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Shoe Town Festival line up announced
| Published: 15th June 2009 14:57 |
Shoe Town Festival line up announced
Northampton Borough Council announces key dates for its 2009 Shoe Town Festival.
The festival is the summer highlight of the museum's 2009 events programme showcasing all things good about Northampton - yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Locals and visitors alike are in for a treat with events ranging from exhibitions that pay homage to Northampton's shoemaking heritage to a film festival that includes the delightful film Kinky Boots based on a true story about the travails of a Northampton shoe factory.
Other festival highlights include opera, theatre, music, magic, arts and craft workshops, tours, walks and talks.
The festival runs from June to September.
Councillor Tony Woods, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: "Northampton has an incredibly rich and fascinating heritage. This should be celebrated and I am delighted that our museum service is staging this festival.
"Once again, the variety of festival events shows that Northampton has much to be proud of and even more to offer."
David Kennedy, Northampton Borough Council Chief Executive, said: "The industrial heritage of any community is important to its future. In Northampton the shoe industry has changed over the years and is still a vital local asset. We are also lucky to have the largest collection of shoes in the world, which befits our status as Shoe Town.
"We must work with others to promote the value of our town's heritage, as by keeping alive the past we can inform an even better future."
The full programme will be available from various locations around the county and by visiting www.northampton.gov.uk/museums
Event tickets are available from Northampton museums (unless otherwise stated) by telephone (01604) 838111, and by post or in person at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP. Opening hours Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sundays 2pm to 5pm.
Shoe Town Festival highlights
Skin (27 June to 23 August)
Supported by Tusting and The Easirider Company, Skin showcases items from Northampton's nationally Designated shoe collection and the Museum of Leathercraft. It combines creativity, craftsmanship and ingenuity with the unusual and unexpected. Fashion, fetishism and the anti-leather argument will all be explored in a tactile and interactive exhibition that explores not only how we use leather but also how we feel about it.
Strut (4 July to 2 August)
Supported by the Grosvenor Centre, a catwalk installation with lights and music takes centre stage at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. Visitors are invited to dress up in their favourite outfit or show off their everyday street style and strut their stuff!
The Shoemaker's Shrine (11 July to 23 August)
The Shoemaker's Shrine is a highly atmospheric exhibition that pays homage to Northampton's shoemaking heritage. Delicate wax shoes created by artist Henny Burnett are hand suspended from the ceiling as the voices of Northampton shoemakers tell their stories.
The Exceptional Henry Bird (29 August to 11 October)
Supported by the Friends of Northampton Museums, The Exceptional Henry Bird (1909-2000) is a celebration of the life and work of this internationally famous Northampton born artist.
Shoe of Shoes Sculpture (July onwards)
A public participation project to create a six-foot shoe sculpture decorated with leather off-cuts. People will be encouraged to bring along their old shoes and add them to the structure to create a temporary art installation that will be displayed at venues around the town centre over the summer months.
Boot City (11 July)
Supported by the Designation Challenge Fund, Boot City will be a thrilling evening of live music and interactive arts staged by a group of young artists, musicians and designers who will be taking over Northampton Museum & Art Gallery for one night only.
Guided Tour of the Guildhall (20 and 27 June and 18 July)
A rare opportunity to explore and learn more about the history of Northampton's splendid Guildhall, which is a gem of Victorian Gothic architecture.
Tales of Tasmania (23 July)
A mesmerising performance by storyteller Miriam Cooper who tells the true story of Maria Wilby, a 12-year-old Northamptonshire girl who left home for a new life in Tasmania. Maria and her family migrated to Tasmania to be with her father, a housebreaker, after he had been transported there three years earlier.
Guided walk (8 August)
Take a guided walk around the historic areas of Northampton town centre with Architect Alexander Ellis Anderson.
Shoe Town Film Festival
Supported by Nationwide Building Society, rarely viewed old film footage of Northampton will be brought to the big screen along with a series of shoe-themed films, including the delightful 2005 film Kinky Boots.
Church's Factory Tours
The story of Church's began in the late 1600s when a lone Northampton man called Stone Church began making shoes. Today Church's are a world-class brand with stores in Hong Kong, New York and Milan. Northampton remains its home and shoe lovers and history buffs are invited to take a tour of Church's shoe factory in St James.
Opera Night (4 September)
Puccini's ‘Gianni Schicchi' and Henry Purcell's ‘Dido and Aeneas' are performed at an evening concert by Northampton Festival Opera.
Music and Magic (11 September)
An opportunity for music lovers to enjoy an evening of music and magic at Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, which houses the world's finest collection of shoes and is a fitting setting that reflects the town's proud association with the shoe industry.
Shoe Store Tour (12 September)
Only 10 per cent of the town's world famous shoe collection is on display at any one time. As part of Heritage Open Days visitors can take a behind the scenes look at the museum's stores for an exclusive look at the entire collection.
Arts and crafts
A series of arts and crafts workshops will also be running throughout the festival
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