In My View Looking forward to new challenges
by CEO of The Piece Hall Trust, Nicky Chance-Thompson MBE, DL
Ihope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to bringing in the new year. I find the period between the big day and the start of January a great time for relaxing, reflecting and taking stock of things. Looking back at the year we’re about to leave behind and looking forward to new challenges and experiences. 2024 is going to be a big year not just for The Piece Hall but for the whole Calderdale Borough.
The Year of Culture celebrations to mark Calderdale's 50th anniversary will start in April and we’re all being encouraged to be bold, creative and imaginative. These are certainly values we’ll be trying to embody at The Piece Hall.
In 2023 the team delivered some wonderful events. We experienced living history as the country welcomed the new King, HM Charles III with a fantastic celebration in the courtyard as we all watched the coronation on the big screen.
From historic displays of royal pageantry we moved to a much more modern tradition as we embraced the glitz, glam and spectacle of Eurovision, also on the big screen as it was broadcast live from Liverpool as the UK stepped in for Ukraine.
The summer months saw us undertake our biggest live events programme yet, delivering around 30 gigs and shows from both international and local artists.
We were wowed by global superstars like Sting, boygenius and Queens Of The Stone Age and had some real pinch me moments watching the courtyard explode to the sounds of Limp Bizkit and seeing Tim Booth from James lifted above the audience delivering an iconic performance in our unique venue.
For the first time, we opened the gates for a family music festival, In The Yard, on the same stage as the big summer gigs, giving local talent the opportunity to get a taste of that Live at The Piece Hall magic.
Once again, we hosted a Mela with top stars from the South Asian music scene and the stunning sights, sounds and tastes of the subcontinent.
The Piece Hall was painted with a rainbow as we welcomed Calderdale Pride. The event attracted a record audience with a full-on party atmosphere and epic closing set from M-People star Heather Small.
The festive period started with our longest and busiest Christmas markets to date and the climax of Halifax’s first Christmas parade was simply magical. We’ve had some fabulous shows in the Spiegeltent and have just a couple more before we head into the New Year.
So what will 2024 bring to us? It’s already shaping up to be an epic one with more shows than ever. There are 20 major artists confirmed including many amazing chart-topping acts and global superstars – and I can tell you now, there are even more announcements on the way very soon!
Culture means so much in terms of emotional wellbeing bringing joy, lifting spirits, but it also brings a big boost to our economy, so 2024 is going to be special in so many ways.
I’m ending the year feeling so very grateful, for what we’ve had and what’s to come and to every single person who’s played a part in our success this year, the biggest thank you and happy new year.