Date
August Bank Holiday 2016/17/18

Location
Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Burnley

Partner
Mid Pennine Arts

Client
Super Slow Way 

Audience Figure
12,000

Photography
Daniel Allison

The Challenge
Spanning nearly 1.5 miles of canal towpath, the festival footprint included three distinct hubs of activity connected by a string of pearls. Our challenge was to create locations that, whilst being distinct draws in their own right, remained part of the festival and helped reintroduce visitors to the towpath and waterways as a cultural destination.

In 2016 Deco Publique partnered with Mid Pennine Arts to produce a spectacular edition of Burnley Canal Festival for August bank holiday weekend, part of Super Slow Way’s CPP programme. Developed with Burnley Canal Trust and local partners, this special 2016 event celebrated 200 years of the Leeds & Liverpool canal.

For the following two festivals in 2017 and 2018 we co-curated a family-friendly festival with artist commissions, performance & spectacle, workshops and waterborne activities that took audiences on a trail of magic and discovery through Burnley’s unique canalside environment.

The festival hub at Sandygate Square hosted highlights including the incredible Folk Dance Remixed, the vibrant and entertaining Rajasthan Heritage Brass Brand, a music stage curated by More Music, Lifeboat by the Institute for Crazy Dancing & free art workshops all weekend.

To find out about the next festival contact Super Slow Way and connect with Burnley Canal Festival through their Facebook page.