Derby Festé returns this weekend for its 15th anniversary

Thousands of people are expected to converge on Derby city centre this week for the annual Festé outdoor arts festival.

Festé has been a flagship outdoor arts festival for the East Midlands since its inauguration in 2007. Now in its 15th anniversary, Festé has built a reputation for presenting work of national and international recognition for audiences to experience and delight in.

Brought together by Déda, with support from Derby’s key cultural partners, Festé 23 runs on Friday September 22 and Saturday September 23
with acts that dance vertically down the Silk Mill tower; 20ft high figures; giant wheels and whales; stunning visual projections; fire breakdancing, and the return of community procession.

Steve Slater, Artistic Director and CEO, Déda, said: “Festé unfurls again this year across the city like a flower opening to the sunshine.

“From huge international and national acts to the return of Festé’s community procession, it’s a chance to engage with the arts community – an empowering way for the city and beyond to bond and celebrate the wonders of creativity.”

Festé launches on Friday evening with Illuminos, a unique event celebrating 25 years of the twinning link between Derbyshire and Toyota City with two video projection artworks, the first created specifically for the Guildhall in the Market Place and the second in Kojaku-ji temple in Toyota City.

The Guildhall will come alive with the beauty and vibrancy of Toyota City, golden maple leaves blending with Obara Washi paper, shared histories of weaving and manufacturing play out, and the exchange of music, culture, education, business and sport across 25 years is revealed.

Also at the Market Place will be Rogue Play’s Forests, a highly visual family friendly show using acrobatics and dance.

In response to the ongoing cost of living crisis currently in the UK, nearly all of the performances at this year’s Festé are free of charge.

The partnership behind Festé also includes Bondholders Derby City Council, Derby LIVE, Derby College Group, Derby Museums, Derby Theatre, University of Derby, Derby Cathedral, Artcore, QUAD, Down to Earth, Cathedral Quarter BID and St. Peters Quarter.

Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England, added: “Derby Festé has built a strong reputation since it launched in 2007, bringing together an eclectic mix of arts and cultural experiences for the whole community to enjoy.

“The 15th anniversary programme looks particularly exciting and I’m sure there will be a real buzz across the city as communities come together to immerse themselves in a wide range of world class and participatory performances, the majority of which will be free to attend.

“We’re proud to support Derby Festé, which attracts thousands of people from across Derby and beyond and is a shining example of how creativity and culture in the community can help to make people feel happy and proud of the place that they live in.”

Saturday is packed with a full day of events and activities across city locations with highlights including Delrevés’ Finale, Compagnie des Quidams, 60-foot Circo Rum Ba Ba’s The Whale, and the hugely ambitious and colourful Community Procession.

Delrevés’ Finale is a breathtakingly stunning aerial ballet which is set to defy gravity as they dance vertically off the side of the Silk Mill Tower. Performing in the afternoon as well as the closing show for the festival, this is a chance to see classical dance from another perspective, with a mesmerising display of exhilarating aerial international dance.

Saturday will also see the return of the internationally renowned Compagnie des Quidams to Festé. Last here in 2018, this year they bring audiences TOTEMS, massive evanescent figures, dressed in long coats, which will wander through the crowds with controlled imbalances and incessant swirls. A roving performance that will amaze and astound audiences across the city.

Added to the vast array of staged performances, Festé will include roving artists and fixed hubs to explore with Furthest From the Sea offering families a space to take part in crafts, workshops and a relax zone, at Cathedral Green, plus there’s an info hub with regionally-sourced food and stalls at Market Place.

Meanwhile Déda and Rollersnakes will turn Chapel Street into a giant, purpose-built skate part with graffiti workshops and DJs – for young people to have their own space as part of their Altered Streets programme of work.

To see the full listing, locations and timings of Festé 23, please visit https://www.derbyfeste.com/.