Spareparts Put Its Pedal to the Metal with Three-Year Investment

The SpareParts Festival pioneered by Fleetwood Festival of Transport is to receive a three-year investment thanks to Arts Council England.

The investment will see the hugely popular transport themed art festival ‘accelerate’ to three northern transport events this year, increasing to five by 2020, and ensuring its spectacular programming can reach new audiences.
 
The innovative nature of the festival has been praised in previous years for its ability to engage those who don’t usually consider the arts to be ‘for them’ by using a mixture of clever programming and adding a colourful addition to existing Transport Festivals.
 
Adam McGuigan, Artistic Director of SpareParts Festival, said: “This investment represents a step up to the next level for SpareParts as we take audiences on a journey with us across the North, supported by a fantastic network of partners from co-founders Wyre Council and LeftCoast to newer partners like Crewe Town Council, Cheshire East Council and Sandbach Transport Festival.”
 
“The support of Arts Council England is absolutely invaluable and will allow us to be ambitious and daring with the programme and participation opportunities. We already have some incredible artists for 2018 that I look forward to announcing later in the year.”


 
In its first year, the festival featured Motionhouse’s Traction with dancing JCBs performing on Fleetwood beach, and since then has gone from strength to strength offering a diverse programme of street performance as well as large scale spectacles.
 
On top of its diverse programme of performance the festival also prides itself on its community ethos and each year will work with schools and community groups in the towns it visits to give opportunities for people of all ages to participate.
 
Jane Beardsworth, Director North, Arts Council England said “The SpareParts Festival has done a brilliant job in attracting new people to the event to enjoy the work of some excellent artists and I’m delighted that we have funded its development through our National Lottery funded Strategic Touring programme.”
 
Robert Brown, Chairman of Fleetwood Festival of Transport, added: “The creation of SpareParts Festival has been a labour of love from the volunteer committee of Fleetwood Festival of Transport and we’re delighted with today’s news.
 
“I’ve seen first-hand the power the arts can have to enrich people’s lives and we are very proud to be developing this trailblazing festival from Fleetwood.”
 
In 2018 SpareParts Festival will head to Sandbach Transport Festival on April 21 and 22 and trAction in Crewe on July 7 before returning to its home town of Fleetwood on the Lancashire coast on July 15.
 
More information about the 2018 SpareParts Festival will be released in the coming weeks.