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SO Festival 2022

/ Culture

Expect whimsical wizardry, dancing defenders and AI art, as SO Festival 2022 makes its hotly anticipated return to the East Coast this month!

After three years away, Lincolnshire’s astounding, international, street theatre festival, SO Festival, will be heading to the pavements, parks and promenades of Mablethorpe and Skegness this summer!

This year’s free, three-day festival – featuring an awe-inspiring array of innovative performances from the local and international circuit – will be heading to Mablethorpe, Sherwood Fields on Friday 19 August and Skegness, Tower Gardens on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 August.

The carefully curated programme of national and international touring acts has been slowly revealed over the past few weeks, with whimsical wizardry, dancing defenders and roaming robotics set to entertain festivalgoers from far and wide.

Join in and be a part of a collaboration between an artist, Artificial Intelligence and people from all around the world in Kaleider’s immersive installation, ‘Robot Selfie’, delivered at the event in partnership with Visit Lincs Coast DBID. SO Festival is calling for locals to submit their own selfies online at robotselfie.live/skegness, to feature in a large scale mural, painted by a robot live during the Festival!

Grab your pots and pans, as award-winning theatre company, LAStheatre, are on their way to entertain you and your family with ‘The Rascally Diner’: a fun-filled, messy performance about food.

Brace yourself for an uplifting dance riot in which six striking dancers revel in the 21st Century freedoms of self-identity. ‘Frock’ is the latest quirky dance piece from the diverse creative team at Stopgap Dance Company and is a true celebration of individuality and difference.

As well as the jam-packed international programme, this year’s SO Festival will see the return of the ever-popular Activity Zone. This welcoming space – which the Louth based SO Festival team first trialled in 2019, with great success – celebrates the surrounding coastal communities, with participatory workshops facilitated by local artists and a Community Stage showcasing the best talent our county has to offer.

This year’s Festival programme once again has a Lincolnshire focus and a Nordic undercurrent, thanks to Danish Artistic Director, Jens Frimann Hansen, and his colleagues at Helsingør Teater – renowned in Europe for their staging of PASSAGE Festival.

Jens said: ‘’We want to create a truly memorable experience for locals, visitors, and holidaymakers alike. Award-winning national and international touring companies will be joining us for SO Festival 2022 and it was important that we brought in acts who work with communities as an integral part of their creation process, so that everyone can become more than just a viewer, and we can shape the festival into an unforgettable experience together.’’

James Brindle, Magna Vitae’s Chief Executive Director added: “Since its launch in 2009, SO Festival has cemented itself as a key event in the international street theatre cultural calendar, whilst keeping our coastal resorts and communities at its core. This core is proving even more vital, as we move to democratise the Festival, involving local people in programming, event planning and at every stage of the creative process.

“We are delighted to be bringing SO Festival back to Mablethorpe and Skegness this summer and are incredibly proud to be giving people from all walks of life a chance to step out of their day to day, see the world through new perspectives and experience inspiring street theatre on their doorstep, once again.’’

Brought to you by Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure & Culture with funding support from Arts Council England, East Lindsey District Council and Visit Lincs Coast DBID, SO Festival 2022 promises to take festivalgoers of all ages on a truly memorable journey of discovery – be sure to join the team for the ride!

Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and strategic partner to East Lindsey District Council. Other key partners for SO Festival 2022 are PASSAGE Festival, Helsingør Teater, Without Walls Touring Network Partnership, Visit Lincs Coast DBID, OutdoorArtsUK, County Care and Project Radio.

For more information, including programme details as they are released, visit sofestival.org and follow SO Festival on social media.

 

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