International Parkour, Victorian Biology and a Lock Keeper’s Quest : Burnley Canal Festival returns for a
weekend of waterside delights.
This August Bank Holiday Weekend, 26th & 27th August, 2017, Burnley’s towpath will come to life again with vibrant performances, community projects and family activity for Burnley Canal Festival. Hoping to top the success of last year when 12000 people enjoyed Bank Holiday Weekend on the waterway, the programme brings together canal traditions with performance, music and street food for a weekend of fun and relaxation.
Over a mile of the canal will be animated, from the Festival Hub at Sandygate Square, along the
towpath to The Fairground at the Inn on the Wharf and further still to canoeing lessons at Finsley
Gate with a regular boat shuttle.
A packed weekend and completely free programme runs from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 26th
and Sunday 27th August with highlights including:
● On Saturday 26th, the Award-winning Urban Playground Team are bringing the original
Performance-Parkour stages to the festival for their blockbusting STEAM performance –
working with skilled artists, this show also puts young people from the local Burnley ‘free
running’ community centre stage. Includes a free interactive parkour workshop for all.
● On Sunday 27th, the Live Music Stage at Sandygate will feature the best in world and folk
music and children can Join Ragtag Arts at Sandygate to help them paint a huge cardboard
barge!
● In a true festival highlight, families on the lookout for adventure can help lock keeper Sam
foil a dastardly plan to capture Burnley’s canal boats. The Lock Keeper’s Quest spans the
canal from The Inn on the Wharf to Sandygate in an adventure involving 13 clues, 13 locks
and 13 keys. Join the Towpath Explorers to unlock the secrets of the canal!
● Visitors can take to the canal’s waters aboard the narrow boat Ruby. Canal Cruises Ltd will
be ferrying passengers on their Waterbus from Burnley Wharf to Finsley Gate all weekend.
● For those who prefer to sail self-propelled, join Outdoor Elements for Kayaking on the
Canal . Their boats fit up to three people and can even be rafted to other canoes to form a
stable platform so anyone can get involved.
● Join Chris Dorning, The Cunning Craftsman to learn the techniques behind traditional
signwriting.
● The Festival is bringing an exceptional selection of international and locally based street
food traders to the canal; with Dim Sum Su ‘s Oriental snack food, Deli Delite ‘s
handcrafted halal and Shirley’s handmade Lancashire pies, audiences will have to save
some room for Christine’s Cakes traditional puds, and of course, there’s always ice-cream
with Nelson’s Ices !
● R oaming performers will enliven the towpaths with a dash of music and theatre, including
a group of Victorian-inspired scientists and their splendorous scientific contraption – the
Sense-O-Matic by Same Difference Arts.
● Burnley Wharf will also be hosting The Fairground – with traditional waltzers,
hook-a-duck, Pepper Pig Bugs and a Bouncy Castle, there is fun for all the family.
● Four community groups based around the canal have come together with artists to create
floats, in the age old tradition of procession. Artists have worked with groups including
Canalside Community Centre, Burnley Wood, Gannow Community Centre, The Jinnah
Centre and and Valley Street Community Centre. The project will be celebrated by the
Broadside Balladress Jennifer Reid and her newly formed community choir – 12 noon
Saturday.
Laurie Peake, Director of Super Slow Way, says: “ The festival celebrates one of Burnley’s greatest
assets, the canal; with art, music and great family entertainment from the Straight Mile to the
Weavers’ Triangle to Sandygate Square. Just 5 minutes from the town centre, it’s a natural oasis
and a heritage gem that tells the story of the town, providing a wonderful backdrop to the
fabulous performances and fun activities, from canoeing to a towpath treasure trail – not to
mention good food!”
Burnley Canal Festival is supported with funding from The Canal and River Trust, Super Slow Way,
The Calico Group, Duchy of Lancaster, Burnley Borough Council and with sponsorship from
Barnfield Construction and Barnfield & Burnley Developments Ltd.
Burnley Canal Festival is co-produced by Mid Pennine Arts and Deco Publique.