Monday 23 February 2015

Arts festival programme is launched


Details of the 2015 Darlington Arts Festival have been announced and it promises to offer an exciting celebration of the borough’s cultural life.

The festival, the third to be held, will be staged at a wide range of venues across the borough and is being co-ordinated by Darlington for Culture (DfC), the voluntary group which speaks for arts and culture in the area. It will run from April 20 until the end of May.

The idea of the festival came from DfC in the wake of the closure of Darlington Arts Centre in 2012 and was designed to provide a focus for the town’s arts and culture community and to show case its many varied offerings.

This year, almost seventy events, taking in everything from art and literature to music and dance, for all ages will be staged at more than 25 venues. Highlights include:

 

* Politicians will debate the future of arts and culture funding in a pre-Election debate which will launch the Festival. The free event is being staged on Monday April 20 at 7pm in the Liddiard Theatre at Polam Hall School on Grange Road and Darlington candidates from the main parties have agreed to take part, including answering questions from the audience. The event will be chaired by Chris Lloyd, the Political Editor of The Northern Echo.

 

* A number of events to draw attention to the 190th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, including a railway-themed Film Festival featuring classic moves including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Railway Children to be run by Darlington Film Club, which is based at the Forum in Borough Road, and events at Head of Steam, Darlington’s railway museum.

 

 * A month-long literary festival, featuring numerous readings, discussions, writing workshops and book signings, including a day of workshops on Saturday May 16, organised by Authors North, the northern group of the Society of Authors, at Teesside University, in Vicarage Road, followed by an evening of readings of award-winning short stories at Voodoo Café, 84 Skinnergate, Darlington

 

* Several art exhibitions including  The Materialistics – A Grand Tour between May 12-July 2 Crown Street Art Gallery, Crown Street Library, Darlington. The Materialistics are a group of knitters and stitchers, ranging from novices to experts, who enjoy practicing their skills in creative ways, using recycled materials whenever possible.  

* A series of music events, including Darlington Jazz Festival, with events at venues across the town between Thursday April 23-Sunday April 26 including on

Saturday 25th April  an afternoon of free outdoor jazz at the Joseph Pease Area and High Row in the town centre.

Among other musical events, there will be visits by musicians from America and Italy and on Saturday May 16 Darlington Folk Club will present a Folk Music and Dance Day in the town centre, including musical performances and folk dancing

* Sunday May 10 will see the Arts Showcase Event take place between 10am and 4pm.  Co-ordinated by Darlington for Culture in partnership with a number of other organisations and individuals.

Previously, this event has been held in the Market Place.  This year it is moving to Darlington’s ‘Cultural Quarter’, the area along Borough Road from the Civic Theatre, past the site for the new Children’s Theatre Hullaballoon, past the Forum Music Centre up to Darlington College and Teesside University in Haughton Road. 

This family event is free to everyone and has a theme of Arts, Music, Crafts, Leisure Activities, Theatre and Dance with many organisations involved. There will be three open-air performance areas and shows will take place throughout the day. Middleton Street Peace Garden, commemorating the loss of two local men in the First World War, will be opened at midday by Lord Sawyer, Chancellor of Teesside University and a Darlingtonian.

If your arts group or organisations wishes to take part in the showcase, please contact DfC at darlo4culture@gmail.com

 

DfC Chair John Dean said: “This year’s festival promises to be excellent, providing an opportunity to celebrate the range of activities on offer.  Darlington’s arts and culture scene is alive and kicking and the festival gives people the opportunity to enjoy what is on offer. There really is something for everyone.”

 

DfC Secretary Matt Roche said: “The sheer array of events that will make up Darlington Arts Festival 2015 demonstrates that the cultural community is thriving in the town. This is based on the hard work of lots of brilliant people, often who are not paid but do it for the love of the arts and where we live. We'd urge everyone in Darlington to join with us to dance and sing and laugh and express ourselves. After all, in these difficult times, arts and culture help remind us what it is to be human.”

 

Stephen Wiper, Creative Darlington Manager, said: “2014 was a great year for culture in Darlington, with Darlington Arts Festival, Darlington Comedy Festival, Darlington Community Carnival, Darlington Dance Festival, Darlington Jazz Festival and the Festival of Thrift.  Great festivals and the Jabberwocky Markets are raising our profile and help the local economy and help bring a smile to people’s faces.  

“Major Lottery funding awards secured by Darlington Civic Theatre and Theatre Hullabaloo in 2014 will help preserve and promote our theatre heritage and enhance the borough’s rich reputation for art going forward. 

“The Forum, the Bridge Centre for Visual Arts and Crown Street Art Gallery are also thriving thanks to people’s hard work. 

“People are now expecting great things from Darlington and Darlington for Culture play a key role in mobilising skills, talent and enthusiasm across the borough and in harnessing the we can do it spirit. They’ve made Darlington Arts Festival into something we can all be proud of.   I would like to congratulate Darlington for Culture and everybody who’s helping the arts flourish in Darlington.”

John Rice, Chair of Authors North, the northern group of the Society of Authors, said: “This year we’re organising our spring events as part of the Darlington Arts Festival. Authors North is the northern group of the Society of Authors, and as such we’re passionate about supporting cultural festivals in the north. We’re delighted to be part of the third annual Darlington Arts Festival.”

 

Supporters of the festival include

Creative Darlington

Cleveland College of Art and Design

Resilient Business Systems

Ephemeral Web Design

Darlington Borough Council

Newcastle Building Society

Forum Music Centre (run by Humantics)

 


Twitter at @darloartsfest, Facebook at darlingtonartsfestival2014

 and a brochure will be circulated throughout the town nearer the time

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