World Class Lakes Alive announces 2011 programme

26th May 2011

Lakes Alive returns with exciting programme of outdoor events for 2011

One of Britain's largest, most exciting and inventive seasons of outdoor arts events, will take place across Cumbria again this spring and summer.
 
This year's Lakes Alive programme will run from 3 May to 4 September.  It is Cumbria's unique contribution to the Legacy Trust UK programme, which was set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
 
The shows, which are mostly free, include a huge musical soundscape, wandering showmen, an international contemporary circus festival, an aerial orchestra of bell ringers and a performance featuring live rock music, dance and bungee acrobatics. The finale of the programme will be the Mintfest International Festival of Street Arts.     

Lakes Alive is created and directed by Kendal Arts International (KAI) with Manchester International Arts.  Julie Tait, the director of KAI, says: "I am really excited by this year's programme. Our aim is to bring great performances to Cumbria that people will enjoy and wonder at.  We want to show people great art that is unusual but accessible and memorable too." 
 
Last year over 75,000 people attended Lakes Alive events across Cumbria bringing £3 million into the local economy.

Guardian theatre critic, Lyn Gardner said at the end of last year's season of events that "The Lakes Alive Programme, which in the last few months has presented international work from all over the world, is fast making Cumbria a major destination for street arts audiences and artists."

The Lakes Alive season will open  on 3 May with Vagabonding, in which 2 showmen will take a 20 day journey through Cumbria, on foot, performing along the way. The show will feature puppetry, songs and stories devised from local heritage and folklore. 

The trip is inspired by the travels of Walter Wilkinson, a world famous showman and puppeteer, who toured throughout the British Isles and the United States during 1920s and 1930s.   The show has been specially commissioned by Lakes Alive.

On 3-5 June, in a UK premier by Lieux Publics, internationally acclaimed French artist and composer Pierre Sauvageot, will create Harmonic Fields, a dramatic musical soundscape with 500 wind powered musical instruments.  The audience will be able to wander amongst the instruments on Birkrigg Common near Ulverston as the wind blows through them creating a beautiful and changing aural and visual spectacle.

From 15-17 July, Zircus Plus, the international contemporary circus festival, returns to Barrrow.  Zircus is the UK's only outdoor circus festival and will feature some of the most exciting modern circus acts from Britain and around the world. This year's performances will include amazing aerial acrobatics, exquisite stilt walking Geishas, slack rope dancing, music, and silent physical comedy.
 
On 23 July, internationally acclaimed French group, Transe Express will return to Lakes Alive with a performance of Maudits Sonant's (Celestial Carillon) in Whitehaven.  A bewitching orchestra of bell ringers will be lifted high into the sky to perform a strange and magical concert. 

From the 26-30 July, The Banquet will be at Millom, Cleator Moor, Workington  Brampton and Appleby. 

Table and chairs will be laid out and the audience can bring their own food to take part in a street party where they will be entertained by a collection of outdoor performers. On the billing will be comedy gardeners, storytellers, giant beasts, a vegetable nanny, who wheels his charges around in a large pram, talking bushes and 1980's PE teachers Mr Armstrong and Mr Stretch whose mission is to get everyone fit in time for  the Olympics.
 
On 13 August, Lakes Alive goes to the Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole to with a garden party full of surprises to celebrate the Lake District National Park's 60th birthday.   

On 29th August, Maryport plays host to Groupe Puja from Spain and Argentina, who present K@osmos, a high octane show featuring live music, lights, dance, circus and bungee acrobatics.    

From 2-4 September Mintfest, Kendal's International Festival of Street Arts, returns for its 5th year. A kaleidoscope of international performers will take over the town. Shows include a deep sea adventure, a giant peacock that goes in search of a mate, dance, aerial acrobatics, the museum of ice cream, a story telling lighthouse keeper and an interactive fire and water show.  

Further details about this year's programme are available at www.lakesalive.org.

Lakes Alive is one of three annual programmes commissioned for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.  WE PLAY is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. The project is led by the Arts Council England Northwest on behalf of a new regional partnership. Lakes Alive is sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and has also received funding from Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation.

Moira Swinbank, the Chief Executive of Legacy Trust UK, says: "The Lakes Alive  programme has fast become a must-attend event in the North West. We're delighted to be funding Lakes Alive and are delighted by the huge impact the programme has had across Cumbria and beyond."