About Festival 2009

At a time when Arts Festivals seem to come increasingly thick and fast, the Wetherby Arts Festival must rank as being, well, if not quite unique then certainly singular and distinctive in its style and approach. Not only is it now in its 32nd year, it’s still being organised and undertaken by a team of experienced and committed non-professionals, it remains firmly rooted within the local community, it still manages to stage a complex three-week programme without the help and support of any major individual sponsor, and it still successfully blends together a mix of locally based amateur performers alongside the very best artistes from the professional ranks.

This year’s Festival, which started on Wednesday October 14th with the stage production of “Free as Air” by the Wetherby Musical Theatre Group and ran through to Friday November 6th when the “Sleazy Speakeasy” cabaret night took to the stage within The Crypt of St. James’ Parish Church, was the biggest, most varied and most complex in the Festival’s long and happy history. The number of individual events and performances that made up the Festival programme was almost 40, while the curtain ‘opened’ on more than 50 occasions as plays, concerts, comedy, film, dance, lectures and spoken word events took to the stage. There were more venues, and a fascinating mix of old and new events to fill them.

In addition to such Festival ‘regulars’ as the Literary Lunch, a welcome re-appearance of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra, another visit from mountaineer Doug Scott (a complete sell-out last time), a re-run of the event to select ‘Yorkshire’s Biggest Liar’ and the renewed challenge of ‘Call my Wine Bluff’ (hosted by the Wetherby Twinning Association), this year saw the appearance of the ever popular Pasadena Roof Orchestra, the explosive rhythms of Celtic folk band ‘Blazin’ Fiddles’, the droll wit of journalist and broadcaster Simon Hoggart, the seductive and stunning appeal of latin music and sensuous dance courtesy of Subitango – described by The Independent as “intense, epic and beautiful”.

There were free events as part of the “Let’s Do Lunch” programme – a week of five one-hour long performances where the audience is invited to bring a sandwich and relax, a Festival Walk led by Wetherby District Footpath Group, and a fascinating ramble for all the family looking at how Wetherby has changed since the Tithe Map was drawn up in 1838.

We would like to say a huge ‘THANK YOU’ to everyone who has helped with this year’s Festival to make it our most successful Festival yet!

The Wetherby Festival Team

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