Local artists, musicians, dancers, actors and arts groups will complement the national and international line-up for Bradford Festival this year.
Organiser Bradford Council said next month’s three-day celebration includes cutting edge and interactive theatre, displays of fine arts and craft pieces, original music and dance.
Economic development programmes manager Shelagh O’Neill said: “We are delighted to be featuring so much great local talent at the Bradford Festival.
“Our district has lots of gifted artists and it will be fantastic to see them alongside some top UK and international performers.”
The city’s multi-award winning theatre company Mind the Gap is staging the world premier of a new music piece, Gift, which will be performed in and around a shipping container.
Common Wealth Theatre, also an award-winner, will perform a snippet from its ground-breaking new play which presents Muslim women as champions and challenges stereotypes.
Dance United will perform an athletic and energetic contemporary dance piece called Ukul Mizan; a giant sculpture called Discus, created by local artist Jim Mitcham, will be on show; and Q20 Theatre’s silent stilt-walkers will take to the streets.
A fun-filled, interactive theatre piece featuring live animation, music and storytelling for children will be performed by 154 Collective.
Visitors are invited to join an adventurer, fearless inventor and connoisseur of carrots as he hunts for rhubarb ogres, battles ghosts and finds a new adventure around every corner in The Adventures of Walter Lemonface.
Bradford’s broadly acclaimed South Asian arts company Kala Sangam will share two beautiful and intricate classical Indian music and dance pieces and city musicians.
As well as local performances, there will be workshops run by artists from the district – including one with a nod to the summer’s Grand Depart. Visitors will be able to dress up as a cycling champion and have their picture taken in character with a special ‘Le Tour’ edition bike at an attraction run by Tim Curtis and Pennine Cycles.
Visitors will also be able to make and wear unique and colourful masquerade masks with help from visual artist and freelance creative arts tutor Zareena Bano.
Calligrapher-artist Razwan Ul-Haq will teach the art of Islamic and Arabic calligraphy, and people can also print and keep their own Bradford Festival commemorative poster in letterpress printing workshops by Shipley-based company The Print Project.
For more information see bradfordfestival.org.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here