Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Kirkleatham, Redcar this summer as the award-winning Festival of Thrift returns to its much-loved home for a spectacular weekend of creativity, sustainability and family fun.
Taking place on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, Festival of Thrift will once again transform the historic grounds of Kirkleatham Village into a vibrant playground of ideas, imagination and positive planet action. The return marks the beginning of an exciting new partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and a homecoming many audiences and traders have been hoping for since the festival last took place at Kirkleatham in 2022.
Recognised nationally as one of the UK's most innovative and inspiring environmental festivals, Festival of Thrift attracts between 25,000 and 40,000 visitors and offers a unique blend of arts, performance, food, fashion, making, repair and hands-on experiences designed to show that sustainable living can be joyful, creative and accessible to everyone.
Visitors can expect breath-taking outdoor performances, giant installations, interactive family experiences, live music, creative workshops and sustainable fashion showcases. There will be the return of the much-loved Festival of Thrift favourite ‘Best in Show catwalk’ with Wayne Hemingway MBE.
A bustling marketplace will feature over 120 carefully selected traders, from vintage treasures and handmade crafts to sustainable homewares, art, ethical products and unique gifts.
Alongside the Thrifty Market, visitors will be able to enjoy a mouth-watering selection of street food and local producers, making Festival of Thrift one of the region's most vibrant destinations for food, ethical shopping and discovery.
This year, Festival of Thrift is excited to be part of Global Streets, a national partnership that brings remarkable work from around the world to Tees Valley. One of the programme highlights will be the UK premiere of I have no name / Yo no tengo nombre, a powerful and thought-provoking installation that invites us to imagine what nature has to say to humans today by Spanish arts collective El Conde De Torrefiel. The relationship between people and the natural world will be a thread running throughout much of this year's programme.
Another programme highlight will be Festival of Thrift’s collaboration with the spectacular Woodland Tribe. Fresh from acclaimed projects at the Tate Modern and Stonehenge, Woodland Tribe will invite children and families to construct with tools and wood a play structure of their dreams. Part adventure playground and part act of collective imagination, the evolving giant wooden ship structure will become a place where creativity, collaboration and play take centre stage.
Set against the backdrop of one of the North East's most beautiful heritage sites, the festival will offer visitors the chance to experience Kirkleatham's historic buildings, green spaces and stunning Walled Garden while enjoying hundreds of free activities throughout the weekend that encourage visitors of all ages to discover new ways of living well while treading lightly on the planet.
Festival of Thrift Director Tanya Steinhauser said:
"Returning to Kirkleatham feels incredibly special. This site holds so many wonderful memories for our audiences and partners. Festival of Thrift has always been about bringing people together to imagine a greener, fairer and more joyful future, and there could not be a better place to do that than here in Redcar and Cleveland.
This year's programme celebrates creativity, community and practical action. From internationally acclaimed artists and extraordinary outdoor experiences to independent traders, street food and hands-on making, Festival of Thrift demonstrates that sustainable living can be exciting, inspiring and full of joy."
Councillor Alec Brown, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said:
"We are delighted to welcome Festival of Thrift back to Kirkleatham. The festival brings significant cultural, social and economic benefits to the borough and showcases Redcar and Cleveland as a place of creativity, innovation and ambition."
Festival of Thrift remains free to attend and continues its mission of inspiring positive action through creativity, culture and community. Visitors are encouraged to travel sustainably where possible and to come ready to explore, create, learn and celebrate.
Find out more at Festival of Thrift - Come & Celebrate Sustainable Living