Barnaby Autumn bulletin

Welcome to the Autumn Bulletin – from the people behind the Barnaby Festival

Summer may be over and we might be celebrating our successes with 14 sold out shows, box office records smashed and an 88% attendance on ticketed events, but we are not resting on our laurels and work is feverishly underway in preparation for the 2018 festival. We have information on new posts and appointments, our next open meeting date (so get your diaries ready) and news on some of our brilliant projects that had continued success after the festival ended in June.

We Love “Macc’’
For those who went hunting on the first festival weekend in the town centre you may have spied a dome in Sparrow Park, home to ARC Stockport who brought us an enchanting community writing project. The results were hundreds of people writing a communal poem to the town! This week the Mayor of Macclesfield unveils the poem, which will be on display at Macclesfield Library from the 20 October. Do come along to the opening at 6pm or drop by to view it later in the month.

Arts Council Investment in Festival
The festival received recent news that Arts Council England, along with Macclesfield Town and Cheshire East Councils are to invest in a research and development programme which brings 10 artists into Macclesfield during 2017 to work with its community. The grant of £45,000 will provide opportunity for work to take place as part of preparations for 2018 and to continue the funding of the Festival Director post and a new Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator (see below).

Opportunity to Work With the Festival
We are now in the final stages of our search for a Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator. The role is a contract for service which will provide up to six months with the festival for approximately 1 day per week. This exciting opportunity would suit a dynamic individual with experience in and who is passionate about community arts engagement. Click here for more information and to request an information pack.

Festival Legacy
Lots have been taking place during the summer after the festival ended in June. Backwallgate Books tucked away in the heart of the town centre extended its stay enchanting new and regular visitors until October, Tegg’s Nose Visitor centre made permanent their exhibition space after hosting a successful Barnaby Visual Arts commission with local artists Tom Baskeyfield and Mario Popham and Bedwyr Williams’ film installation featuring Macclesfield’s own yoga guru Andrew Wrenn opened at the Barbican Gallery London to much critical acclaim.

Get Involved
Shortly before and after Christmas ten artists will make their way to Macclesfield as part of the Festival’s research programme. We would love volunteers to chaperone them from time to time, help with their projects or offer them a place to stay for the night. Volunteers are one of the essential lifebloods of the festival and we would love you to meet with some of those coming to the town who want to make work with local residents and communities. Any assistance you can offer, however small, would be really appreciated, it might be having a chat over a coffee to provide local knowledge or something more involved. Either way, it would be great to hear from you so if you are keen to support the project do please drop us an email and let us know your interest.

Open Meetings
Our Open Meetings are back and the next one will take place on Monday 21 November at 8pm at MADS Theatre on Lord Street. David Gooda, (recently appointed Chair of Trustees) will be taking us through the steps of the new Barnaby strategy with Karl Wallace, Festival Director for the new Research and Development programme, sharing upcoming news and developments. (Please note that there is restricted disabled access at the MADS venue so if you do require help please let us know). All are welcome and do please bring a friend too!