Home Grown talent tops the bill at Stocksbridge festival

The spotlight will be on local talent in Stocksbridge during September with a special two-week festival planned to showcase everything from comedy to photography and poetry to performing arts.

The Home Grown Festival has been organised by Steel Valley Beacon Arts supported by the Upper Don Arts Community as well as Christ Church, Stocksbridge Co-op and a host of other local businesses and organisations.

It will run in venues across the town from 9th to 23rd September with the focus on providing an opportunity to give a platform to local performers and artists and celebrate the home grown talent in the community.

The Festival will open on September 9th at the Rugby Club on Manchester Road with art displays and glassmaking sessions at Stocksbridge Library as well as poetry reading session, there will be a Home Grown and UDAC launch event with a Ceilidh from 7pm to 10.30pm at the Rugby Club.

The popular Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir will also be taking part with a drop in performance at Bolsterstone Village Hall on Monday 12th September at 7:30pm – encouraging new members to join the choir.

Other highlights throughout the fortnight include:

· A pop-up performance at Fox Valley shopping centre at 2:30pm on Saturday 10th September.

· An online exhibition by the popular local artist Valley Boy which launches on September 12th.

· Waldershelf Choir Drop-In at The Venue 7.30pm on Tuesday September 13th.

·Open Mic Nights at The Pen Nook on Wednesday 14th September and Wednesday 21st September.

· An exhibition trail of young people’s artwork throughout the town.

The event will close with a special Steel Valley Beacon Grand finale performance on Friday 23rd September with an evening of local talent, sketches, music and songs at Christ Church on Manchester Road.

Artistic Director for Steel Valley Beacon Arts, Mandy Aitken, said: “We have organised Festivals in the past but this is most definitely the biggest event we have put on – we want it to be a real celebration of the local talent right here in our own community.

“Please come along and support these great events and get involved in some of the fantastic community groups we have here in Stocksbridge. This is a vibrant and creative community and we have a great opportunity here to celebrate what we have here on our own doorstep.”

For a full run down of the times and Venues across the two weeks of the Home Grown Festival visit the website https://steel-valley-beacon-arts.co.uk/steel-valley-beaconarts-announce-our-homegrownfestival/

A free programme can also be collected from Stocksbridge Co-op, Samuels Kitchen, Stocksbridge Library and Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre.