The idea
We are a group of volunteer professionals planning to stage the first CLITHEROE CONTEMPORARY, a three-day Arts Festival, from 9th - 11th June 2023.
Clitheroe, our historic market town, gateway to the Forest of Bowland & Pendle Hill, is home to established Ribble Valley Festivals championing international Jazz & Blues & the best local Food. Our aim is to expand Clitheroe's cultural calendar to include an annual summer celebration of the creative arts for everyone to enjoy, bringing art to those who might not otherwise experience it.
Across the town, there will be workshops, artist’s talks, classes, installations, performances & exhibitions featuring paintings, films, sound art & sculpture – some for sale, some simply to enjoy.
With your pledges & the help of local businesses, leisure & hospitality venues, schools & community groups, we will bring to the town a wide range of UK & international artists as well headlining our local talent.
Art is for everyone. Let's make it Happen!
What we'll deliver
- A three-day festival from 9th – 11th June 2023, including pre-festival participation with schools and community groups
- Community launch event on Saturday 3rd June 2023
- Curated exhibitions, installations, performances, screenings and events
- Artist led workshops, talks and classes
- Open exhibition
- Art Fair with art works for sale
- Community Plein air painting competition
- Legacy of public artworks for the town
- Ongoing arts projects for young people
- Website and social media platforms with images and information, audio and film footage
Why it's a great idea
Art & culture can energise communities, inform thinking & inspire change. Our aim is for an open to all, volunteer led festival that will generate a sense of inclusion & optimism in an area where, despite wealth there is also need.
Exhibitions across Clitheroe in halls, cafes, pubs & restaurants will serve to support the careers of emerging artists whilst raising the Ribble Valley’s profile & lending an economic boost to its leisure & hospitality trade.
Our professional artists will work youth groups & school children, demystifying the creative arts as elitist endeavour & encouraging them to pursue their creative ambitions. A collective effort can help fire the imaginations of everyone, young & old, and especially those who might otherwise not experience art.
We ask for your support to deliver a festival of creative arts in an area where there is no municipal art gallery, no community focussed arts organisation & no cultural investment strategy.
A pledge of as little as £2 will help.
Steps to get it done
- Pre-Festival Launch Event on Friday 3rd June 2023
- Launch Event on Friday 8th June 2023
- Three day art festival from Friday 9th June (multiple exhibitions and events)
- Plein air painting event and competition at Clitheroe Castle for 200+ participants on Sunday 11th June
