The Festival of Energy marked the finale of Blyth Celebrates cultural programme, which was part of a wider Energising Blyth regeneration programme to renew, grow and connect the town, and acted as a launch pad for Blyth’s upcoming town of culture bid.
The first of its kind, we were commissioned to make a truly spectacular event which had creativity and innovation at its core and brought people into the town. To achieve this, we brought together 212 artists and performers and 195 passionate volunteers to deliver this programme, which brought 24,000 people to Blyth’s town centre over the course of the festival, to a town with a population of only around 40,000.
The festival saw a world first – Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s Blade Testing Hall opening its doors to the public for the first time as we presented Luke Jerram’s Gaia and Museum of the Moon alongside an 88m offshore wind turbine blade.
We invited Britain’s first Astronaut, Helen Sharman CMG OBE, to deliver a talk under the two installations to 350 local school children, in an event that will hopefully inspire future generations.
“It was quite eye-opening, you get to think about, not just space, but the future of humanity.” said one student, and another, “I think it was honestly extraordinary and I'm happy I got given this opportunity.”
The Festival of Energy also brought together 300 local women in a special International Women’s Day breakfast in the same venue, with opera singers and poetry alongside their bacon butties, to celebrate the difference they make to Blyth and Northumberland.
"Some of our staff participated in the International Women’s Day event at the ORE Catapult Centre in Blyth on Sunday morning. It was a wonderful celebration of women’s invaluable contributions to our community." - Railway Medical Health and Wellbeing, community group
