Enjoy the Summer Streets festival from comfort of your own home
From acrobatics and local music to a pub quiz, Summer Streets has announced the line-up for this year’s online festival.
Like all major events, the not-for-profit music, arts and community festival, which usually takes place in Sunderland every July, had to cancel this year’s event in its usual format due to coronavirus.
However, thanks to an Arts Council England Emergency Fund grant, the festival is trialling an online programme for this summer.
Confirmed events for the free festival include:
:: Exclusive video performances from internationally renowned Gandini Juggling.
:: A performance of Dandyism – a celebration of style and cool inspired by the gentlemen of the Congo – by Sunderland University alumnus choreographer Patrick Ziza.
:: I Made You A Mixtape, a new show that uses song dedications to form a musical celebration, by The Six Twenty.
:: Out the Window – a short acrobatic film featuring world-class circus artist Nikki Rummer.
:: Award-winning NorthEast musician Bridie Jackson will work with community participants to create an original song.
:: Poet Kirsten Luckens will transform lockdown walk stories into unique pocket-sized poetry-collage zines and postal art.
:: A kirigami workshop – the Japanese art of papercutting – delivered by artist and Sunderland University alumnus Natsumi Jones.
:: Family activities including Curious Storytime Online; Summer Streets favourites Tiny Tweeties; and join Chalk for a fun playful session.
:: The Big Summer Streets Pop Recs Pub Quiz – hosted by Pop Recs impresarios Dave Harper and Michael McKnight.
More acts, including an evening of special musical performances, will be announced soon.
Festival Director, Ross Millard,said: “The festival is completely free to access and we’re hopeful that everyone will find something going on at Summer Streets that they can get involved with and enjoy.”
Summer Streets Festival 2020 is happening from Wednesday, July 15, to Friday, July 24, and will take place across various online platforms including YouTube, Facebook and Zoom.
Visit www.summerstreetsfestival.com