How Calderdale is set to reclaim Christmas after the Boxing Day floods

Christmas comes early to Calderdale, angels descend on Hull and a giant disco ball arrives in Leeds... Sarah Freeman takes a look at the highlights of this year's Yorkshire Festival.
The UK premiere of Place des Anges, featuring aerial artists performing on zip wires over Piccadilly Circus.The UK premiere of Place des Anges, featuring aerial artists performing on zip wires over Piccadilly Circus.
The UK premiere of Place des Anges, featuring aerial artists performing on zip wires over Piccadilly Circus.

Summer in Calderdale is usually fairly predictable. The picturesque streets of Hebden Bridge are generally lined with hanging baskets, there’s always long queues for ice creams and the area’s canals are often busy with holidaymakers

It will be the same again this year, except come June 25 there will also be brass bands playing carols, a mass turkey dinner and guaranteed snow as Calderdale reclaims the Christmas it didn’t get to enjoy last year.

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It was Boxing Day that the rains came, washing away livelihoods and leaving many of the area’s residents fearful for their future. Today it’s not exactly business ad usual, but there is a general feeling across Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale that exactly six months after the disaster would be a good time to stage their own, slightly, belated festivities, complete with snow machines.

The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.
The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.

“The idea came from a conversation I had with with Tony Addison, whose Two-Tone comic shop had been flooded,” says Jason Elliott, the brains behind Christmas in Calderdale. “He said, ‘This Christmas was a right wash out. Why don’t we turn it on it’s head and do it properly when the sun’s out on June 25 instead?’ I told him to be careful what you wish for and so it’s proved.

“We wanted to throw a giant party partly because these towns deserve it, but we also want to show the outside world we are back up and open for business and invite those volunteers who came to help us in our time of need to join us for Christmas lunch.”

The event is just one of dozens which will come under the umbrella of the three-week Yorkshire Festival. First staged to mark the Tour de France’s arrival in the county in 2014, this year the festival, which gets its official launch today, has attracted an impressive role-call of international acts. “I am pretty confident that we have go the balance right between grassroots, community events and performances by some worldclass companies,” says artistic director Matt Burnham. “This is still early days for the festival - it’s only in its second year - but Yorkshire deserves to have a major arts festival which takes in the whole of the county and I honestly believe that the 2016 programme will give us the foundations to deliver that.

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“I spent most of my early years in Leeds and Skipton and it’s great to be back after 25 years away. There is a real feeling in Yorkshire that we can now deliver worldclass events and a recognition the importance that cultural festivals have in bringing people together.”

The Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate.  EPA/DOMINIC FAVREThe Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate.  EPA/DOMINIC FAVRE
The Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate. EPA/DOMINIC FAVRE

Yorkshire Festival highlights

Garden within a Garden: Acclaimed Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi will use two of Bradford’s parks as his canvas. Inspired by the history of the million-strong British Indian Army, which fought in the First World War, he will turn both Lister Park and City Park into works of art. Given the subject matter, it won’t necessarily be pretty, but it’s guaranteed to be thought-provoking.

Bradford, June 16 to July 3, 1418now.org.uk

Maria de Buenos Aires: Mr McFall’s Chamber music ensemble reaches its 20th anniversary this year and to celebrate will be staging a South American inspired party. Part concert, part performance, all you need to know is that it includes a chorus of ‘brothel keepers, spaghetti-makers, bricklayers and psychoanalysts’ and be warned at the end the audience will be invited to take to their feet to dance the tango (for those not blessed with rhythm a lesson his available beforehand.

The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.
The record breaking giant glitter ball which will be coming to Leeds this summer.

Tennants Auction House, Leyburn, June 16 & 17, tennants.co.uk

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The Nile Project: Bringing together musicians from 11 countries across East Africa, The Nile Project gets its European premiere as part of the Yorkshire Festival. The group is the brainchild of Egyptian musicologist Mina Girgis and Ethiopian singer Meklit Hadero and what they call their ‘concert experience’ is designed to raise awareness of the cultural and environmental challenges along the world’s longest river.

The Alhambra, Bradford, June 18. bradford-theatres.co.uk

Recorded Delivery: Kevin Boniface is a Huddersfield postman. He’s also an award-winning writer and artist who has taken to the road to produce a series of audio and visual monologues about the people and places he encounters on his rounds. Billed as a contemporary snapshot of Yorkshire, the downloadable content will be delivered via a series of prompts in post offices, post boxes, trains and buses.

The Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate.  EPA/DOMINIC FAVREThe Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate.  EPA/DOMINIC FAVRE
The Carabosse company, specialists in pyrotechnics, will be coming to Harrogate. EPA/DOMINIC FAVRE

Running during the Holmfirth, Hebden Bridge and Grassington Festivals. See websites for details.

Fire Garden: While Harrogate might be best known for its spa water, it’s fire that will be at the centre of its Yorkshire Festival celebrations. Created by the renowned French company Carabosse and also marking the 50th anniversary of Harrogate International Festivals, Valley Gardens will be transformed into a fiery spectacle of sculptures, featuring flaming flower pots and metallic installations warmed be red-hot charcoal.

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Valley Gardens, Harrogate, June 23 to 25, harrogateinternationalfestivals.com

Cardboardia: Hebden Bridge’s annual Handmade Parade will this year join forces with a group of Russian artistry who hail from the entirely fictitious country they call Cardboardia. Bear with. It’s the start of a two year project in the north of England, which will culminate in the creation of a Cardboard Town. For now though they will be creating smaller scale sculptures which will feature in the parade. Fingers crossed it stays dry.

Hebden Bridge, June 26, handmadeparade.co.uk

Salt: Selina Thompson’s previous work includes building a giant dress out of a cake in a shopping centre and telling stories inside a 7ft ball of hair. This piece was even more challenging. Earlier this year she boarded a cargo ship to retrace the route of slave triangle from the UK to Ghana and Jamaica and back. Her experiences on board have now been turned into a new performance piece Salt.

Salt, Stage@Leeds, June 29, stage.leeds.ac.uk

The Raunch: Brace yourself. This alternative cabaret has been a hit in London’s South Bank and will come to a secret location in Yorkshire for four nights this summer. With a cast of performers with names like Alternative Miss World Fancy Chance, The Bar Room Beauties and Empress Stah you know that this is going to be one irreverent night out.

Secret location, June 29 to July 2, yorkshirefestival.co.uk

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Big Disco: When you call something the world’s largest disco ball you need to have something to compare it to. According to those who will be responsible for suspending the giant rotating ball from a crane in Leeds city centre it will be the same size as a two storey house (or more surreally, two adult Tyrannosaurs Rex). The ball will be the focus of a night of parties across Yorkshire, with each playing the same dance track chosen by public vote from a list selected by DJs and music industry professionals. Duke Studios, Leeds and across Yorkshire, July 1. Downlaod the disco kit at thebigdisco.com

Place des Anges: This sounds like a scene straight out of Doctor Who. One night this summer, across the city of Hull angels will appear high up on the rooftops. One after the other they will then begin to fly, releasing white feathers as they go. When the final angel has taken flight, it’s the cue for a spectacular firework display, watched by a crowd who by then will be knee deep in feathers.

Hull, July 2. Hull2017.co.uk

For the full Yorkshire Fesitval programme visit yorkshirefestival.co.uk