For the last three years, the festival has drawn thousands of visitors to the town to take part in activities, discussions, and performances about the town’s historic links with its sea-faring past.
Festival of the Sea is a celebration of Grimsby’s relationship with the sea through heritage and culture, whilst also looking to the future. The festival aims to engage, entertain, and inspire residents and visitors, and bring together the community for a day of fun, entertainment, and interactive learning.
News of the Festival’s return for 2024 has been warmly welcomed by North East Lincolnshire Council with its Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and the Visitor Economy, Cllr Hayden Dawkins, saying:
“I am absolutely delighted that this Festival will once again provide a true showcase for Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire. It will be packed with family entertainment, and is a perfect way to show how our past, great heritage can be brought into the modern day using the creativity and talent that now exists.”
There has been an overwhelming response to the 2024 event, which has led to an exciting programme of activities, performances, guided walks, installations, and projects.
One of the highlights this year will see the creation of a new contemporary dance performance inspired by local people’s stories to turn our community connections to the water into MOVEMENT. This new creation will be facilitated with several workshops prior to the festival, led by Grimsby arts and heritage organisation, Our Big Picture.
Turntable Gallery will join the festival with their Message in a Bottle installation – from rescue pleas to a sailor looking for love, messages in bottles have some of the most remarkable tales. Get involved and help us gather bottles to write your own tale and explore the magic discovering the journeys of messages delivered by the sea.
More info on how to take part in this and the rest of the programme will be announced soon! So until more details are released, watch this space @festivalofsea.
Swans Events has worked alongside a steering group of local people who are passionate about Grimsby’s history and community spirit to help with programming for the festival for the second year.
“Festival of the Sea is a celebration of all that makes Grimsby unique,” said festival organiser Noemi Antonelli from Swans Events. “We’re thrilled to have a programme co-curated by local people who know and love this town.”
This project has received £25,000 from the UK Government through 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 places, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
Photo credit, Abbie Jennings
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