Family festival set to bring gardens alive at Wentworth Woodhouse
11 June 2019
A new family festival will take place in the historic gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse this summer.
The WE Wonder Festival on Sunday 7 July will be set in 50-acres of gardens in the grounds of Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham.
The gardens will come alive with arts and crafts, street food, live shows, music, literature, and magic for families to enjoy from 12-6pm.
The festival is part of the WE Great Place partnership and follows their sell-out Man Engine show at Wentworth Woodhouse and Elsecar last year.
The WE Great Place programme of cultural events throughout the year celebrates the rich shared history of Wentworth and Elsecar. WE Great Place recently became a Without Walls touring partner – a consortium of UK festival partners which aim to reach new audiences through outdoor arts.
Sarah McLeod, Chief Executive of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, said: “The WE Wonder Festival is set to be huge and spectacular, with an exceptional line-up of arts and cultural activities for our local communities to experience. We are very excited to be sharing our stories in this way in beautiful gardens that visitors will be amazed by.”
Dominic Somers, from WE Great Place, said: “Festival goers will have the chance to explore the hidden wonders of Wentworth Woodhouse as they escape their everyday lives into a new world filled with magic, fun and laughter. It’s an exciting chance to engage with the site in new and creative ways.”
Dr John Tanner, Project Manager for Barnsley Museums at Elsecar Heritage Centre, said: “From the magnificent Wentworth Woodhouse to the mighty ironworks and collieries built by the Earls at Elsecar, this area has remarkable stories to share. The WE Wonder festival will be an unforgettable event that will inspire families from across Rotherham and Barnsley.”
Performers include Gobbledegook Theatre who will present Ear Trumpet, a playful installation which invites people of all ages to discover underground sounds. The Ramshacklicious punk marching band will keep festival goers entertained, and there will be opportunities to join artist workshops around the site, including Wentworth Woodhouse’s very own artist in residence, Alun Kirby.
WE Wonder Festival partners include Rotherham-based children’s literacy charity Grimm & Co, who will have a space in their ‘Enchanted Glade’. They will introduce a new production designed and performed by children and young people from Rotherham.
After the success of last year’s sell-out Man Engine events at both Wentworth and Elsecar, WE Great Place are expecting the festival to sell-out fast and are urging people to book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets for the WE Wonder Festival on Sunday 7 July are on sale via Eventbrite. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children aged 4-16 years. Children aged 3 and under are free, and family tickets for 2 adults and 2 children cost £25.
WE Great Place 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.
Notes to editors
Media contact: Charlotte Goldthorpe at Capital B Media on 01226 766900 or at charlotte@capitalbmedia.co.uk
Photos:
-
Ear Trumpet at WE Wonder Festival will invite people of all ages to discover underground sounds
-
Markmark Productions performed at last year's Man Engine event at Wentworth Woodhouse
Video: Man Engine in action at last year’s event: https://youtu.be/bc54a210Yao
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.
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.
A bustling industrial village from the 1700s, Elsecar boomed thanks to its ironworks and thriving collieries, which were often visited by aristocrats and royalty. For 150 years it was the industrial estate village of Wentworth Woodhouse just a mile away and was developed by the Marquis of Rockingham and Earls Fitzwilliam into a model village.
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.
