Long Division Festival: Wakefield

Dean Freeman

We all know about the music and big events on the Saturday but there’s so much going on! There are another 4 whole days of things to do and see. We asked Dean Freeman to tell us about some of the other events and cultural highlights going on around the festival:

Mi Mye

A Romantic Destination is new show we’ve commissioned by Wakefield / Scottish musician Jamie Lockhart (Mi Mye) about finding a songbook from 1851 that was owned by his ancestor who was the first piper for Queen Victoria. He takes the original music and then works in stories of his family and his journey from living on the North Coast of Scotland to here in Wakefield. Visible Words From Invisible People is a series of Neon artworks by Richard Wheater, inspired by homeless people’s stories in Wakefield. For the festival they will be installed in hidden places around the city for people to search out.

Toria Garbutt

We’ve commissioned Wakefield poet Toria Garbutt (John Cooper Clarke Tour Support, and currently performing in America) to create five new poems based in the cafes of Wakefield. We’re really into the idea of great schemed and dreams coming together over cups of tea and capturing the stories and people who frequent these place. They will be unveiled on June 2nd.

Bill Bragg

Billy Bragg and Laura Snapes will be guests at an In Conversation event, talking about the writing process and capturing stories and history. The event is also raising money for the charity MAP who work with young people at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, through creative mediums.

CAPA

CAPA are a dance college in Wakefield. We’ve commissioned them to create a piece of contemporary dance in response to a set by Thomas Ragsdale, who has produced documentary soundtracks for the BBC, including work by Adam Curtis. It’ll all take place in Wakefield Cathedral and is a pretty ambitious mash up of art for us, but really encapsulates what we are trying to achieve this year. For all details of what’s on and where to go check out the Long Division website.