There is a small arts festival in Glasdale where people from the area come together.
The festival’s main purpose is to increase community participation in the performing arts – particularly music, theatre, storytelling, poetry and dance – and to showcase new writing.
The event offers a range of activities to engage young and old, including face painting, fortune telling and poetry workshops.
This year visitors enjoyed a performance of a new play, King Arthur and the Dragon of the Scaled Dam, created by the Young Actors Theater Company, which emerged from a half-term workshop in Loftus Library, led by Everwitch Theatre. group.
The festival also showcases award-winning three-minute plays, stories and songs from the Three Minute Arts National Writing Competition (another side of the group event), performed by local actors, musicians and storytellers.
Other bands performing on the day include Glaisdale Cloggers, Teesside String Quartet and Wobble Chop House Band.
Festival attendees used Japanese marbling techniques to create a “river of words” which was presented on stage, while there was also a performance of Eurythmy in the Camphill community of the Esk Valley in Denbydale.
Nicola Chalton of 3-Minute Arts said: “This year’s festival went really well.
“It’s great to see some award-winning writers attending the festival and to see their work represented on stage.
“Although small, it has gathered a strong following, with groups from around the Esk Valley, Whitby, the Coast and Cleveland/Teesside taking part.
“I think people are really surprised that there is such an exciting arts event happening in Glasdale!
“The feedback has been very encouraging and we plan to host the festival again next year.”
The day’s evening of musical entertainment concluded with performances by the Feriendales Folk Choir, Glenn Brown and Mark Wakefield, Marigolds, Doomfolk and Sons of Sheila.
The next drama, story and song competition will launch this autumn, with winning works presented at the 2025 Mini Festival.
