John Hegley
John Hegley might just be our favourite person, like ever. The poet, comedian, musician and songwriter has been talking, writing, singing and dancing about everything from dogs and glasses to poignant potatoes and his beloved Luton Town for as long as we can remember.
2021 saw John perform at his 31st Edinburgh Fringe Festival and you’ll no doubt be pleased to know he’s only getting funnier! Whether John has us singing along to songs about bungalows or drawing pictures of dogs or even writing a poem of our own, we can’t think of anyone better to whisk us away at the Wilderwild.
Beccy Owen's Pop-Up Choir
Beccy Owen’s Pop-Up Choir is exactly what it says on the tin!
A one-off, a capella musical happening that brings people of all ages, backgrounds and musical tastes together. There are no auditions necessary here, join Beccy at the campfire and bring your voice, your ears and plenty of positive vibes.
Choir leader Beccy has gathered uplifting songs from around the world and always prefers performance over perfection so prepare to sing loud and proud at this fun-filled, family-friendly pop-up!
City of Play
Tinkertown are on a mission to revive the lost art of den building and are headed back to Deer Shed, this time armed with more pallets than ever before!
An incredible 3,000 of you visited our City of Play last year, helping our placemaking team design and build all sorts of structures from scrap timber. The open nature of Tinkertown empowers children to explore their ideas, safely learn about risk and collaborate both physically and socially on an inhabitable, autonomous project that is as big as their imaginations.
We’ve been busy collecting too, so be prepared to turn Baldersby Park into your very own Timber Town or Pallet Palace!
Before Breakfast
Fusing classical knowledge, rich arrangements and raw expression, Before Breakfast explore feminist issues and tell personal stories in a beautiful but bittersweet web of vocal harmonies, cello and treated piano…
Having supported the likes of Paul Heaton, Billy Bragg and Richard Hawley on arena-sized stages, we’re seriously lucky to have Before Breakfast joining us for one of our special Fire Side Sessions. We can’t wait to hear how ‘Absorbed’, the band’s intimate new EP, sounds alongside the warmth and crackle of a proper camp fire. Trust us, this is going to be really special.
Jake Alexander Stevens
Jake Alexander Stevens is the modern day troubadour we’ve been waiting for.
A seasoned storyteller, commanding bandleader and virtuoso performer; Jake takes inspiration from some of history’s most iconic big-band balladeers before adding his own incendiary, contemporary twist…
Think Cat Stevens meets Sonic Youth or Bob Dylan with a hint of Royal Blood. It’s eccentric, eclectic and electric which, coincidentally, are three of our favourite words here at Deer Shed HQ!
Jenna Drury
We highly recommend you join Jenna Drury of Mud Pie Arts around our camp fire for a tall tale or two…
Mud Pie Arts have been baking up interactive, multi-sensory stories for over 20 years and celebrated playwright and children’s author Jenna is currently Education Associate at York Theatre Royal, so we can’t think of anyone better to hand-pick their very best yarns and finest capers for you, the quick-witted folks of Deer Shed.
Be sure to bring your imagination, as well as a blanket and some snacks; who knows what adventures are in store!
Fireside Sessions
It doesn’t get much cooler than this… Or should we say cosier? We’ve invited a selection of the incredible acts and artists from this year’s line up to join us by the fire for some special, stripped down sets.
Remember to pack your best blankets, make sure to double up on marshmallows (you can never have enough in our opinion) and prepare to snuggle down next to a proper campfire alongside some suitably soothing songsmiths.
Tree Climbing
If you're anything like us the first thing you want to do when you see a tree is climb it!
Well, lucky for you we've invited professional tree climber Jessica Herbert and her tree climbing team back to Topcliffe so they can show us how it's done.
Long time festival friends and honorary Shed heads, Jessica and co. will be on hand to help you safely scale some of the most magnificent specimens that Baldersby Park has to offer; don't forget to tell us what the festival site looks like whilst you’re up there admiring the view!
Save the Bees
Bee-lieve it or not, bees don’t just make all that yummy honey we eat every day, they also play a vital role in keeping our flowers blooming and our orchards full of fruit. So, making sure our bee buddies are happy and healthy is really important!
Fortunately, Save The Bees are here to show us what we can do to keep the bees abuzz; whether we’re helping tired bees find their way back home, protecting existing bee hives or encouraging new ones by doing amazing things with seeds, this experience is guaranteed to be the bees knees…
Wood Craft
That’s right, it’s time to embrace your inner survivalist. Our dedicated Deer Shed Wood Craft crew are camped out on site to help you cut, chop, drill and whittle an unassuming stick into your very own wooden creation!
They’ll show you how to use an array of unusual woodworking tools like shave horses and spoke shaves to turn timber into all sorts of handy bits and pieces that’ll no doubt be invaluable on all your forest forays to come.
Ceramic Slug
We don’t think it’s possible to have too many pots, so we’re delighted that Ceramic Slug are trailing all the way up from Bristol to join us in Baldersby Park for the weekend.
What’s more, they’re bringing their incredible portable pottery wheel and clay for days so they can show us how to get our throw down! Whether you’re making your first pot or your fiftieth, the lovely people at Ceramic Slug will have you throwing, trimming and finishing with the best of them in no time.
Willow Making
It never ceases to amaze us just how many things you can do with the humble willow… From weaving baskets and bird feeders to crafting wind chimes and Christmas decorations, is there nothing that this simple stick cannot do?!
If you’re intrigued by the creative potential that willow making offers, interested in keeping an important tradition alive or even looking for some eco-friendly gift ideas, this expert-led experience is an incredible opportunity to learn something new that’s good for the planet too!
Bushcraft
It doesn’t really get better than bushcraft, does it?
Whatever you like to do deep in the woods, whether it’s hide and seek, making dens or even camping out; our Deer Shed Bushcraft Crew are here to teach you all about surviving safely and responsibly out in wild.
From learning the five C’s (that’s Cutting, Combustion, Cover, Container and Cordage) to foraging, fishing, tracking and trapping; you’ll be fully equipped to camp out in Baldersby Park until next year’s Deer Shed!
Sunrise & Twilight Kayaking
As if having our very own lake on site wasn’t cool enough, this year in addition to our daytime kayak sessions we'll be running specialised first thing in the morning Sunrise sessions and last thing at night twilight sessions so you can fully appreciate how gosh darn beautiful Baldersby Park is… No, you’re crying!
Anyway, whether you’re an early bird or a night owl you’re welcome to join us on the water and paddle to your heart’s content as Topcliffe wakes up/goes to sleep around you. Just watch out for any dozing ducks, okay?
Wild Run
The Wild Run is fast becoming a Saturday and Sunday morning tradition here at Deer Shed; few things can prepare you for full on day of family fun than flying through the fields of Baldersby Park!
This year we've got an ultra runner setting the pace, so catch up if you can. Don't worry if you're just out for a gentle morning jog though, our dedicated team of fitness bunnies will be delighted to keep you company.
Whether you're determined to set a new BP-PB (that's Baldersby Park Personal Best btw) or if you need to dust those night-before-hangover-cobwebs away, you're more than welcome; no judgement here - just jogging!
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
It just wouldn’t be Deer Shed without our friends from the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, would it? They’ll be on hand all weekend to tell us about all the natural wonders of wildlife that surround us and what we can do to protect them.
Whilst Baldersby Park is where we park our tents for the weekend, it’s also home to thousands (and we mean thousands) of different wildlife and creepy crawlies all year round!
From where to look for them and how to look after them, trust the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to keep us in the know.
Fireside Storytime
Is there a better soundtrack to a bed time story than the hiss and crackle of a proper campfire?
Cosy up next to our seasoned storytellers as they whisk you away to distant lands full of mystery and adventure… But don’t forget to take a s’more or two with you before you go. We’d hate for you to get peckish on the way!
RSPB
It happens every. single. year. Whether we’re drifting off to sleep in our tent or waking up first thing, we’ll hear a brand new bird call and proceed to spend the whole weekend trying to track it down!
Fortunately for us, the RSPB are setting up shop at Deer Shed this year to put our bird-brains at ease. They’ll have all the info you need on the wide variety of feathered friends you’re likely to see in Baldersby Park and maybe even some tips on where and when to watch out for some rare birds too…