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This summer, Coalville’s parks and leafy corners are about to be sprinkled with something wonderfully unexpected. For two days in August, artist Alistair Gentry is transforming the town’s green spaces into miniature worlds of creativity, curiosity, and gentle adventure.
13 Aug 2025
Drawing upon the areas toy making past, it’s industrial heritage and the wooded landscape today, the events are titled (and themed) as Dollville, Coalville, Treeville and Peopleville!
From giving old dolls new life to chatting with clouds and discovering hidden trees, these slow, collective, and gentle adventures are completely unique to Coalville and the National Forest.
Some activities are specific to that festival, others repeat with variations so somebody who attends more than one won’t be bored!
Wednesday 20 August
Dollville (11am–1pm, Snibston Colliery Park, near the café)
Give “nearly-new” dolls a second life, craft upcycled flags, and uncover the secret history of Coalville’s toy-making past.
Coalville (2pm–4pm, Snibston Colliery Park)
Join the Slow Awareness Parade to the “Snibston Elks,” try your luck at Arboreal Bingo, and discover the playful possibilities of Cloud Recycling.
Thursday 21 August
Treeville (12pm–2pm, Tiny Forest, near Whitwick & Coalville Leisure Centre)
Experience the “Sapling Love-in” — a meditative encounter with young trees — and share in a Japanese-style Dolls Tea Party honouring Miyawaki, inventor of the Tiny Forest.
Peopleville (3pm–5pm, Hermitage Fishing Lake & Recreation Ground)
More doll transformations, more tea parties, and the delightful art of Cloud Recycling return for an afternoon of gentle making and conversation.
Each micro-festival comes with its own limited-edition zine, packed with imagery, stories, and references to take home as a memento.
While the events are free, space is limited, so advance booking is essential via Coalville CAN's online booking.
These micro-festivals are a collaboration between Alistair Gentry, the National Forest, and Coalville CAN, supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
