Chorlton Arts Festival ........ so good it's back this September

 Now every community should have their own Arts Festival, and the news that this September Chorlton Arts will be staging events across the township is very exciting.*

Chorlton Arts Festival 2002-14

The original Chorlton Arts Festival grew out of a conversation over a bottle of wine in 2002 between Hilary Barber, Val Stevens and Ed Wyllie, which became a series of events embracing theatre, visual arts, exhibitions and the spoken word.

The following year there were 28 venues around Chorlton, including pubs, bars, schools, art galleries church halls and the streets.

Badly Drawn Boy performed at St Clements Church, there was an Arts Trail across the Meadows and amongst the highlights was that simple fact that over 3,000 young people were involved in some of  "art" over that week
In the run up to the 2003 festival, Zoe Morris who was deputy head at Chorlton High School and festival director,  commented that “the idea was to create a festival for the community, by the community and people of all ages and backgrounds, taking part in what is a fantastic event”.**

Launching the Chorlton Arts Festival, 2004

That determination to involve the whole community is very much at the heart of Chorlton Arts,
which aims “to bring together residents and venues active in the Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Crafts at all levels facilitating creativity within the Chorlton Community”. ***

Much the same was true just 100 over years ago.

In Kemp’s Chorlton Almanac for 1910 there are listed seventeen associations ranging from the political to drama, musical, and gardening to horticultural societies.

And there were clubs catering for cricket, football, bowling, golf, as well as hockey, lacrosse and lawn tennis. ****

What is even more surprising is that back then the population of Chorlton was 16,000.

Chorlton Operatic Society, 1913

Of all these cultural ventures one of the most lasting was the Chorlton Operatic Society, which was active from 1907 into the 1930s

According to the programme notes from La Fille De Madame Angot, “Two Operas are performed by the Society each Season, and throughout the winter months a series of Whist Drives, Concerts and Social evenings are held, when Subscribers and Acting Members have the opportunity of becoming acquainted.

The subscription is 10/- per annum, which entitles each Subscriber to two Specially Reserved Seats for each of the two Opera, which they have the privilege of booking before the general public.

Proportionate profits derived from the Season’s working are devoted to local charities, each Subscriber having a vote as to this distribution, also in the choosing of the Operas for the following season” ****

So, we have a long tradition of doing the "Arts" and doing them well in Chorlton.

And now the Festival is run by Chorlton Voice through the year under the auspicies of Chorlton Arts Project culminatiing with Chorlton Arts Festival whch because of Covid has movved once again to September from its traditinal date in May.

CHorlton Operatic Society, 1913

This year there are around about 1000 artists, including art on the streets and in shops, pubs and other public places, as well as perfomances by choirs, and a range of activities by young people and school groups.

Added to which you can take your choice from events inside, outside, and virtualy from September 11th to September 19th.

Leaving me just to point you to the programme and wish you good reading.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures, memorabilia from the early years of the Arts Festival, 2003-4, courtesy of Zoe Morris, and programme of the Chorlton Operatic Society, 1913 from the collection of Andrew Simpson and the Manchester Courier, Sally Dervan

*Chorlton Arts Festival Programme, www.chorltonarts.org

**South Manchester Reporter, May 2003

*** Chorlton Arts Mission Statement, www.chorltonarts.org

**** The Chorlton-cum-Hardy District Almanack & Handbook For 1910, Harry Kemp, 35 Wilbraham Road

***** La Fille De Madame Angot programme. La Fille De Madame Angot was performed between May 1st and May 3rd, 1913, at the Public Hall West Didsbury