by Julie James
As restrictions are starting to ease slowly the arts industry can start to begin opening up again for much missed live events.
Huddersfield has a diverse and thriving arts scene and we have been finding out what there is to look forward to in the next couple of months. So, if like so many of us, you have missed live theatre, music, and much more, below is a small selection of events happening around the town centre.
Let’s look forward to these summer events, support our local town, and make the most of what is on offer:
Theatre
Throughout lockdown we have missed dressing up and heading out to the theatre, a pre-drink in the bar, the live experience and a post drink discussion at the end of the performance. Lawrence Batley Theatre, the fabulous home of live performance in Huddersfield is opening its doors to welcome you back for a summer season of home-grown theatre, local musical talent, brand new commissions and lots more all which will be presented outdoors in the Courtyard or socially distanced in the main theatre.
Some of the highlights we can look forward to in May and June include outdoor theatre performance ‘Farcicals’ as Dick and Lottie return to the theatre with their take on two short farces by Alan Ayckbourn and opera performance ‘Express G & S’ as Charles Court Opera takes on the challenge of performing the complete works of Gilbert & Sullivan in 75 minutes!
Inside the main space an exhilarating sound installation ’Blindness’ will transform the Main Stage as visitors experience Jose Saramago’s dystopian novel as a sound installation, listening on headphones as the narrative unfolds around them.
If you want to start your weekend chilling, ‘Summer in the Courtyard’ is back with the Courtyard gates open to welcome you most Fridays and Saturdays for drinks, delicious street food and live music, a perfect setting to sit, relax and celebrate the weekend.
You can view the full season and book online by visiting the website www.thelbt.org
Music
Live music venues and musicians have had a hard time of it over the last year and we have all missed the excitement and buzz of a live gig. We are lucky, in Huddersfield, to have a thriving music scene and we can start to look forward to embracing this once again.
Huddersfield’s quirky independent music venue, The Northern Quarter, is opening back up with the return of ‘As good as live’ Unprecedented Events. Unprecedented Events is a pandemic-resilient, high production digital media project for grassroots music in Huddersfield. Performances are filmed and projected onto 150” screen to a socially distanced audience.
Supported by Kirklees Council’s ‘Year of Music 2023’ the project provides new ways for emerging artists to develop and engage local audiences through the innovation and adaptation of digital performance styles.
Two events have been announced Easy Stride Band supported by Liseli B on 22nd May and Dusk Notes supported by Isaac Saierre & Tim Scott on 26th June and tickets are selling fast.
To find out more about these events and general information about this brilliant venue log onto their social media on facebook Northern Quarter, Huddersfield or Instagram @northernquarter_huddersfield.
For more live music, the iconic live music venue, The Parish are back with music, food and booze and they have a programme of live socially distanced music and comedy gigs starting in June. If you want a great atmosphere, great beer, good food and great bands head over to their social media to find out what is happing and get down to The Old Courthouse their new home. Facebook: parishevents. Instagram: @parisheventsuk.
WOVEN in Kirklees
It is really great to be able to start welcoming back community art festivals around the town centre and beyond and what better start than the WOVEN in Kirklees. This is a celebration of innovation in textiles across Kirklees which runs from 5th – 27th June. This biennial festival is funded by Kirklees Council but is owned by everyone, including community group, textile businesses, cultural and educational organisations, artists and heritage sites across the area. WOVEN’S theme is generations of innovators, connecting a strong heritage with today’s innovative developments in industry, university research, a strong arts and crafts scene and the creative expression of the district’s rich and diverse communities. To celebrate this, there is a full programme of special, themed textile events taking place in various locations across Kirklees, including demonstrations, exhibitions, talks, family activities, trails, performances, workshops, panel discussions, open studios, soundscapes and walks.
The festival starts with the unveiling of the Big Rainbow Knit – a spectacular yarn bombing of the six grand pillars at Huddersfield Train station. The unique rainbow installation has been created with over 15,000 knitted squares which have been sent from all over the UK and as far away as Germany, Helsinki and Australia by an army of knitters and crocheters. This spectacular installation will be available to see from the 5th June.
Throughout the festival you can follow the ‘Growing Together’ window trail of window displays around the Piazza Shopping Centre and discover the story of natural dye, from seed to dyed fabric.
Marking the conclusion of the festival the Biennale Finale and talking place at Piazza Shopping Centre, Huddersfield 19th & 20th June is a weekend of exhibitions celebrating the creativity of the children and young people in Kirklees. Sculptures, music, sound, walks, dance, artwork, films and photographs will be all on display in this celebratory Finale. This collection of exhibitions is of the wonderful work the young people of Kirklees have created over this past year, juggling school, lockdowns and isolations.
The final weekend of the festival, 26th & 27th June will be a celebration of two long term projects. The Big Rainbow Knit and Growing Colour.
Join the celebration at St George’s Square for a weekend of knitting themed fun. Browse yarn stalls and displays, watch scaled-up craft demonstrations and soak up the atmosphere with roaming theatrics and buskers. All with the spectacular Big Rainbow Knit yarn bombed pillars of Huddersfield train station.
On the same weekend, visit Ravensknowle Park to find out about how to make natural dyes from suitable plans and materials and how the dyes can be used in textile artworks and fashion.
There is this and so much more to this celebratory festival and for the full programme of events and further information visit www.woveninkirklees.co.uk
