Flavours from around the world at the tenth Tapton Lock Festival
THE banks of the Chesterfield Canal will come alive over the weekend of September 10/11 with the 10th anniversary Tapton Lock Festival.
Organised by Junction Arts and the Derbyshire County Council Countryside Ser vi c e, it coincides with the Chesterfield Canal Walking Festival.
Activities will include outdoor theatre, music and dance, arts and crafts workshops, stalls, a climbing wall, ‘have a go’ canoes, boat rides and much more.
This popular family festival was originally conceived to raise awareness of the area, with its network of footpaths and cycleways alongside the canal. It’s marking the occasion by working with the Chesterfield BME Forum to give the whole event a truly multicultural feel. There will be a fabulous performance by the Ukrainian Hoverla Dance Ensemble on the Saturday and visitors can enjoy a spectacular Chinese Lion Dance on the Sunday. In addition, there will be music and dance from the Polish Society and the Afro & Caribbean Community and not forgetting some amazing food tasting from around the world!
Every year leading up to the festival, an outreach project is delivered with a local school; this year it is St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. On a scorching day in July, year five pupils visited the canal to explore the flora and fauna and found all sorts of exciting mini beasts, many of which, like caddis fly nymph, fresh water shrimp, may f l y and damselfly nymphs, are bri l l iant indicators of good water quality.
The children also enjoyed a boat trip kindly provided by the Chesterfield Canal Trust.
In ea r l y September Junction Arts will deliver an art workshop in school that will be inspired by the visit to create artwork that will be displayed at the event.
If you’re in the area, why not come down and visit? The event takes place around the Tapton Lock Visitor Centre at Lockoford Lane Chesterfield S41 7JB from 11am4pm on both days and entry is free.
For more information abou t the event contact jane@ junctionarts. org