Hebden Bridge Arts Festival News: Arts Festival 2011 Final Week

Arts Festival 2011 Final Week

There’s still time to snap up tickets for events in the final week of this year’s Hebden Bridge Arts Festival. Thursday 7 July sees a screening of ‘Son of Babylon’ at Hebden Bridge Picture House. Set in Northern Iraq in 2003, the film follows 12 year old Ahmed in his quest to find his father, who failed to return home from the Gulf War. The film will be introduced by producer Isabelle Stead and a question and answer session will follow the screening.

‘Lockerbie: Unfinished Business’ will play at the Little Theatre on Friday July 8. This is David Benson’s fascinating, moving and internationally acclaimed portrait of Doctor Jim Swire and his 20 year campaign for justice over the Lockerbie bombing, following the death of his daughter, Flora, who was killed in the atrocity. The piece premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe last summer winning a Fringe First Award and international acclaim, selling out and leaving audiences astonished, moved and fascinated by Jim’s story.

Moishe’s Bagel will take to the Trades Club stage on Friday. Presenting an intoxicating, life-affirming mix of jazz-inflected klezmer and Balkan music, this will be just the gig to get the weekend off to a good start. Just a handful of tickets remain, so book before you set out.

Contemporary dance company DankDance wowed crowds in St George’s Square on Saturday, but if you missed them, don’t worry, as they will be performing their new show, ‘Limelight’ again this weekend. The duet uses local spaces to dramatic effect to analyse man’s desires and reservations about showing off. ‘Limelight’ will be performed at 6pm on Saturday and again at 2pm and 4pm on Sunday. The meeting point for the performance is yet to be revealed - please email or text the word LIMELIGHT to dankdance@gmail.com or 07966570125, or contact the Festival box office for more details!

Lunchtime recitals are always a popular part of the Festival and at Heptonstall Church on Saturday, guitarist Tom McKinney will perform a programme of contemporary works combined with pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Audiences on Saturday evening can choose from two contrasting events. Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook will talk about his adventures in the music business at the Picture House before heading around the corner to offer a late dj-ing set at the Trades Club. Meanwhile, up at Heptonstall, The Hepton Singers will present an intriguing programme of choral works from the 20th and 21st centuries, including pieces by Ravel, Britten and Arvo Part. Both events start at 8pm.

At the beautiful Wainsgate Chapel on Sunday afternoon (July 10), accordionist Thom Hardaker and viola virtuoso Julia Kornig will offer a unique performance of traditional folk music from Scotland to Russia, as well as a wide repertoire of classical music from Bach to Piazzolla.

A gallery setting will provide the perfect backdrop for poets Ruth Padel and Ann Sansom when they read from their work and answer questions at ArtsMill, Linden Mill at 7.30pm on Sunday 10 July. Ruth Padel was Chair of the Poetry Society 2004 - 6 and Ann Sansom is a co-director of The Poetry Business. This event is supported by The Book Case.

For a great way to chill out on the final night of the Festival, check out Lucy and the Caterpillar at Nelsons Wine Bar (Sunday 10 July). Acoustic singer-songwriter Lucy has been described as many things, including a Mancunian Jean Seberg and a female Jose Gonzalez. Lucy rarely performs in Hebden Bridge so don’t miss this opportunity to be enchanted!

Hebden Bridge Arts Festival 2011 is supported by Arts Council England, Hebden Royd Town Council, Calderdale Council, Sweet & Maxwell and Welcome to Yorkshire. Tickets for all events are now available from the Festival box office on Albert Street (01422 842684) or online via the Festival website at www.hbaf.co.uk where you can also sign up for regular email updates. Facebook users can also stay in touch via www.facebook.com/hbartsfestival.