Talks, Activities and Workshops in The Strongman’s Arms

Want to master the art of the whip, perform vocal acrobatics, go on a smell safari, become part of a human pyramid, overcome your fear of clowns or learn to dance like an MTV dancer? You can do all this and more over the Standon Calling weekend in our on-site pub The Strongman’s Arms. For the second year in a row, Salon return to Standon Calling to offer a unique selection of talks, activities and workshops.

“We’re presenting ‘Circus Maximus’ a selection of especially curated content to excite, entertain and enthral,” explains Salon London co-founder, Helen Bagnall. “We love the festival and can’t wait for August to flee the city for the Strongman’s Arms to introduce their up-for-it crowd to our band of practioners, passionate experts and talented artists.”

Salon London is dedicated to bringing massive ideas to intimate spaces from science, psychology and the arts. Here’s what they have planned over the weekend:

Friday
SALON GUIDE TO STANDON SOUNDS
On the eve of the festival Lucy Tesco (ex Rough Trade, now Universal) gets us all excited about the music at Standon Calling 2013. Who? Where? What? How? and What Time Are They On?

MASTER THE ART OF THE WHIP
Tammi Brown leads a cracking session in whip mastery. You bring the enthusiasm. She provides the know how. That’s how it’s gotta work with whips.

Saturday
PERFORM VOCAL ACROBATICS
Fresh off BBC1’s The Voice, Juliet Russell’s vocal acrobatics session will leave you able to balance on a Tightrope, cry Tears of a Clown or to Bring On The Dancing Horses.

CONQUER YOUR FEAR OF CLOWMS
Suffering with coulrophobia? It’s not unusual, clowns are emotionally difficult to read and incongruent. Luckily Salon London is running an ‘Aversion Therapy Live’ session to help you face those fears.

TUMBLING WORKSHOP
Brad Inness will be running a beginners guide to rolling, falling, wheeling and double roundoff back flips in his tumbling workshop. Except the back flips.

DRAWING CARNIVAL
Art Macabre presents a family-friendly, all ages drawing carnival. Children and adults can draw together to create a giant collaborative artwork, inspired by our posing ‘Circus of Skeletons’.

Sunday
DANCE LIKE AN MTV DANCER
Kimberley Collins leads us in a circus-themed MTV masterclass, leaving you yearning for your very own headmic.

HUMAN PYRAMID
Brad Inness is on hand to teach us everything we need to know to build - man by man, woman by woman, clown by clown – creating our own Standon Calling Human Pyramid.

SMELL SAFARI
Acclaimed perfumer Sarah McCartney will take us on an olfactory safari through the world of the circus. Delve in to scents to tame lions, to inspire bravery on the trapeze, and to command power like the Ringmaster.

ADULT ART CLASSES
Sketch our secret adult ‘Circus of Skeletons’ session, Art Macabre’s Death Drawing Salon will feature: the unicorn-horned unicyclist, the winged trapeze artist, the painted lady, and nudity.

BIBLIOTHERAPY
Closing the festival Salon London subjects Standon Calling founder Alex Trenchard to some serious Bibliotherapy. Creators Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin and authors of The Novel Cure will reveal Alex’s deepest wishes and desires.