Off the Shelf Festival of words goes on the road to South Yorkshire towns
27 September 2019
Sheffield’s Off the Shelf festival of words will run fringe events in three South Yorkshire towns for the first time.
The festival in October which showcases literature, politics, poetry, journalism, music, history and science will put on four new events in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster which have been curated by regional partner WE Great Place.
Off the Shelf has been running for 28 years and is a partnership between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, with support from Arts Council England.
Four events are being delivered by WE Great Place which is a three-year partnership between Barnsley Council, Rotherham Council and the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, funded by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Professor Vanessa Toulmin from the University of Sheffield, said: “We are thrilled to be taking the Off the Shelf festival on the road. It’s a great opportunity to share the wonderful programme further afield, celebrating the rich history of our South Yorkshire towns and we’re delighted that our partnership will enable even more people to experience the festival this year.”
Rachel Blake from WE Great Place, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Off the Shelf events and bringing the magic of the programme to new audiences in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster.”
The first of the fringe events on Saturday 12 October will be a poetry takeover of Elsecar in Barnsley. The event will be led by Barnsley Museums in partnership with Hear My Voice – a programme which encourages people to express themselves through poetry and the written and spoken word. There will be hands-on family workshops and activities including the People Powered Press which is the largest letterpress printing press in the world.
On Tuesday 15 October at Milton Hall in Elsecar, WE Great Place will showcase an original TV play by Barry Hines and Ken Loach. The film explores life at a South Yorkshire coalmine as it prepares for a royal visit. Poet and musician Ray Hearne will open the event with a newly commissioned piece of work, The Ballad of Wentworth and Elsecar. Tickets cost £5 and doors open at 6.30pm.
Free, pop-up events led by Ray Hearne will then take place at Doncaster Market on Saturday 19 October and Rotherham Market on Saturday 26 October where people can listen to the work of local writers and poets and join in with their own poem or short piece. The event called ‘Democracy of Words’ is produced by the Ted Hughes Project in partnership with Right Up Our Street.
Ray Hearne, said: “What better space than a marketplace for coming together to spread some words? Your words, my words, poetry’s words! Poems in books are like birds locked in cages – they might look lovely, but they can’t fly. Here’s a chance to give wing to your words. Bring along a poem, yours or somebody else’s, read it out and listen to how it sounds taking flight into the fresh air above the town!”
Children’s literary charity Grimm & Co will also be hosting a free event called ‘Poetry and Parables on Prescription’ on Saturday 26 October at their magical apothecary on Doncaster Gate in Rotherham. Visitors are invited to explore the emporium and have a go at writing themselves.
Off the Shelf has brought some of the best-known names in writing to the city since its inception in 1991. This year the festival will welcome famous faces to Sheffield including stalwart of British stage and television, David Suchet, BBC News at six presenter, George Alagiah, food writer and anti-poverty campaigner, Jack Monroe, and comedian Katy Brand, along with many more.
Notes to editors
Media contact: Charlotte Goldthorpe at Capital B Media on 01226 766900 or at charlotte@capitalbmedia.co.uk
Photo: Poet and musician, Ray Hearne will lead pop-up poetry events at Doncaster and Rotherham markets
The Great Place project is a three-year partnership between Barnsley Council, Rotherham Council and the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, that is delivering a range of exciting activities inspired by the awe-inspiring Wentworth Woodhouse and the Earl Fitzwilliam’s incredible model industrial village at Elsecar. It is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.
About the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund.
This press release was prepared by Capital B Media, a public relations and media training agency based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. For more information, please visit www.capitalbmedia.co.uk.
