ENGIE partners with Wentworth Woodhouse for festival on climate change
7 November 2019
Leading regeneration, energy and services specialist, ENGIE has partnered with Wentworth Woodhouse to support a new arts festival which focuses on climate change.
ENGIE will be the headline sponsor of the ‘WE Wonder Noir’ festival organised by WE Great Place, which takes place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November from 6pm, in the grounds of the iconic Wentworth Woodhouse.
The main spectacle at the festival will be a large-scale aerial theatre show called ‘As The World Tipped’ which tells the story of a climate crisis through dramatic film, visuals and aerial performance. Performers will be suspended on a tilting stage 18 metres off the ground.
As part of the festival, ticket holders for WE Wonder Noir have been able to preview Gaia Earth before anyone else. The giant planet installation in the Marble Saloon at Wentworth Woodhouse is free and open to the public on selected dates in November.
ENGIE provides energy efficient and smart building solutions to customers in the UK and globally. Its work in Rotherham has included helping transform communities through regeneration projects. It is also part of a group of businesses known as the ‘Rotherham Pioneers’ which help promote the town and celebrate its rich history.
Martin Smithurst, ENGIE COO, said: “ENGIE is extremely pleased to be able to support the festival. It not only addresses issues that are close to our heart as a business, but also gives us the chance to proudly engage with an event in Rotherham - an area and community we continue to have strong ties with.”
WE Wonder Noir and Gaia Earth have been brought to Rotherham by WE Great Place - a partnership between Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, Rotherham Council and Barnsley Council, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.
Rachel Blake, from WE Great Place, said: “ENGIE’s energy and climate priorities and their links to the Rotherham community make them the perfect headline sponsor of the first-ever WE Wonder Noir Festival. With their support, we are able to provide this new and exciting cultural experience for people in Rotherham.”
Sarah McLeod, Chief Executive of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, said: “It’s superb to have the backing of an international business with a local presence supporting our exciting cultural programme and we are looking forward to welcoming them as a partner in future activity.”
Tickets for WE Wonder Noir on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November are available via Eventbrite. Those attending can look forward to street food and variety acts from 6pm before the main aerial show at 8pm.
Free viewings of Gaia Earth take place on November 14-17 from 6-8pm. Paying visitors who book tours of the house will also be able to see the installation as they pass through the Marble Saloon.
Notes to editors
Photo from left to right: Sarah Mcleod - CEO of Wentworth Woodhouse, Nathan Brough, Regional Director at Engie, Rachel Blake - project manager for WE Great Place
ENGIE is a leading energy and services company focused on three key activities: production and supply of energy, facilities management and regeneration. Our 17,000 employees combine these capabilities for the benefit of individuals, businesses and communities throughout the UK and Ireland. For further information on ENGIE, visit www.engie.co.uk
The Great Place project is a three-year partnership between Barnsley Council, Rotherham Council and the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, that will deliver 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 (ACE).
Wentworth Woodhouse is a Grade I listed country house, based in the village of Wentworth, Rotherham. One of the largest houses in Europe, it was once the home of the Fitzwilliam family. In 2017, it was bought by the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, who are working to renovate the building and restore it to its former glory.
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.
