Skipton Now Festival Wrap Up

Skipton Now 2023, which took place throughout the whole of August, brought together an eclectic programme of diverse activities and events. This month was a celebration of all the hard work Skipton’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) and its cultural programme have achieved over the past four years.

The team behind Skipton’s HSHAZ, with funding from Historic England, Skipton BID, and North Yorkshire Council, ran workshops, talks, walks, art clubs, film nights, exhibitions, and theatre performances for Skipton Now 2023. All the events were free to provide inclusive and accessible activities for people of all ages.

Creative leaders from across the HSHAZ Cultural Programme participated to demonstrate their particular projects and highlight the rich cultural heritage Skipton holds. These included a dog-head-making workshop with Virpi Kettu, an interactive paint-by-numbers workshop with Fresh Perspective plus the launch of their mural trail, a Humans of Skipton photography exhibition by Watch This Space, Skipton Library’s ‘What Was Here?’ app launch, and performances from Craven Music Match musicians at Yorkshire Day and the end-of-festival film showcase.

As well as hosting a range of events, GPLD and Skipton Town Hall, as part of Skipton Now, commissioned six artists, four of whom were tasked with creating an artistic response to the heritage of areas of Skipton covered by the HSHAZ scheme in any media format. One other designed the brand identity for Skipton Now, including the programme and posters. The final commission ran an educational workshop with young people to develop artwork inspired by the festival, Skipton’s history, and the community. Find more information about each commission here.

The festival was so greatly received by residents and visitors, with numerous events at full capacity, that organisers are looking at the possibility of making Skipton Now an annual staple of Skipton’s festival scene. Keep up to date with all the latest activities and news through Welcome To Skipton.

And don’t miss HAZ’s wrap up event on Saturday 30^th March at Skipton Town Hall featuring workshops, creative activities, film screenings and a music showcase. More details coming soon!