Festival of Thrift organisers are inviting visitors to join them and party in true thrifty style at its tenth anniversary event in Kirkleatham on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September.
Advance highlights being released of the weekend celebration to mark the event’s decade of delivering its nationally-recognised celebration of sustainable living include the heady mix of eye-catching and engaging artists and hands-on family fun that the award-winning Festival of Thrift is known and loved for.
Thrift-goers will be able to dust off their dancing shoes with Bird Rave’s family-friendly celebration of 80s and 90s dance music, Compact Disco’s travelling discotheque complete with oversized mobile dynamic disco ball made from discarded CDs and Srishti’s Jham!, when East meets West in an upbeat innovative classical Indian dance production with live music including a beatboxer, a saxophonist and a traditional Karnatik vocalist .
A powerfully optimistic celebration of finding strength in unexpected places from Circus Strong Lady, using circus physicality, comedy and feats-of-strength, will celebrate stories of strength from a huge range of ordinary people – asking them the question: ‘can you tell me about a time when you were strong’.
Charmaine Childs is a real life Strong Lady in the vaudeville circus style, demonstrating her body strength with a series of exercises that show her inner strength using bricks, balance and guile as she prepares to take part in the 46th Winchester Hat Fair, the longest running outdoor event in the country, which began in 1974.
Meanwhile Warren and Stew, two middling public relations managers from a fossil fuel multinational, will be inviting people to ‘Text Me Your Climate Change Solutions’ in a witty, interactive theatre show about the climate crisis, toxic masculinity, violence and responsibility.
Festival favourites Fix it Cafe will be back to fix the world over a cup of tea and The Town is The Menu is returning with a menu inspired by Marske-by-the-sea for a community meal full of food, fun and conversation.
For sustainably-minded fashionistas, Festival of Thrift’s eclectic ECOuture fashion will once again showcase sustainable creations by some of the area’s upcoming designers, working with Teesside Hospice alongside students from UK university fashion courses including Teesside University.
Festival of Thrift’s Creative Director Stella Hall said: “It will be a weekend to remember for the fabulous Thriftfest fans who have attended in their tens of thousands since the first festival took place in Darlington in 2012.
“We’re very excited to be marking our tenth birthday and our theme this year of ‘Our Common Wealth’ is a perfect tribute to the wonderful visitors we welcome every year to celebrate with us.
“There’s so much more to come – talks, debates, exhibitions and of course great ethical traders, food and drink, so watch out for regular announcements from us!”
Cllr Shane Moore, Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Lead for Culture and Tourism, said: “Festival of Thrift is a much-loved event for local people and also draws visitors from far and wide who want fun family days out. That it’s celebrating ten years this year is testament to its popularity.
“Industries across the Tees Valley are doing lots to drive forward our greener, low carbon future but there’s plenty individuals can do too. Festival of Thrift spreads this important message of sustainable living, while attracting people to our towns where they go on to support our local businesses.”
Entry to Festival of Thrift is free. Parking costs £6 per car (which includes a £1 carbon offset contribution). Advance booking for parking and The Town is The Menu tickets are now open on Festival of Thrift’s website.
For further details of Festival of Thrift’s 2022 event, and to sign up to receive updates from the festival team, visit www.festivalofthrift.co.uk
Festival of Thrift is funded thanks to generous support from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, the Arts Council of England and Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
