Fishing village to put boat out with festival

The rugged beauty of Staithes has inspired artists for hundreds of years, a tradition that took off in the late 19th century when a group of impressionist painters descended on the bustling North Yorkshire fishing port.

Known as the Staithes Group and including renowned artists such as Dame Laura Knight, who kept a studio in the village with husband and fellow artist Harold, their paintings are still keenly sought and can change hands for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Now its latest generation of artists is to hold a new festival celebrating both the cultural and maritime heritage of the village, which was once one of the busiest harbours on the East Coast.

The festival – which is being backed by tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire – will see cottages, public spaces, pubs, windows and boats turned into pop-up galleries for an array of professional and amateur artists to exhibit their work.

And it is hoped it will grow into one of the most prominent cultural events on Yorkshire’s coast, securing the future of a village which is still struggling in the wake of the dismantling of its once proud fishing fleet.

Barbara Govan, the chair of the inaugural Staithes Arts and Heritage Festival, said: “It has always had that artistic pedigree and there has been quite a revival recently.

“We knew that there were a lot of local artists that were in favour of doing this.

“A few months ago we had an informal meeting about it, then arranged a public meeting where lots of people turned up and we decided to set up a festival steering committee.

“It is made up between the two communities of people with second homes and people who live here.

“There is a huge bank of skills and experience and we are united by a passion for the village and its survival. We want the festival to get people to see Staithes in a new light.”

As part of the festival, Staithes residents have put together a comprehensive collection of heritage photographs and artefacts retrieved from its fishing boats and the numerous wrecks littering the seabed along the coast from the village.

“Lots and lots of people have been offering things to be used in the festival,” Mrs Govan added.

“Some of these artefacts will never have been displayed to the public before – the people putting it together are very ambitious.”

The festival has also compiled an archive of footage shot around the village which is a popular location for TV and film directors – including scenes from the Pied Piper featuring Peter O’Toole.

Organisers have matched up artists with homes, holiday cottages and other venues for them to exhibit and sell their works throughout the duration of the festival.

So far, some 20 artists have officially registered for the event with more venues and exhibitors signing up by the day.

Top artists are included in the line up and some will be offering workshops, including Eton College’s master of drawing schools, Ian Burke, who has a long-standing connection with Staithes.

Meanwhile, nationally renowned portrait artist Garnet Dore will have a studio in a cottage by the harbour and on the first day will be painting Welcome to Yorkshire Chief executive Gary Verity.

Mr Verity said: “I was honoured to be asked, as it’s not every day someone paints your portrait.

“Garnet’s an extremely talented artist, so I’m sure he’ll do a great job.

“More importantly, festivals like these make up a key part of Yorkshire’s tourism offer and it promises to be another fabulous one for people to enjoy.

“Staithes is another of our county’s places of outstanding beauty and will provide a great, dramatic setting for this festival’s first year.”

The Staithes Art and Heritage Festival, which has also received the backing of Scarborough Borough Council, will run over the weekend September 22 and 23.

For more information about the festival and to see lists of artists exhibiting, visit www.staithesfestival.com.

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