It’s back ……. that local arts festival in Chorlton ……

Now it’s twenty years ago almost to the day when a teacher, a city councillor, and a vicar sat down with a bottle of wine and explored the possibilities of an annual festival of the arts here in Chorlton.

And the rest has been heaps of performances by the famous, not so famous as well as lots of local artists, writers, and musicians across Chorlton in venues as varied as pubs, parks, church halls and the odd garden.

Many of the events are free, and stretch out over the month of May, happening in the day, in the evening and some for the whole of the festival.

All of which brings me to the programme, which is available online and in shops, bars, restaurants and Chorlton Library.

This year the organizers have excelled themselves with the breath and variety of what is on offer, with the added bonus of a short history of the festival over the  last twenty years.

And the emphasis remains one of show casing local talent with a few old favourites.

To these can be added the patrons, which include Lip Service,  Jackie Kay, who was the National Poet of Scotland, Badly Drawn Boy, the comedian Jason Manford and Stephen Raw “the artist from London who told all his friends he would be back in just six months, and over 40 years later is still in Chorlton”.

So lots to look forward to from April 29th to May 29th, with events to fit everyone’s interest, and that added extra of a bit of history.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures; from the Programme of the 20th Jubilee Festival of the Chorlton Arts Festival

*Chorlton Arts Festival, https://chorltonartsfestival.org/