Staithes Festival: countdown to popular event celebrating tradition of artists in village
Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage – a festival celebrating the rich history of creativity and heritage of the pretty coastal village - is a cultural highlight of the whole region.
The festival, which is supported by the North York Moors National Park, takes place on Saturday September 13 and Sunday September 14, with a preview night on Friday September 12.
It continues the longstanding tradition of artists being drawn to Staithes by its inspiring and ever-changing light, and the higgledy-piggledy tumbledown of cottages to the sea.
Click here for pictures from last year’s Staithes Festival.
With a programme of heritage talks, the festival celebrates the social and industrial history of the generations of families who have lived here, and their traditions, skills, crafts and intertwined relationships.
Staithes Festival of Arts and Heritage was established in 2012 and enjoyed eight successful years before it was paused during the pandemic.
It returned with a bang in 2023, overwhelmed with artists, visitors, and goodwill and remains a highly popular fixture on the local events calendar.
This year will see more than 110 artists in 64 pop-up galleries in the cottages, public buildings and open spaces, providing ideal purchasing opportunities for festival-goers.
Alongside the art exhibits and artists’ workshops, the organisers are also lining up a packed programme of talks, which will be held for the first time in the village hall in the upper part of Staithes with a free shuttle taxi available to take people up from the lower end.
One of this year’s highlights will see Professor Sarah Peverley from the University of Liverpool share her research into the origins of the Staithes mermaid legend, which dates back to at least the 1920s.
She’ll explain how the legend provides a snapshot of the way villagers were shaped by their environment; and the efforts they took to protect against natural forces such as the sea’s power.
Author and museum curator Adam Chadwick will also be talking about the importance of the village’s prominent art colony which existed for 15 years from 1894.
Festival-goers can also screening a version of the outdoor Cinema Paradiso on the High Street, where people can sit in a deck chair and watch films about the village’s past and present.
Visit www.staithesfestival.com for more.