The 24th Stockton International Riverside Festival (4-7 August) today announced its programme highlights.
For four extraordinary days in August, Stockton-on-Tees in the North East of England will be transformed into a vast performance space for both UK and international outdoor arts.
Taking place in and around Stockton on Tees, the festival returns to the River from which it takes its name to bring audiences a stellar lineup of co-commissions, UK premieres and international artists.
With its strong tradition of networking to bring festival audiences the latest and best developments in outdoor arts, SIRF announces three partnership programmes and extraordinary performances of every scale.
At the large scale end of the spectrum he festival finale is always a special occasion. This year’s event is a UK premiere featuring the Argentinean company Voala. Taking inspiration from the psychedelia of the 1960s, Moare features a giant mobile suspended from a 100 tonne crane, 13 extraordinary acrobats suspended from the mobile and uplifting rock music.
Now in its fifth season, the Without Walls commissioning consortium (of which SIRF is a founder member) presents ambitious new work from British companies. This year, six Without Walls co-commissions can be seen in Stockton.
On the large scale, Wired Aerial Theatre and acclaimed international director Nigel Jamieson present As The World Tipped. This is an extraordinary piece of epic aerial theatre that dramatizes the theme of climate change. As The World Tipped combines video footage and nailbiting aerial performance.
SIRF is also a founder member of the European Meridians network, featuring eight festivals from Zagreb to Stockholm via Dublin and Stockton. With funding from the European Union, SIRF will present collaborative projects projects featuring the English companies Ragroof and Metro Boulot Dodo working with French and Spanish partner companies.
Finally, SIRF has created a new two-year project with one of the five host Boroughs of the London 2012 Olympics to give opportunities to young emerging English companies. Called Gone in 20 Minutes, the project will present 10 new shows from a variety of disciplines (theatre, dance, circus and cabaret) at Spitalfields, London on 17 July and SIRF on Friday, 5 August. With prizes on offer from a jury of local audiences Gone in 20 Minutes will be an exciting addition alongside established SIRF highlights like Salon Perdu Spiegel tent and the 1,000 strong Community Carnival.
Jan Doherty, Stockton Council’s Arts Development Manager and Festival Co-ordinator:
“SIRF is a unique festival, bringing the best in international street theatre to the North East. From the large scale shows which literally take your breath away, you can be caught up in the most intimate shows as you walk along Stockton High Street.
“We are proud to bring never seen before works to Stockton and the caliber of the artists who come to SIRF really is testament to the strong reputation it has across the world.”
Come to SIRF – and expect the unexpected. Keep up to date with all the latest festival news at www.sirf.co.uk.
