ARTS DIARY
New programming chair at crime writing festival:
Harrogate International Festivals has announced that international bestselling novelist Ruth Ware will be Festival Programming Chair in 2024, when the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, returns with a world class line-up of authors and special guests. The acclaimed crime writer will be acting as the new Festival Programming Chair, following in the footsteps of such stellar names as Ian Rankin, Lee Child and Val McDermid. Ware’s 2015 debut thriller In a Dark, Dark Wood was a Sunday Times and New York Times top ten bestseller. Since then, her novels have repeatedly appeared on bestseller lists around the world and have sold more than six million copies. Next year’s festival runs July 18-21. harrogateinternationalfestivals.com
Celebrating a year of creativity:
The Grand Opera House in York is celebrating its first year of delivering educational and community-based activities including running monthly Storytimes for children, showcasing emerging talent with Scratch Nights and public tours of the historic venue. “It’s a privilege to support the future generation of performers and theatre makers as they continue to engage with Creative Learning and show-based activity by working with schools, York College, and York St John’s University,” says Kelly Culver, the theatre’s Creative Learning Producer.”
A magical festive season for Sheffield schools:
This Christmas, Sheffield Theatres are grateful to generous donors who have sprinkled their magic to support local schools to performances. Primary school children will see A Town Called Christmas, a production for young audiences and Beauty and the Beast, the annual Lyceum panto and festive family favourite. Sheffield Theatres is committed to welcoming school children, and with the help of generous donors, have been able to work with schools across the city to make more of these visits possible. The children will enjoy coach travel to and from the theatre, reduced ticket prices and an ice cream on arrival.