The Garforth Arts Festival is an annual

arts festival An arts festival is a festival that can encompass a wide range of art forms including music, dance, film, fine art, literature, poetry and isn't solely focused on visual arts. Arts festivals may feature a mixed program that include music, lite ...

that takes place in

Garforth Garforth () is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It sits in the Garforth and Swillington ward of Leeds City Council and the Elmet and Rothwell parliamentary constituency. As of 2011, the popula ...

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

, England. The events take place over a two-week period in June and July, ending with a full-day ‘Playground Party’ on the final Saturday. The festival features a variety of art forms, including comedy, theatre, circus, music, literature, art and dance. Most events are commissioned educational projects involving children and professional artists.

Location

Events during the festival are held at the

Garforth Academy Garforth Academy (formerly known as Garforth Comprehensive School until September 1992 and Garforth Community College until November 2010) is a secondary school and sixth form for pupils aged 11–18 and is located on Lidgett Lane (B6137) ...

, Garforth Working Men's Club, St Mary's Church and Garforth Miner's Welfare Hall. The ‘Playground Party’ is held in the ‘sunken’ playground outside Garforth Academy with some acts performing on Garforth Main Street.

Festivals

’05 The festival was launched in 2005 and took place over eight days. It saw collaborations between the SLP College and the Breeze International Youth Festival. The headliner was Shaun T Hunter. The festival had a musical procession from Garforth Main Street to the college, led by the Peace Artistes. The Zimbabwean dance group

Siyaya ''Siyaya'' (sometimes known as ''Siyaya Arts'') are a music, dance and theatre group from Makokoba, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zamb ...

worked with local

primary schools A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

as part of the festival. ’06 In 2006 the festival was extended to nine days, with similar diversity throughout the festival and more acts.

Dennis Rollins Dennis Rollins, (born 1964) is an English jazz trombonist, the founder and bandleader of BadBone and Co. Early life and career Dennis George Rollins was born in Birmingham, England, of Jamaican parents, and raised in Bentley, Doncaster, wher ...

’ Badbone & Co headlined the main event. Also appearing in the festival were: The Snake Davis Band;

Cara Dillon Cara Elizabeth Dillon (born 21 July 1975, in Dungiven, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish folk singer. In 1995, she joined the folk supergroup Equation and signed a record deal with Warners Music Group. After leaving t ...

and

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...

. ’07 The festival grew to 11 days in 2007. Events included a master-class and a concert with innovative string quartet

The Brodsky Quartet The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, formed in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, in 1972 as the "Cleveland Quartet". Only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas remain as original members. In addition to performing classical music, and in p ...

; The Sean Hargreaves Trio; the North Star

Steel Pan The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. Descriptio ...

Orchestra and poetry from broadcaster and poet Ian McMillan. The Playground Party saw performances from: Cara Robinson,

Eliza Carthy Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy, MBE (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing the fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. Life and care ...

and the Ratcatchers;

James Taylor Quartet The James Taylor Quartet (or JTQ) are a British four-piece jazz funk band formed in 1985 by Hammond organ player James Taylor following the break-up of his former band The Prisoners (band), The Prisoners, and in the wake of Stiff Records' ba ...

;

Kate Rusby Kate Anna Rusby (born 4 December 1973) is an English English folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Sometimes called the "Barnsley Nightingale", she has headlined various British folk festivals, an ...

and headliner

Courtney Pine Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964), is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...

. ’08 Expanding again, the 2008 festival was 13 days long, and involved the opening of a 'Second Stage' for local groups such as folk group ‘Slania’ and Garforth choir ‘Blue Jeans’.There were talks by

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British politician, writer and diarist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet minister in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

and

Gervase Phinn Gervase Phinn (born 27 December 1946, Rotherham, England) is an English author and educator. After a career as a teacher he became a schools inspector and, latterly, Visiting Professor of Education at the University of Teesside. He graduated fro ...

. Also performing was

Soweto Kinch Soweto Kinch (born 10 January 1978) is a British jazz alto saxophonist and rapper. Biography Born in 1978 in London, England, to a Barbadian father, playwright Don Kinch, and British-Jamaican actress Yvette Harris, Soweto Kinch began playin ...

, with support from the Garforth Jazz Rock Band, and the

Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band is a British brass band formed in 1881. The band is based in Brighouse, in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, England. The band is known across the world, and is regarded by many as the best and most consistent "p ...

. The Playground Party saw Leeds band Middleman; The KRM;

3 Daft Monkeys 3 Daft Monkeys are a world music-influenced acoustic band from Cornwall, UK, consisting of Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, Rich Mulryne, and Jamie Graham. The instrumentation consists of vocals, fiddle, twelve-string guitar, bass guitar and percuss ...

;

Jazz Jamaica Jazz Jamaica is a British jazz/reggae music group formed by musician Gary Crosby in London formed in 1991. History In 1991, inspired by the rhythms of traditional Jamaican music and the largely improvisational nature of jazz, Gary Crosby — on ...

and

Britain's Got Talent (series 2) The second series of British talent competition programme ''Britain's Got Talent'' was broadcast on ITV, from 12 April to 31 May 2008. Following the success of its first series, ITV commissioned the programme for additional episodes, with more ...

stars Flava supporting headliner

Richard Hawley Richard Willis Hawley (born 17 January 1967) is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. After his first band Treebound Story (formed while he was still at school) broke up, Hawley found success as a member of Britpop band Longp ...

. ’09 The 2009 festival saw over 20 events held over the 13 days, more than three-quarters of which were educational projects. The event was host to 400 children who took part in an African music exchange project (with the help from Garforth Academy's Partner school: Mzuvele High School,

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, South Africa), and an Indian wedding ceremony that joined to complete that year's procession. The 2009 festival included: The Breeze international festival; Samay, Jazz trio the Fruit Tree Project, Coal Face, a theatre commission about

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and guitarist,

Jon Gomm Jon Gomm (born 11 July 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and performer. Using a single acoustic guitar to create drum sounds, bass lines and melodies simultaneously, his songs draw on a range of influences and styles including blues, soul, ...

. A highlight of the festival was

Ricky Tomlinson Eric "Ricky" Tomlinson (born 26 September 1939) is an English actor. He is best known for his television roles as Bobby Grant in ''Brookside'', DCI Charlie Wise in '' Cracker'' and Jim Royle in ''The Royle Family'', and playing the titular char ...

's Laughter Show. The Playground Party saw the 'Second Stage' renamed 'The Everybody Loves Fabulous Music Stage' which hosted local bands such as, The Koodoos, A Fair Fight and headliners Myriad. The main stage saw

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (UOGB) is a British musical ensemble founded in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux as a bit of fun. The orchestra features ukuleles of various sizes and registers from soprano to bass. The UOGB is b ...

;

and the

African Children's Choir The African Children's Choir is a large choir made up of children ages 7 to 12 from several African nations. Since its inception, the choir has included children from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. Many of the chil ...

support the headline act, 1970's punk band

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...

. ’10 2010 saw 16 events take place over 13 days. The festival expanded on the African exchange project through its procession, with a song written by Mzuvele High School. The festival featured acts including: the Mighty Zulu Nation, slam poet Rommi Smith, Art Forms Music Xtra Programme, the Croshaw Family and Serious Sam Barrett, comedian

John Hegley John Richard Hegley (born 1 October 1953) is an English performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter. Early life He was born in the Newington Green area of Islington, London, England, into a Roman Catholic household. He was brought up i ...

and the Alasdair Roberts Band. The Playground Party included a dance project and performance involving over 200 students working with the

Phoenix Dance Theatre Phoenix Dance Theatre is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, that has grown from small beginnings in inner-city Leeds to be one of Britain’s leading contemporary dance companies. The company tours nationally and internationa ...

. The ELFM stage played host to local acts such as Maggie 8 and Gary Stewart. The main stage saw performances from Oompah Brass;

London Community Gospel Choir The London Community Gospel Choir is Britain's first renowned contemporary "performance touring, inspirational gospel choir band", fusing gospel with multi-genres of music, including pop, soul, jazz, R&B, and classical. It was founded in 198 ...

;

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Sam Duckworth (born 1986) is an English musician who performs as Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. He is also sometimes referred to as ''Get Cape'', ''Cape'', ''GCWCF'' and ''Slam Dunkworth'' (the latter title apparently first coined by Emmy the Great ...

and the 2010 festival headliner

Seth Lakeman Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. Ac ...

. ’11 The 2011 festival featured 15 events across the 13 days, including many educational projects. Highlights of the two weeks included: A 'Street Dance Spectacular', involving over 200 students; jazz vocalist Nicki Allan; Comedy Cabaret Heaven; 'Justice For All', an event working with young actors led by

Red Ladder Theatre Company Red Ladder Theatre Company is a national touring theatre company, funded by the Arts Council England and Leeds City Council. It is based at the Yorkshire Dance Centre, Leeds. The company was founded in London in 1968, during the Vietnam War, as a ...

; 'Stories from the Street'; and blues band Mojo 57. The Playground Party hosted two educational projects including over 300 students working with

Urban Strawberry Lunch Urban Strawberry Lunch (USL) were an English, Liverpool based group and Community Arts organisation, who made music on everyday objects. Formed by Benjamin F Tin and Ambrose Reynolds in 1987, USL began making their own musical instruments after a ...

and performing original compositions, and a dance project in conjunction with Phoenix Dance Theatre. The procession featured a collaborated song written by the Mzuvele High School and the Garforth Jazz Rock Band and involved over 400 children. ELFM's stage provided performances from acts such as Bramley Primary School Choir, Liz Reynolds and Tigers That Talked. The main stage saw

Salsa Celtica Salsa Celtica are a Scottish group that plays a fusion of salsa music with traditional Scottish instruments, including elements of folk and jazz. History Salsa Celtica was formed in 1995 by Scottish jazz and folk musicians. In 1997 they visite ...

and South African musician

Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...

support the headliner, singer songwriter

Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic themes. His music is ...

. ’12 The festival in 2012 featured 13 days of events, expanding in diversity through its educational projects. Highlights included: Chocolate Story; Camerata Vocal Musica Aurea; a tribute to

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

album, with Leeds musician Gary Stewart;

Hannah James and Sam Sweeney Hannah James and Sam Sweeney were an English folk duo, comprising Hannah James ( piano accordion, vocals, clogs) and Sam Sweeney (violin, viola, octave viola, English bagpipes, nyckelharpa, Hardanger fiddle). History Hannah James and Sam Sw ...

and Rock 'n' Roll band Louis Louis Louis. The festival also featured an Urban Arts Project, with children learning skills in the arts of Skateboarding and Beat boxing culminating at The Works Skatepark. The Playground Party saw the opening of an indoor arena hosting performances from children working with

and Mugenkyo

Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

Drummers. The Playground Party also featured a performance from the Mzuvele High School Choir, travelling from

for their first performance in the UK. The main stage saw

Shlomo Shlomo (, Polish: Szlomo, Szlama, Szlamek, Szloma), meaning "peaceable", is a common Hebrew male given name. The following individuals are often referred to only by the name Shlomo: * Solomon, king of ancient Israel, according to various religiou ...

and The Lip Factory and

Nitin Sawhney Nitin Sawhney , D.Mus (; born 1964) is a British musician, producer and composer. A recipient of the Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, among multiple international awards throughout his career. Sawhney's work combines Asian ...

support headliners,

The Saw Doctors The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts fo ...

. ’13 The 2013 festival featured ten events across 13 days. Highlights of the festival included: 'The Great Big Paint'; Garforth based folk band Jacobean Ruff; Hayley Gaftarnick; a tribute to

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

Please Please Me ''Please Please Me'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Produced by George Martin, it was released on EMI's Parlophone label on 22 March 1963 in the United Kingdom, following the success of the band's first two sin ...

'' album, with Rock 'n' Roll band Hot Foot Powder;

Simon Lindley Simon Lindley (born 10 October 1948) is an English organist, choirmaster, conductor and composer. He was Leeds City Organist from 1976 to 2017 (named City Organist Emeritus in Summer 2017) and is Organist Emeritus of Leeds Minster, having been o ...

and Spanish guitarist

Eduardo Niebla Eduardo Niebla is a Spanish guitarist. Besides his work with jazz and Spanish flamenco guitar, he has collaborated with trance group Juno Reactor and early in his career played in Spanish progressive rock band Atila, and the Franco-British progress ...

. The Playground Party hosted three stages including the ELFM Stage and an indoor arena, which saw performances from children working with Zulu Tradition and

. The main stage featured performances from Leeds-based bands Love Society and Hope and Social alongside

;

Lau Lau or LAU may refer to: People * Lau (surname) * Liu (劉/刘), a common Chinese family name transliterated Lau in Cantonese and Hokkien * Lau clan, one of the Saraswat Brahmin clans of Punjab * LAU (musician): Laura Fares Places * Lebane ...

;

Ruby Turner Francella Ruby Turner MBE (born 22 June 1958) is a British Jamaican R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and actress. In a music career spanning more than 30 years, Turner is best known for her album and single releases in Europe and North Americ ...

and 2013 headliners

Bellowhead Bellowhead is an English contemporary folk band, active from 2004 to 2016, reforming in 2020. The eleven-piece act played traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide range of musical style ...

. ’14 The tenth Garforth Arts Festival saw nine events take place across its 13-day programme. Highlights of the fortnight included: Leeds based Jazz ensemble Dread Supreme; Kippax Brass Band; an evening celebrating the music of

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

; folk trio

Lady Maisery Lady Maisery are an England, English folk music, folk vocal harmony trio composed of Hannah James (Singing, vocals, piano accordion, Clogging, clogs, foot percussion), Hazel Askew (vocals, melodeon, concertina, harp, bells) and Rowan Rheinga ...

; The Eva Quartet from

Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares ''Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares'' (translated as "The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices") is a compilation album of modern arrangements of Bulgarian folk songs featuring, among others, the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir, with s ...

; The

Stephen Frost Stephen Frederick Eustace Frost (born 28 December 1955) is an English actor and comedian. Early life Frost was born in Redruth, Cornwall, and is the son of the abstract artist Terry Frost and brother of painter Anthony Frost. Career Work w ...

Improv Allstars and

The Bad Shepherds The Bad Shepherds were an English folk music, folk band, formed by the comedian Ade Edmondson, Adrian Edmondson in 2008. They played folk punk songs with traditional folk instruments. The band primarily consisted of Edmondson (vocals, mandolin ...

. The Playground Party hosted a number of educational projects featuring Rockschool UK. The second stage was hosted by Hee Haw sessions and included performances from local acts such as Maia and Hunting Bears. The main stage saw performances from Ellen and the Escapades;

Vieux Farka Touré Boureima "Vieux" Farka Touré (born 1981) is a Malian singer and guitarist. He is the son of Malian musician Ali Farka Touré. Biography Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981 to Ali Farka Touré. Despite his father's discouragement and hi ...

;

The Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...

;

The Wonder Stuff The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England, the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in the ...

and headline act,

Levellers (band) The Levellers are an English folk rock band formed in Brighton, England in 1988, consisting of Mark Chadwick (guitar and vocals), Jeremy Cunningham (bass guitar), Charlie Heather (drums), Jon Sevink (violin), Simon Friend (guitar and vocals), ...

. ’15 The 2015 festival saw 12 days of events, with a strong emphasis on community projects and artists. The programme featured Garforth Brass; Micklefield Male Voice Choir, My Generation: A celebration of 50 years of

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

; Manasamitra; Borealis Saxophone Quartet and Tom Gee Band. It also included an evening dedicated to Frances Bernstein's story Sing Freedom, featuring songs from

Alexander L'Estrange Alexander Richard William L'Estrange (born 7 April 1974) is an English composer of choral music and music for television and an arranger for world-class vocal ensembles. He is also an accomplished jazz musician (piano and double bass), choral ...

's Zimbe!. The Playground Party hosted various educational projects including a 60 piece Samba band, body percussion workshops and pom pom bombing. The second stage was hosted by Chapel FM and featured performances from artists such as Arcarode and Samuel S. Parkes. The main stage saw performances from Garforth Jazz Rock Band and Ubunye alongside

BBC Big Band The BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band, previously run under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The band broadcasts exclusively on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long- ...

featuring

Clare Teal Clare Teal (born 14 May 1973) is an English singer and broadcaster who has become famous not only for her singing, but also for having signed the biggest recording contract by a British jazz singer. Biography Teal was brought up in the Kildwic ...

;

Femi Kuti Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (born 16 June 1962), popularly known as Femi Kuti, is a Nigerian musician born in London and raised in Lagos. He is the eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti and a grandchild of political campaigner, women's r ...

& The Positive Force and headliners

The Brand New Heavies The Brand New Heavies is an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing in west London. Centered around songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy, the core members of the group since its founding, Brand New H ...

Organisation and sponsorship

Garforth Arts Festival is promoted by the School Partnership Trust, a charitable non-profit making organisation and is curated and organised by festival director Dave Evans. Proceeds from the festival are re-invested into the community. Additional Funding comes from the School Partnership Trust,

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

, arts@leeds and Outer East Area Management Team.

References

External links

*http://www.garforthartsfestival.co.uk/ {{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718042212/http://www.garforthartsfestival.co.uk/ , date=18 July 2014 Arts festivals in England Festivals in Leeds Garforth