Encounter Festival 2024 Unveils Community and Traditions Stage and Commissions Programme

Encounter Festival, set to take place on 21-22 September is proud to announce its Community and Traditions Stage and Commissions Programme.

This year, the festival continues its tradition of commissioning new works which engage local audiences, featuring collaborations with Lancashire-based companies such as imitating the dog and Blaze Arts.

Councillor 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."

Community Commission

The Community Commissions are as follows;

Same But Different

'Same But Different', is an accessible silent disco, produced by Blaze Arts Access All Areas producers, a group of young disabled artists led by local theatre maker Helena Ascough.

The silent disco with Djs, The Fat Britney and Matthew Beautyman, takes place on Saturday, 21 September, at Preston Bus Station from 2:05pm to 3:50pm. Attendees who use hearing aids or cochlear implants are encouraged to bring their Bluetooth-compatible devices to fully enjoy the experience.

Ribble of Dreams by imitating the dog

'Ribble of Dreams' invites festival-goers to peer into magical story boxes for an extraordinary journey through Preston's landscapes. Created by imitating the dog in collaboration with the people of Preston, this installation tells stories of escape, exploration, and discovery.

For those interested in contributing to these tales, imitating the dog will host free workshops on Saturday, 14 September at 11am and 2pm (for 11-15 yr-olds and 16 - 25 yr-olds respectively) and Sunday, 15 September, at 11am and 2pm (for children 5+ and their grown-ups) in The Guild Hall Foyer.

Community and Traditions Stage

On Saturday, 21 September, the Community and Traditions Stage outside The Guild Hall will feature a variety of performances highlighting Preston's cultural diversity.

Performers include Preston People's Choir, Hussnain Hanif and The Nasheed Choir, the returning Urooj Qawwal, and the Song of Life project led by Stef Portersmith, which involves different Lancashire singing groups.

Encounter Voices — Lights That Lead Us There

Since 2018, Encounter Voices has been a cornerstone of the festival's singing programme.

In 2024, this initiative collaborates with Lancashire's County of Song celebration; 'Lights That Lead Us There' will feature songs of love, longing, and light, including both familiar favourites and new works by composer and choir leader Loz Kaye.

Workshops for this programme are available at The Guild Hall Lancaster Suite on 31 August, 14 September, and during the festival on 21 September. The performance will take place from 1pm to 5:30pm on September 21.

Encounter Festival 2024 promises to be a memorable celebration of arts, culture, and community engagement. 

For our full line up of events see what's on or our  Encounter Festival 2024 Programme (PDF) [2MB]

Further information

About Encounter Festival

Encounter Festival is an authentic voice for Preston, celebrating the breadth of the County's cultural offer with high quality and high-profile arts. Taking place on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September, Encounter Festival sees the city of Preston buzzing with life and alight with creativity. The past Encounters have seen an array of spectacular performances, inspiring arts and impressive music, bringing spectators to their feet.

About The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. 

About Arts Council England 

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let's Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high quality cultural experiences. We invest public money from Government and The National Lottery to help support the sector and to deliver this vision.

Following the Covid-19 crisis, the Arts Council developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90% coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. We are also one of the bodies administering the Government's unprecedented £1.96 billion Culture Recovery Funds.