Weekender: Summer campaign seeks to shine a light on culture in Wakefield

An extensive programme of summer activities due to take place in and around Wakefield has been officially launched.

A dedicated newspaper commissioned by Wakefield Cultural Consortium, a collective of cultural venues and organisations, has been delivered to every home across the district.

Supported by Wakefield Council and Arts Council England, ‘Summer in Wakefield’, which has a print run of more than 200,000, is a guide to all the cultural destinations within the district. Collectively, tourism attracts more than eight million visitors and contributes over £448m to the local economy each year.

The 16-page newspaper introduces readers to upcoming events and festivals; including world-renowned sculpture exhibitions; theatre listings and the latest food and drink offerings from across the city and surrounding district.

The newspaper has been distributed to all 157,486 households in Wakefield and a further 50,000 will be sent to residents outside the immediate catchment to encourage people to attend the events taking place across the district this summer.

Among this summer’s highlights are:

• The first ever Yorkshire Sculpture International – The UK’s largest sculpture festival will take place over 100 days across both Wakefield and Leeds from 22 June – 29 September
• Index Festival – A new visual arts festival will run alongside Yorkshire Sculpture International from 22 June – 29 September, and further uncovers the city’s visual arts scenes.
• Newly renovated historical sites of Pontefract Castle and the National Coal Mining Museum for England, which are open every day.
• Nostell, National Trust – The 18th century home features a renowned collection of Chippendale furniture, which can be visited every day (the house Wed – Sun).
• Food and Drink – The annual Pontefract Liquorice Festival will feature an array of market stalls, family activities, live entertainment and liquorice talks on 7 July.
• Theatre Royal Wakefield – The city centre theatre will be showcasing the heart-warming comedy Educating Rita starring Stephen Tompkinson (Wild at Heart, Brassed Off) from 15 – 20 July.
• AFLOAT: A Creative Parade of Boats – A parade of boats will set sail down the River Aire and Calder canal from Knottingley to Castleford on bank holiday, Monday 26 August.
• Museum on the Moon – Created by artist Luke Jerram, the sculpture features meticulous detail of NASA imagery, with each centimetre representing 5km of lunar surface. The moon can be viewed from 23 August – 8 September at the former Wakefield Market Hall.

Graham Whitehead, Project Manager for Wakefield Cultural Consortium, said: “Wakefield is a surprisingly cultural city – we punch way above our weight when it comes to things to see and do, and this summer we’re set to welcome more people to the district than ever before.

“At the Cultural Consortium we think it’s time to give the district the attention it deserves.

“That’s why we wanted to create the ultimate guide to showcase exactly what’s on offer.

“We’re shouting from the rooftops – and from the top of Yorkshire’s tallest cathedral, Wakefield is full of the unexpected and inspiring, a perfect day out.