen
*the offer entitles you to one drink per person with your meal, for parties up to four people. Online bookings only. Cannot be exchanged or substituted, valid until 31 Aug 2023
Stirchley’s best kept secret. Visit our factory shop on Hazelwell Road, just off the Rea Valley Cycle Route.
Use the discount code “ISHOULDCOCO” for 20% off online orders
Use the discount code “ISHOULDCOCO” for 20% o online orders
ENAMEL SHADES.CO.UK
Unit 14 Stirchley Trading Estate Hazelwell Rd, Stirchley B30 2PF
Opening hours: 8.30am - 4.30pm
Monday to Friday
contact@display-sign.co.uk 0121 369 1109
Unit 14, Stirchley Trading Estate, Hazelwell Road, B30 2PF • 0121 451 1799 @EnamelShades contact@enamelshades.co.uk
POSTER SNAP FRAMES
CHALKBOARDS
MENU HOLDERS
PAVEMENT SIGNS
TILL ROLLS ACCESSORIES
est. 1910 & 2016
No longer a swimming pool, Stirchley Baths is a beautifully refurbished, vibrant community hub with a programme of activities, classes and events including heritage tours and family trails. Available to hire for all kinds of uses including childrens parties and weddings.
The building features a main hall and 3 well-equipped multipurpose rooms. Thereʼs a free car park, free wi-fi, co-working space and café.
www.stirchleybaths.org
stirchleybaths
hello@stirchleybaths.org 0121 464 9072
Putting prevention first for people 50+ years to enable them to lead healthy, happy and independent lives within their own homes and communities.
Small grants of up to £10k areavailable to community groups to set up activities and opportunities for older people.
Follow us on twitter @SellyOakNNS
Call us on 0121 464 9072
Email us on SellyOakNNS@birmingham.gov.uk
Take a look at our short video: www.vimeo.com/529370284
Selly Oak Neighbourhood Network SchemeReduce your waste by only buying what is necessary. To help, make a list and stick to it, only buy what you need. Repair. Ask yourself, if the item can be repaired before considering to replace?
Reduce the need for raw materials by recycling waste in the correct bins at home and at the household recycling centre (HRC).
Choose to reuse by purchasing pre-loved items if you need something. Anything you no longer need can also be donated for reuse.
Anything that can’t be recycled is processed through the Energy Recovery Facility to generate electricity via the steam turbine generator that goes on to power c50,000 homes.
Recycle and donate items for reuse at our household recycling centres. Don’t forget to book a slot online before you visit. More information at www.birmingham.veolia.co.uk
The Reuse Shop is located at the Tyseley HRC site and doesn’t require a booking to shop there.