New festival prepares for debut
ANEW festival preparing to make its debut in Newcastle this summer is out to make an impact with three days of music, workshops and performances, along with plenty of free attractions.
Novum will launch on August 11 and certainly won’t go unnoticed, with a whopping sculpture planned for its centrepiece which the local community will help to make.
And over its run the multi-art festival will transform Newcastle Civic Centre into a live music venue for the first time.
The new festival is being billed as huge and ‘incredible’, with an ambitious programme designed to showcase the mix of local, national and international talent which help make up the city’s cultural scene.
The focal point will be what’s described as an ‘architectural marvel’ – a sculpture designed by French artist Olivier Grossetete.
The sculpture, called Monumental Construction, will be built by local people, with communities taking part in a series of open-to-all workshops – running in the days leading up to the festival – where they will construct it from recyclable cardboard. Aiming to be a celebratory but temporary monument to the city, it will also act as a focus for performances.
Throughout the festival, running August 11 to 13, there will be free daily experiences on offer including music events and hands-on workshops led by artists.
The Civic Centre and its surrounding gardens will become a ‘cultural playground’ filled with activities, performances and installations, all adding to the summer vibe.
Tickets are already on sale for the evening music shows which are due to take place inside and these will include performer Mim Suleiman with Afro-Latin percussion and brass duet Hannabiell & Midnight Blue Collective; Gugusar from Iceland and DJ Lou Hayter.
The festival’s slogan is Together We Create and the hope is to boost the city’s cultural reputation.
At an official launch, Jim Mawdsley, principal advisor of culture and events at Newcastle City Council, said: “Our ambition is that Novum will become an annual event, created with and for the communities of the city, and wider North of Tyne area.”
The council is the driving force behind it and the festival is also supported by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
The plan is that, as it grows, it will spread out from the Civic Centre to become city-wide.
“It will give everyone the opportunity to access incredible cultural experiences on their doorstep, as well as attract more visitors to the region,” said Jim.
For more information, as well as volunteering opportunities, or to book tickets see the Novum Newcastle’s website.