Aviator Amy inspires new arts festival to reach for the sky

The artist had just visited the room dedicated to the pioneering aviator Amy Johnson at Sewerby Hall in Bridlington and was making his way along the coast when a thought suddenly struck him. “I could hear the calling of the kittiwakes, and falcons were flying in the air above,” says Adam, who lives in Huddersfield. “There and then I had an idea for an arts project on the theme of how we can all fly without leaving the ground.”

That moment of inspiration has grown into a two-year project exploring the themes of flying. Adam secured funding from the Imove initiative, which was set up to inspire cultural events in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics. With financial backing, Wingbeats was born, and this weekend an artistic celebration of flight will land at the seaside resort.

The talents of local pilots, artists, wildlife experts, sportsmen and women have been harnessed for the event which will take place both at Sewerby Hall and the Bridlington Spa.

“Amy Johnson was the first female pilot to fly alone from Britain to Australia and with just one year to go until the Olympics in London she is a great icon of human endeavour and achievement,” says Adam. “Clearly we don’t all share her pioneering spirit, but the aim of this project was to encourage everyone to reach for the skies.

“This is very much about the local community and getting them to inspire each other.”

As part of the Wingbeats Flying Day, artwork produced by pupils at nearby Bempton Primary School with a little help from artist Gabrielle Naptali will be on display at Sewerby Hall, which will open its gates free of charge tomorrow.

A highlight of the day will be an aerobatics display by a Tiger Moth and if the weather is kind, the bi-plane will also land on the cliff tops.

Other events include demonstrations from East Riding Youth Dance, Burundi drummers from West Yorkshire and the junior team of the Flamborough Sword Dancers. In the evening the action switches to the Spa where the Family de Ramos acrobats, who relocated from Brazil to Sheffield will perform against a backdrop of artistic projections and that is just the start.

At the end of September, a musical theatre performance inspired by Bempton cliffs, home to thousands of breeding guillemots, puffins and gannets, will take to the stage of the Spa.

To find out more about Wingbeats and this weekend’s Flying Day visit www.imoveand.com/events/category/wingbeats or call 07946 382560.