Family folk festival

Hartlepool

Sing - Make - Listen - Craft - Dance

Autumn approaches, the nights draw in...
it's the time of year for fire and shadows

The Family Folk Festival will feature all manner of daytime delights, from marvellous music, circus entertainers, whirling dancers, a spectacular sea monster, and even stories told from a pedal-powered Gypsy caravan! You can create, make noise, watch, listen, and join in with loads of fun activities each afternoon.

But as the light fades, shades and spirits come to life. Magical images and music emanate from a mysterious glowing wagon;  the ghosts of the great deer that gave Hartlepool its name emerge from the dark; and on Sunday evening, a glorious fiery procession of myth and wonders wends its way from the Town Circle to the sea, for a final performance of music, light and shadow. 

Puppeteers wanted!

Would you like to perform at the festival? Do you have experience in dance, movement, physical theatre, or even fitness? We're looking for three local people to perform as part of Thingumajig's incredible sea monster puppet (pictured above) You'll be trained by the company's world-class puppeteers and take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Why? Because everybody loves puppets!

In 2021, when we were unable to run the full folk festival due to the pandemic, we decided to try something new: with support from Arts Council England and Tees Valley Combined Authority, we launched a completely free, mostly outdoor-based one-day family folk festival.  

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Have a look at what we got up to...