New arts festival comes to Clitheroe

An exciting, new, free weekend event comes to Clitheroe this month, when the town celebrates contemporary art, music and short films with a new 3-day Arts Festival.

Entitled Clitheroe Contemporary, between 9-11th June, Clitheroe will be filled with exhibitions, art classes, educational events, opportunities to see artists at work, live music, art films, performance and fringe events. From Holmes Mill to The Castle, the town will come alive with something for everyone - think Clitheroe Food Festival but for the Arts!

The event is the brainchild of six art enthusiasts and local entrepreneurs who are on a mission to fanfare the creative talents of the Ribble Valley and beyond. Their collaboration has successfully secured funding to the tune of £12,957 from 'Crowdfund Lancashire' Lancashire’s Culture and Sport Fund scheme and raised further funds from corporate sponsors and individual donations of support.

Due to the hard work of the founding group and the generosity of local businesses such as Holmes Mill, Fort Vale, Backhouse Insurance and Collins White, the event proves to be a show stopper for all the family and really put Clitheroe on the map for contemporary Arts.

Over 100 Lancashire artists applied to show at the Open Exhibition at the festival, the successful chosen artist’s work can be viewed throughout the weekend at the castle’s Stewards Gallery, The Platform Gallery and at Trinity Community Hub.

The main festival hub, curated by Atlantic Contemporary, at Holmes Mill is open to school students and their parents from 4pm to 5.30pm on Friday 9th and then opens to the general public at 10am on Saturday 10th June. There will be a mass participation drawing and painting event held in the castle grounds entitled ‘Capture the Castle’ where the festival hopes to draw over 100 artists to compete for a £500 prize.