Open Gardens are back!
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Hebden Bridge Arts Festival are bringing back their hugely popular Open Gardens weekends in 2015 due to public demand.
The festival's board are responding to very clear feedback from the community that people wanted the chance to tour outdoor spaces of all shapes, sizes and designs around Hebden Bridge as part of next year's events.
They've signed up their first volunteer as David Groves who is going to open up his town centre garden, complete with a cosy shed based on filmmaker's Derek Jarman's classic version that he is built at the heart of his garden on the shingle beach outside Dungeness nuclear power station.
Photo: Paul Clarke and shows David Groves and Alison Pilling
David Groves who is looking forward to opening his garden said: "The things about the open gardens is it is part of the whole landscape of the town, and we are all very individual in our philosophy of gardening so people get chance to see the different use of space, growing and skills.
"I'm very happy to meet and greet people coming into the garden and I had very positive feedback last time it was on. I even came back into this shed and found people still sitting and talking at the end of the day who even gave me a picture of their time in my garden which hangs in here."
The festival has appointed Alison Pilling, who coordinated the last Open Gardens in 2012, and board member Alison Fairclough to work with green fingered supporters who will open their doors to fauna fans.
Calling for volunteers Alison Pilling said, "What I think it adds to the festival is that people can just walk around outside and see Hebden Bridge from lots of different viewpoints.
"What was a real delight for me last time was we organised an open garden safari so everyone taking part could see each other's gardens. On that tour I realised that the gardens are in themselves interesting but then you realise they are all placed in the bigger picture and seeing the views from all the different aspects of the town was a real surprise.
"We're not looking for RHS standard gardens, but what is really brilliant about all the gardens, the allotments and the streets with lots of pots is the creativity that people show in a landscape that is not particularly conductive to RHS style cottage gardens. It doesn't matter if you are planting tubs or corners that are unexpected everybody has got something to show."
The Open Garden Weekends will take place on 27 and 28 June 2015 so no matter the size of your garden or outdoor space if you want to find how to get involved email alisonpilling@hotmail.com
Previously, the Festival on the HebWeb
- HebWeb News: Hebden Shorts 2015: Get writing over Christmas (11 December 2014)
- HebWeb News: Exclusive first public showing of Arts Festival video (24 November 2014)
- HebWeb News: Young arts producers win national awards (20 November 2014)
- HebWeb News: Calder High Students deliver #yourfest (2 July 2014)
- HebWeb News: Streets come alive with Arts Festival (29 June 2014)
- HebWeb News: Win tickets to see George Monbiot (20 June 2014)
- HebWeb News: Michael Morpurgo's 'I Believe in Unicorns' (11 June 2014)
- HebWeb News: John Shuttleworth sells out (6 June 2014)
- HebWeb News: Arts Festival - 2014 programme published (19 May 2014)
- HebWeb News: Arts festival short plays announced. (12 May 2014)
- HebWeb News: Comedian Simon Amstell to play Picture House (8 May2014)
- HebWeb News: The Tiger Lillies play one off show at Hebden Bridge Arts Festival (10 April 2014)
- HebWeb News: Festival seeks new board members (27 March 2014)
- HebWeb News: Meet the Arts Festival team (10 March 2014)
- HebWeb News: Local business invited for a festival cuppa (15 Feb 2014)
- HebWeb News: New look for Arts Festival (31 January 2014)
- HebWeb News: Budding Playwrights Wanted! (20 January 2014)
- HebWeb News: Festival Board thanks Festival volunteers, and the HebWeb (21 July 2013)
- HebWeb News: Latest from the Festival (26 June 2013)
- Arts Festival Website