Free Events

Award-winning writer, artist and Huddersfield postman Kevin Boniface takes to the road to produce his very own Recorded Delivery. The project involves a series of audio and visual monologues about the people and places he encounters on his rounds. Kevin provides a unique snapshot of contemporary Yorkshire.

The ‘The Most Difficult Thing Ever‘ exhibition showcases Kevin Boniface‘s award-winning blog, which covers a wide range of subjects including topiary armchairs, consolidating your Argos bags, suggestive trees, shouting Raymond, killing a pigeon at the traffic lights, farting loudly by the turnips, wheeling a broken swivel chair out to your bins, bobbing over when she gets back and BMW slippers among many, many others.

Follow the QR codes around Holmfirth to uncover Kevin’s audio diaries as part of Recorded Delivery.

Please note that Up Country is closed on Sunday 19 June.

Why not catch Ed Cotterill’s short film on the ‘Recorded Delivery’ project, plus a few readings from Kevin himself? Click here for further information

Kevin Boniface takes to the road to produce his very own Recorded Delivery. The project involves a series of audio and visual monologues about the people and places he encounters on his rounds. Kevin provides a unique snapshot of contemporary Yorkshire.

Where One Direction perfume for under a tenner, and there’s an underlying murmur of people in tight shorts commenting on the warmer weather to come, this is not to be sniffed at! Click here for the infamous Recorded Delivery blog.

Follow the QR codes around Holmfirth to uncover Kevin’s audio diaries, or see the map upstairs at Up Country. Also, click here to visit the official Recorded Delivery Facebook page!

Why not catch Ed Cotterill’s short film on the project, plus a few readings from Kevin himself? Click here for further information

This year’s Art In The Woods project saw nearly 100 submissions from artists, and promises to be another fantastic element of this year’s festival! This popular biennial event returns for 2016, set in dramatic woodland just five minutes’ drive from Holmfirth town centre.

The Art In The Woods outdoor family art trail features over 30 artists. This year’s event also sees the welcome addition of artist and community collaborations, including many local schools. Artworks have been inspired by our circus theme, and we hope you will be delighted and intrigued with the way artists have explored this in a woodland setting.

Free throughout the Festival, this open air trail will encourage families to enjoy the inspiring setting of Holme Styes reservoir and woodland.

Why not join artists and curators for a glass of fizz at the launch?! Click here for further information

Join some of the Art In The Woods artists, as well as curators Sarah Branson and Jamie Frost, as we launch this year’s exhibition! Enjoy a glass of fizz, take in the artworks within this wonderful environment, and then cast your vote for your favourite!

This year’s Art In The Woods project saw nearly 100 submissions from artists, and promises to be another fantastic element of this year’s festival! This popular biennial event returns for 2016, set in dramatic woodland just five minutes’ drive from Holmfirth town centre.

The Art In The Woods outdoor family art trail features over 30 artists. This year’s event also sees the welcome addition of artist and community collaborations, including many local schools. Artworks have been inspired by our circus theme, and we hope you will be delighted and intrigued with the way artists have explored this in a woodland setting.

Free throughout the Festival, this open air trail will encourage families to enjoy the inspiring setting of Holme Styes reservoir and woodland.

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New Music Holmfirth‘s free event is for anybody that would like to join Saturday afternoon’s Creature Carnival, but hasn’t been able to take part in the costume making workshops. So if you fancy banging a drum for Holmfirth, come along and join in!

This free, fun workshop will create a samba band from scratch in an hour – just in time to take part in the 3pm Creature Carnival! Everyone is welcome and instruments will be provided – no experience necessary.

Just turn up, have some fun, grab yourself a drum and become a part of this magical event, which kicks #HAFest2016 off in spectacular samba style!

Following a very successful meeting at Hope Bank Works on Tuesday 12th, we now have plans firmly in place for this year’s Handmade Parade ‘Creature Carnival’, which takes place as part of this year’s Festival on Saturday 18 June! Click here for the Facebook event!

What will it involve?

The starting point of our parade is a tribute to Fenella, the ex-circus tiger who lived in Holmfirth from 1939 to 1950. The wild creature-themed parade will therefore feature Fenella as one of the giant floats or puppets.

Joining the parade will be costumed local participants, some large parade images, and some existing artwork which will come from the Handmade Parade workshop. Handmade Parade will run a series of art and costume workshops in the 3 weeks leading up to the parade.

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How can I get involved?

The workshops will take place at Hope Bank Works, on the following dates and times:

Sunday 5 June, 1400-1700
Friday 10 June, 1600-1830
Sunday 12 June, 1400-1700
Thursday 16 June, 1600-1830

Now that we have a team of artists in place, we’re dedicated to finding groups, individuals, families, bands, dancers and performers in the Holmfirth area that would be interested in joining us. So, in short, that could very well be you!

So long as you can promise to organise yourselves to be in the parade, we can provide support and guidance along the way to ensure that everybody is as happy as possible!

Volunteer opportunities

We hope to attract a crew of local volunteers, in order to assist with the workshops and also creation of the bigger parade artworks outside of workshop hours. If you know of anybody that might be interested, please ask them to contact us on parade@holmfirthartsfestival.co.uk or directly through our page!

Where will the parade take place?

The parade will begin at 3pm on Saturday 18 June. We’re looking to start on Lower Mill Road, outside the Elephant & Castle, before heading through town (Town Gate A635, Station Road) and down Bridge Lane, before entering the sand recreation area via the cricket pitch.

Join us for a glass of wine and to celebrate the opening of this exhibition of family photographs of Fenella the tiger and her life in Holmfirth.

At the outbreak of World War 2, the Overend family brought Fenella back with them to live in Holmfirth. After a spell in quarantine, the Sumatran tiger lived with the circus family, who took her on long walks around Holmfirth. Fenella is today remembered by pupils who attended “Nabb” School (Holmfirth Junior and Infant) as a friendly tiger, and have lasting memories of incidents involving Fenella.

As Fenella, “Feney” for short, grew older she was then taken on a brief tour and featured in theatres across Britain. In 1950, she sadly died, but the memories she left behind with the local people of Holmfirth are still remembered to this day.
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Join Holmfirth New Music and Holmfirth composer Barry Russell to create a John Cage Circus for the Holme Valley. Using texts, poetry, visual art and instruments from found and recycled objects from the Valley, a new musical work will created for performance on Saturday 25 June.

Click here for information on the performance.

A Cage Circus with Holmfirth New Music

John Cage, composer of the (in)famous 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence, developed the concept of Music Circus. In this, different musics are superimposed and spatially separated to create an environment which is part performance and part sound sculpture (and 100% amazing experience). The last major Music Circus in Kirklees was with Cage himself as part of the 1989 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. This took place in the Town Hall and was based on James Joyce’s novel ‘Finnegan’s Wake’.

Barry Russell‘s new book, ‘Everything We Do Is Music‘, looks at cross-curricular experiments on sound based on the music of John Cage. To celebrate this publication, Holmfirth Arts Festival will present a Music Circus based on the Holme Valley and directed by Barry Russell.

There are several strands to the creation of a Music Circus, and this workshop will devise various layers of the performance. These will include:

1) Texts and poetry about the Holme Valley. We will work with existing texts such as songs about the Holme Valley, news items past and present and stories about Valley characters and also use ideas from John Cage to create new experimental material.

2) Visual art about the valley including pieces made with found objects and natural materials and collages using old printed music.

3) Instruments from found and recycled materials and objects from the Valley.

4) Musical performances, to include existing music (folk, brass band, rock, etc.) and newly improvised pieces which reflect aspects of the valley geography.

These elements will be organised according to chance procedures to form a 60 minute event in the Parish Church on Saturday 25th May. If you enjoyed the anarchic fun of our bicycle performance in 2014, then please come and get involved in this exciting project. No previous musical experience is needed.

No previous experience is necessary and the age range is open. All you need is a spirit of adventure!

There will also be a chance to purchase copies of Barry’s new book.

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“Engaging and so much fun – thank you! We had a great time and want to do more!”

Upswing make their presence felt with their own unique blend of aerial skills. They present diverse and high energy acts that will challenge everything you think you know about circus!

Professional performers will first of all demonstrate aerial pieces and they will then enable children to ‘Have A Go‘ in two open workshops. This is a superb and empowering way to inspire participation while bringing the beauty of aerial circus to all!

Performances at 1pm and 3pm: FREE workshops at 1.30pm – 2.30pm and 3.30pm – 4.30pm

Join New Music Holmfirth and Holmfirth composer Barry Russell to create a John Cage Circus for the Holme Valley. Using texts, poetry, visual art and instruments from found and recycled objects from the Valley, a new musical work will created for performance on Saturday 25 June.

Click here for information on the performance.

A Cage Circus with Holmfirth New Music

John Cage, composer of the (in)famous 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence, developed the concept of Music Circus. In this, different musics are superimposed and spatially separated to create an environment which is part performance and part sound sculpture (and 100% amazing experience). The last major Music Circus in Kirklees was with Cage himself as part of the 1989 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. This took place in the Town Hall and was based on James Joyce’s novel ‘Finnegan’s Wake’.

Barry Russell‘s new book, ‘Everything We Do Is Music‘, looks at cross-curricular experiments on sound based on the music of John Cage. To celebrate this publication, Holmfirth Arts Festival will present a Music Circus based on the Holme Valley and directed by Barry Russell.

There are several strands to the creation of a Music Circus, and this workshop will devise various layers of the performance. These will include:

1) Texts and poetry about the Holme Valley. We will work with existing texts such as songs about the Holme Valley, news items past and present and stories about Valley characters and also use ideas from John Cage to create new experimental material.

2) Visual art about the valley including pieces made with found objects and natural materials and collages using old printed music.

3) Instruments from found and recycled materials and objects from the Valley.

4) Musical performances, to include existing music (folk, brass band, rock, etc.) and newly improvised pieces which reflect aspects of the valley geography.

These elements will be organised according to chance procedures to form a 60 minute event in the Parish Church on Saturday 25th June. If you enjoyed the anarchic fun of our bicycle performance in 2014, then please come and get involved in this exciting project. No previous musical experience is needed.

No previous experience is necessary and the age range is open. All you need is a spirit of adventure!

There will also be a chance to purchase copies of Barry’s new book.
Book this event

Them Two Dance embark on a journey astride their tandem bicycle to encourage the people of Yorkshire to perform more Random Acts of Kindness. In this series of interactive pop-up duets, they ask you to be kind, to be generous and to help them out if they get a puncture!

TALKSHOP

Join Them Two Dance for a chat and cup of tea at 11am at Sid’s Café. Tell them about the random acts of kindness you’d like to see in your community and they will do their best to make them happen.

POP-UP PERFORMANCES

Look out for the tandem bicycle around Holmeside Gardens and also in Victoria Park from 2.30pm for a chance to experience the #RandomTandem.

This work has been co-commissioned by Yorkshire Dance Amplified, The Civic Barnsley & Yorkshire Festival, with a commitment to working and developing audiences for outdoor work in Yorkshire and the North of England. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

“Beautifully revealing… unforgettably good”

★★★★★
THE GUARDIAN

“Knock-out dancing in a potent look at male behaviour”

★★★★★
THE LIST MAGAZINE

Of Man And Beast provides a powerful and sensitive look at male dynamics and behaviour, where bravado is high and aggression is rife. You have to be tough, funny and fast if you want to be part of this gang.

Performances at 12:30pm and 3pm

Tightly packed and fast-paced, Of Man And Beast showcases Company Chameleon‘s unique physical style and stunning athletic ability. Don’t miss the chance to see this stand-out piece of dance theatre from one of the UK’s home-grown professional dance companies.

Of Man and Beast Trailer from Company Chameleon on Vimeo.

Performances at 1pm and 3:30pm

Stefano di Renzo presents two incredible performances of ‘Hold On‘. These free performances take place in Victoria Park, as part of our ‘Park Life‘ event on the closing day of the festival.

A show where gravity, counterweight and centrifugal force are tested to new limits! Witness Stefano di Renzo and this breathtaking one-man wordless performance of delightful virtuosity. Buckets whirl around, cups and balls fly through the air and planks become catapults!

Performances at 1pm and 3:30pm