HARROGATE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS
Welcome...
A very Merry Christmas from all at the Harrogate International Festivals
We hope you’ve had an enjoyable year with the Harrogate International Festivals.
There can be few festivals that feature Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé Orchestra in the glittering Royal Hall, the semi-free jazz drum-and-sax duo MOBO winners Binker & Moses, in a Spiegeltent and the giants of crime writing, stage, screen and politics in a range of literary festivals. In this, Harrogate International Festivals are distinctive amongst festivals, with our unique broad programme creating opportunities for everyone to experience power of the arts. In 2018 we have worked with a huge range of audiences and participants, bringing the arts to life and creating memories throughout the town. We brought the inspiring Luminarium by Architects of Air to Harrogate engaging nearly 5000 people in the local community over four days, some of whom had never previously experienced the work of the Festival. We created platforms and opportunities for 88 young musicians and budding authors to hone their skills, to perform in front of new audiences, and to learn from the masters of their profession. We used spaces in new ways, hosting our very first Long Table Dinner and 1940’s Day in the Valley Gardens, and transforming Crescent Gardens with the power of the mirrored Spiegeltent. This July we were delighted to be able to premiere a new commission as part of the Spiegeltent from our Guest Curator Ayanna Witter-Johnson showcasing our support for artists at all levels of their careers from emerging artists to the internationally renowned. In February, Harrogate was crowned as ‘2018’s bookiest town’ by the Independent. With three literary festivals in our programme, and a strong pedigree of exclusive events and attracting the very best authors to our town this announcement further cemented the prowess of Harrogate and our Festival as one of the UK’s top destinations for literary events. Our HIF+ programmes continued once again throughout the year. The Big Read took literature and reading skills to people throughout the north, our Big Write took the excitement of creative writing to 622 children from 22 local schools, and our Musical Mums programme worked with teenage young mums and their children developing soft skills, confidence and raising aspirations for their futures. Harrogate International Festivals goes from strength to strength, bringing high quality arts and engagement opportunities to the town despite working in a challenging fundraising landscape. Thank you for your support. Harrogate International Festivals simply could not exist without it. No matter how many tickets are sold, the reality is that sponsorship and personal giving remain our lifeblood. By helping to support the Festival you are continuing the rich history of the arts within Harrogate and are welcomed into the ‘Home of Festivals’.
2018
Box Office: 01423 562 303
www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com Harrogate International Festivals is a registered charity no. 244861.
music
Our Summer Festival Season kicked off in the Spiegeltent on Crescent Gardens, with a host of sensational acts. We welcomed Guest Curator singer, songwriter, cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson who created her own personal and diverse programme of events. The magical venue saw audiences piling in for shows with Benoit Viellefon & His Hot Club, The Gypsy Queens, Hacienda DJ Graeme Park and Tempest Rose with her House of Burlesque. Gone but not forgotten, Jimmy’s Nightclub returned for a one-off evening to relive the glory days. During the daytime we opened the doors to all in a series of free lunchtime performances with our Young Musicians platform. Later in July 2018’s Festival theme, Innovation, brought one of the most mercurial (and Mercury Award nominated) singers, Laura Mvula, to Harrogate in an exclusive one-off UK show as part of the Harrogate Music Festival. We also saw the return of Festival favourite, The John Wilson Orchestra, who swung into town to breathe new life into Hollywood’s Golden Age. We celebrated the anniversary of Bernstein with Emma Johnson, whilst ever popular outdoor theatre company Oddsocks returned once more, dodging the rain with their take on a Shakespeare classic, The Tempest. The centre of Harrogate was brought to life with a pop-up performance from The Fairey Band, whilst VOCES 8 and Rachel Podger brought us peace and tranquillity in their candlelit concert at St Wilfrid’s Church. Our Young Musicians Series continued to offer a platform for the next generation of artists before our summer was brought to a terrific close with the Hallé Orchestra under the baton of Sir Mark Elder. Moving into 2019 we welcome the world’s brightest talents to the heart of Yorkshire as our season of coffee concerts returns to the Old Swan for its 26th year. Opening the series is the internationally renowned pianist Louis Schwizgebel, offering an engaging programme of Schubert and Chopin. Moving into February we welcome the youngest-ever winner of the BBC Young Musician Competition, trombonist Peter Moore, whilst later in the month the charismatic Ruisi Quartet take to the stage. The series also features violinist Jennifer Pike, who performs with one of the UK’s best loved pianists Martin Roscoe. Bringing the series to a close is pianist Yevgeny Sudbin, hailed by The Telegraph as ‘one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century’. We look forward to a full and vibrant Summer Festival in June and July 2019.
Premier Partners
literature Our year-round literary offer for 2018 included the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival, Children’s Festival, Berwins Salon North and Big Read events.
The Children’s Festival returned to the Spiegeltent on Crescent Gardens over one long weekend in June. History, Science and Art came alive across two jam packed days with a series of captivating shows, as the Festival presented the UK’s most sought-after authors, experiences and attractions. Taking place in the magical world of the Spiegeltent – we invited audiences to enter the mirrored walls to uncover the mystery of those subject’s children have an enduring fascination for: sword fighting, bears and fairy-tales!
Berwins Salon North is one of Harrogate’s most sought-after tickets after the Salon was voted as number six in the ‘Top 100 Things to do in the World’ by GQ magazine. The series consists of a cabaret-style night of the most stimulating ideas in art, science and psychology with three expert speakers, each given thirty minutes to engage the audience with their subject. Coming in the New Year, ‘What Matters Most’ will feature Roger Hampson, on how the smart-machines revolution is re-shaping our lives and our societies, author Kate Leaver on her book The Friendship Cure and Mark Miodownik MBE, the NYT Bestselling author of Stuff Matters. In February we will be looking at ‘What Makes You Who You Are’, as we welcome Professor Gina Rippon on her new book The Gendered Brain, Dr Merve Emre will tackle the strange world of personality testing, with What’s Your Type? and Oren Harman will talk 15 Myths That Explain Our World.
With Lee Child at the helm as Programming Chair for 2018’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival it was the biggest year yet! Special Guests included giants of the genre Linwood Barclay, Dame Prof. Sue Black, Lee Child, Nicci French, John Grisham, Sophie Hannah, Laura Lippman, Val McDermid, Denise Mina and Don Winslow. Celebrating the very best in crime fiction, the Festival is a firm date in the literary calendar and is set to return to the magnificent Old Swan Hotel next summer from the 18-21 July with Mari Hannah as programming chair. Guests announced to date include James Patterson, Jo Nesbo, MC Beaton and Stuart MacBride, with further names to be revealed over coming weeks. Hosted over four days, the Raworths Harrogate Literature Festival – returning 17-20 October 2019 – has been handpicked by Harper’s Bazaar as ‘one of the UK’s best literary festivals’. The Festival in October featured four fantastic days packed with some of the biggest names from the worlds of fiction and non-fiction. And what a journey we had! From mummy blogger and viral sensation Gill Sims to biker dude Henry Cole, politics live with the inestimable Alan Johnson and John Simpson to historical fiction greats including Conn Iggulden, Manda Scott and Lindsey Davis, there really was something for all tastes! Major Supporter
Community Partners
Regular Funder
HIF+ | reaching out Musical Mums, our flagship education project, went from strength to strength in 2018. Over the past year we have continued to provide weekly music making sessions to mothers under 25 and their children in Harrogate. Our regular sessions provide a safe and welcoming environment in which mothers can enjoy creative activities and bonding time with their child. This year we have seen our attendee numbers grow and we continue to see many positive changes in our participants including increased confidence and social interaction. This year we have held several special sessions which has included trips to Harrogate Library and visits from instrumentalists. Our Library of Live scheme continued throughout 2018. Under this scheme, young people aged 7-25 have been invited to join HIF as free Library of Live members.
This membership entitles young people to free tickets for numerous HIF events across the year. We have had lots of interest in the scheme and currently have around forty young people signed up. We are delighted with this initial interest and hope to develop the next generation of arts-lovers as the scheme continues to grow.
October half-term saw another successful round of Global Villages workshops delivered in rural or isolated areas in the district. Over four days, we visited Beckwithshaw, Ripon, Pateley Bridge and Bilton to deliver our free world-music workshops with children aged 8-13. We welcomed thirtythree participants to the workshops in which children were introduced to music from West Africa with multiinstrumentalists Moussa Dembele and Alai Sanfo. The workshops allowed children to explore music from different cultures as well as develop their confidence and social skills. A great time was had by both children and parents as each day concluded with a short performance, allowing the children to show-off their new skills!
Mini Community Libraries Read It? Love It? Swap It! Harrogate International Festivals has launched a mini community library scheme to encourage reading for pleasure in our community with mini libraries popping up in shops, cafes, and businesses across town. Visit our own mini library located out the front of the Festival’s Office on Cheltenham Parade. Bring along a book to swap and take home something new! The mini-libraries build on Harrogate International Festival’s legacy of promoting reading and literacy and encouraging reading in the wider community.
volunteers
As ever, we are incredibly grateful for the on-going support of our dedicated team of Festival volunteers. Whether distributing fliers and guides or stewarding at events, Harrogate International Festivals relies on the hard work and enthusiasm of our supporters year-round to deliver our acclaimed programme. If you are interested in being involved as a volunteer, please do contact Mary at the Festivals office on 01423 562303.
