Whirligig Festival wows Weston!
10 September 2024
Crowds of people enjoyed a continental experience in Weston-super-Mare at the weekend, as ‘Whirligig’, award-winning festival of international outdoor arts, brought an exhilarating mix of international, national and local acts to the town’s Italian Gardens.
Presented by Super Culture, the two-day programme was packed with free, family entertainment and drew audiences from near and far.
A musical parade along the High Street with the North Somerset Samba Band heralded the start of the festival, which featured an eclectic mix of awe-inspiring acts.
These included acrobatics, circus, roller-skating, juggling, high-wire, flying wheelchairs, living picture frames, giant arcade games, puppetry, comedy, cyr wheel, hula hoop, dance and flamenco.
Plus a new, interactive environmentally-themed zone; head-turning walk-about acts; circus workshops; community participation and activities; artwork and a S.M.Art Jam exhibition of local street artists as part of Weston Wallz by Upfest.
Fiona Matthews, creative director at Super Culture, said: “What a brilliant Whirligig weekend we all had! The occasional shower did nothing to dampen the festival vibes, and Weston’s community spirit shone bright as ever.
“Amazing artistic talent from Europe, the UK and Weston-super-Mare graced the Italian Gardens with both jaw dropping and rib-tickling outdoor arts acts that will linger long in the memory. Huge thanks to everyone who came, to the fabulous line-up of extraordinary artists, to our fantastic ‘Culture Maker’ volunteers and to our generous funders and partners who make the whole event possible.”
‘Whirligig’ 24 is funded by Arts Council England and UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This year’s festival is also supported by partners Without Walls, Circus Around And About 2 and the Rural Touring Dance Initiative.
Whirligig Festival is a green event that reflects Super Culture’s environmental ethos to produce work and create experiences that are as sustainable as possible, supporting and enhancing local communities.
For other upcoming events, visit https://superculture.org.uk and follow @SuperCultureWsM for the latest news.
Lead image – Zen del Sur ‘Orbita’. Photo credit Paul Blakemore