Fantastic for Families Award 2020 Case Study
Derby Festé:
reaching new audiences through partnerships
This article explains programme development process of Full Moon Friday (Derby Festé September 2019), shortlisted for the Best Family Event Award. Last year’s event had a strong engagement focus on families with disabled children and disabled family members. This year, the team have re-designed Festé as a series of events which families and individuals can engage with and access in their own time.
Déda is in the process of re-emerging into a post Covid world as a creative, diverse and inclusive, environmentally sustainable centre for dance, outdoor performance and contemporary circus. Our building at 19 Chapel Street in Derby has been a hub for the development of creative and cultural experiences since 1998. From our place in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter we have a rich history of local, national and international connectivity. We produce Derby Festé – an annual international outdoor street arts festival in partnership with Derby City Council and a range of other cultural, educational and business partners in the locality. We are a Band 2 ACE National Portfolio organisation and a registered charity (1053633).
What We’ve Learnt
The evening’s programme worked well as it was tied together by a theme as well as having its own identity withing the weekend programme. It also worked well as the conditions for accessing the events in the programme were well thought out in advance. The community event was well marshalled by the Festé Team and Volunteer Stewards from the Public Services Learners from Derby College as well as volunteers from Hubbub Theatre Company. We also had a team of volunteers on hand to undertake Audience Agency surveys with members of the public to capture their responses to the evening’s programme as it unfolded.
Contributions could be poems, paintings, graffiti, artwork, puppets, stories, photographs or dances – basically anything that can be exhibited in shop windows, on lampposts on the pavements.
They can also be on any theme that matters to individuals and families, from lockdown and the NHS to community spirit, Black Lives Matter or to mark the loss of a loved one, as well of course the traditional well dressings.
We want help from local people including families, to transform the city and keep the Festé street festival vibe alive by celebrating Derby’s amazing creative communities. We have even created a resource pack for families especially designed to inspire them to make their own street dressings.
Our aim is to make our city colourful again, to reconnect our communities with our city and bring a new vibrancy to Derby following a very challenging and tough part of our lives.
Moving forwards, Derby Well aims to be an important driver in the social, cultural and economic re-development and growth in the city. It will bring together key partners to showcase the city’s arts, cultural calibre and vibrancy through a virtual and physical performance and events programme.
“We believe that the work we do has the power to make a positive impact on people’s lives and more so than ever in our post Covid world.”
Image credits: Header image Close Acts Parade Cr. Silviya Chovanska
01 September 2020
FURTHER INFORMATION
Clare Limb is Head of Dance Development and Learning at Déda
Clare leads on Dance Development and Learning Strategy at Déda and has been involved in the development and delivery of Déda’s artistic programmes including Derby Festé since 2007. Clare has a keen interest in family arts and recently attended the Family Arts Campaign Sector Leadership Conference in March 2020.
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