After two years away, festival is back with a bang in 2022!

Programmes being delivered in coming weeks

THOUSANDS of copies of the 2022 Leek Arts Festival programme will be dropping through doors across the area in the next couple of weeks.

The Festival is returning this May after missing the past two years because of the covid pandemic.

Organisers have put together a programme of around 40 events including national and international artists such as former Fairground Attraction star Eddi Reader and surrealist comic Boothby Graffoe, together with local performers.

As well as copies of the printed programme being available at pubs, cafes and restaurants across Leek and the surrounding area, 20,000 are due to be hand-delivered to local homes during April.

LAF chairman Phil Edmeades said: “Tickets are beginning to sell for the major gigs although we would like to see more people putting their hands in their pockets and buying tickets in advance.

“We understand some people will be cautious about committing to live gigs in the wake of covid, but we can’t hide away forever and Leek Arts Festival is as good a time as any for people to get back to some sort of normal life.”

Many events in the 2022 LAF programme are on offer free of charge, including a performance by the Mandula Showcase African Drummers; an afternoon concert – in the rear yard of a pub – by the Rondino String Quartet; a series of Sunday afternoon concerts on the bandstand at Leek’s Brough Park; an arts trail; an open art studios event; and a major fine art exhibition.

Plus there will be numerous live music performances in local pubs.

Other major artists taking part in this year’s festival inlcude Fairport Convention, Climax Blues Band, Barsteward Sons of Val Doonican frontman Scott Doonican and internationally renowned – and Leekborn – jazz flautist Gareth Lockrane.

Phil added: “Having been out of action for the past two years the festival volunteers have worked hard to put together a wide-ranging programme that we hope will appeal to all sections of the local community.

“All we need now is for people to get involved, buy some tickets and enjoy themselves.”

Full details of the 2022 Leek Arts Festival are available on the website at www.leekartsfestival.co.uk from where tickets for most major events can be purchased online.

Physical tickets for those events can also be purchased from the Foxlowe Arts Centre.

Information on how to buy tickets for other events can be found on the website and in the printed programme.