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Musicport Festival – October 18th-20th at Whitby Pavilion, Whitby, North Yorkshire

Musicport has recently heard that it has been awarded Arts Council funding to involve the local community more fully in its activities.

Organiser Jim McLaughlin said “Funding for the arts is so competitive, we’re delighted that the Arts Council recognised the value of what Musicport does and has achieved since 2000. We want to use this grant to bring the town and the festival together and create something people will remember. It’s very exciting!”

Here are some of the wonderful and unique activities that are planned:

  1. A performance on Friday 11th October, in advance of the festival, by the Tashi Lhunpo Monks from Tibet – demonstrating their ritual chants and dancing in stunning costumes – free @ St Ninian’s Church, Baxtergate, Whitby – Starts 7.30pm.
  2. Musicport Big Draw Project – 5 local schools will work with artists Quentin Budworth and Bridget Wilkinson to create 5 large pieces of artwork with a musical and cultural theme which will be installed by Whitby Pavilion in the Exhibition Hall. A sixth panel will be created during the festival, and they will make a permanent feature in the room, all with a definite Musicport theme. The panels will be unveiled at the opening of the festival onFriday 18th October.
  3. Fire display and procession to the opening in the Exhibition Hall. Musicport favourites Forro Porro will lead local school musicians (who will have worked with the band in advance) marching into the Pavilion for the opening, and a performance by Whitby Community Choir of their BBC-commissioned piece “Standing On The Edge Of The World” by Rebecca Gross.Free entry event.
  4. MASS UKULELE JAM….massed ukuleles with Jacqui Wicks and colleagues from Ossett Ukulele Philharmonia. A chance for uke players from far and wide to bring their ukuleles and join a great free event on the morning of Saturday 19th October. A downloadable songbook will be available from the Musicport website and Facebook page so that participants can practise in advance. Free entry event.
  5. Six of Yorkshire’s best Open Mic Sessions (Sheffield, Leeds, Loftus, Bridlington, York, Scarborough) will descend on the town for the festival weekend. The Angel Welly Open Mic will play host, and all these acts will play around the town during the day on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th, before performing on the Musicport Lighthouse Stage – where they will be judged by a panel including Eliza Carthy and the winners awarded a spot on one of the main stages in 2014. Musicport is still looking for unusual places in central Whitby for them to play where a welcome is guaranteed.
  6. Radik Tulush the throat-singer from Tuva (Mongolia), who performed at the festival previously with Yat Kha and accompanied by well known English folk singer Carole Pegg, will work with local students before the festival.
  7. Brazilian drummer Claudio Kron will continue the work he started last year with West Cliff School in developing their Samba drumming and will involve them in the opening procession.
  8. Chromavan – a wonderful experience in colour, housed in a caravan, will be in town during the day on Friday 18th October where there will be a chance for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in an intense and relaxing colour bath and to try it out for free. From Friday teatime it will be at the Pavilion where it will be available to all festival-goers.
  9. Jackie Oates, the award winning young folk singer, will be performing with her trio including Musicport favourite Belinda O’Hooley on Sunday 20th October in La Rosa Hotel. Free entry event but very limited spaces.

Full weekend and Day/Evening tickets all now available to buy online.

Full Weekend – Adult £85, Student / Cons £80, Youth 11-17yrs £45 Under 11s free (accompanied)

All Day and Evening only tickets also available for each day – Various prices

Alternatively you can buy them in person in the Musciport shop at 16 Skinner Street, Whitby Tel: 01947 458899