Encounter Festival community and traditions stage unveils Saturday Preston city centre line-up

Family Catwalk Extravaganza by Ghetto Fabulous

Preston’s 2024 Encounter Festival has announced its Community and Traditions stage and Commissions Programme.

The festival takes place during Saturday (21 September) and Sunday (22 September) and will continue its tradition of commissioning new works which engage local audiences.

During the Saturday the Community and Traditions stage will take place outside The Guild Hall in Lancaster Road.

Councillor Anna Hindle, Cabinet Member for Culture and Arts at Preston City Council said: “The Community and Traditions Stage, along with our commissioned projects, reflects Preston’s cultural scene.

“We are thrilled to see such diverse talent coming together to create a truly inclusive festival experience.”

The Community Commissions include:

Same But Different – an accessible silent disco
Ribble of Dreams by imitating the dog – storytelling boxes
Community and Traditions Stage – variety of performances highlighting Preston’s cultural diversity
Encounter Voices – singing programme

Earlier this year it was announced that Encounter Festival secured £96,000 of funding from Arts Council England.

Esther Ferry Kennington, Executive Producer at the Encounter Festival said: “We are delighted to receive support from Arts Council England for our 2024 festival. This funding will enable us to continue our mission of providing cultural experiences that engage and inspire audiences across Preston and beyond.

“We look forward to delivering another outstanding festival and building on our success in the years to come.”

A road closure will be in place in Lancaster Road – from the junction with Lord Street to Ward’s End – during Saturday (21 September) from 8am to 10pm for the Community and Traditions stage which is followed by the torchlight procession and fireworks.

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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to contactus@blogpreston.co.uk for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.