FESTIVAL organisers across the West Midlands are thinking outside the box and online.
Many major cultural events and outdoor festivals have either been cancelled or postponed.
But while Covid-19 has had a devastating impact, artists and organisers across the region have been busy finding innovative new ways of bringing the festival experience to people at home with live online performances and artist interviews, digital workshops and even beer deliveries.
Almost Jazz Funk & Soul 2020 – until July 12
Unable to host the Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul festival in Birmingham’s Moseley Park this Summer, the team has created Almost Jazz Funk & Soul – an online festival taking place this weekend.
Expect live performances, DJ sets, artist interviews, 2021 announcements, interactive zooms, big giveaway competitions, craft beer delivery and street food for locals. The line-up is still to be announced but previous headliners have including names such as Sister Sledge, Burt Bacharach and Chaka Khan.
Sofasonic Festival – July 17 to 19
The team behind Supersonic Festival, hailed the ‘UK’s best small festival’ in 2019, are bringing a weekend of online events.
The line-up includes a new Kids Gig (Live Stream) with one-man-band extravaganza ICHI, an immersive mediation and yoga from Do.omyoga (Kamellia Sara) and bingo hosted by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs.
The events are Pay As You Feel, with 25 per cent of all proceeds being donated to The Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of foodbanks.
Simmer Lock-down Festival – July 18 and 19
Simmer Down Festival this year comes to living rooms as a free live stream via YouTube Live and Facebook Live. Usually held in the beautiful surroundings of Handsworth Park, Simmer Down is a family music and arts festival, which celebrates Birmingham’s rich cultural diversity by paying tribute to the centrality of reggae and other musical genres that have contributed to Birmingham as an international city of culture.
This year’s line-up has artists, DJs and poets from across the globe as well as the best local talent, including sets from Make It Happen Dance Company, Freetown Collective and Rhythms Del Torro.
Erica Love, Director of Culture Central, said: “As a sector, the arts has always found new and creative ways to bring its work to audiences and Covid-19 has demonstrated this resilience through the many digital opportunities we’ve seen from our arts and culture organisations to bring their work online during lockdown. These festivals are a great example of this fantastic work and I am looking forward to walking through their virtual doors.”
Click makeitwm.com for further details.
