Another successful year for Tapton Lock Festival
On the 16th and 17th September we delivered our annual Tapton Lock Festival on the banks of the Chesterfield Canal. Working alongside our partners at the Derbyshire Countryside Service this year’s event was bigger and better than ever before. The performance programme boasted Pif Paf Theatre’s Amazing Fly-cycle Adventure, an Aerial Cabaret Spectacular from Notts Circus, Professor Seltsam’s incredibly funny magic show, the wonderful Unison Choir and the Bolsover Poetry Group.
There really was something for everyone and we welcomed over 1000 visitors over the weekend to enjoy the shows, participate in the arts workshops, try the climbing wall or have a go at canoeing.
In the Visitor Centre we screened a documentary about the making of Sleepers, a new film made in Chesterfield and featuring local talent, to be released soon.
During the week prior to the Festival we delivered an outreach project with pupils from Abercrombie School. They visited the canal to learn about the environment and wildlife and the following day took part in an arts workshop with Junction Arts. The artwork they created, large flags decorated with beautiful illustrations of water insects, adorned the marquee for all our visitors to admire. If you would like to see the work, it will be on display in the Visitor Centre until mid October.
The weather was good until Sunday afternoon when the heavens opened! Everyone rushed into the marquee just as the Ashover Band were about to begin. The audience were treated to a selection of popular tunes including our very own Valiants Arise, original music commissioned for our 40th anniversary and written by international composer Paul Lovatt Cooper.
We would like to extend our thanks to all the artists, performers and stall holders who helped to make this a weekend to remember and to all our sponsors and local councillors without whose support the event would not be possible.
