Remarkable Harrogate festivals launch exciting HIF Weekender today

An exciting new venture, The HIF Weekender will offer a who’s who of the arts world for free for four days from today, Thursday, through to Sunday, streaming via www.harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/hif-player

Featuring performances and interviews with internationally acclaimed musicians, best-selling authors and innovative thinkers, this online celebration of the arts has been timed to coincide with what would have been the legendary long weekend of Harrogate’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

HIF’s chief executive Sharon Canavar said they were determined to live up to the festival’s heritage, lockdown or no lockdown.

She said: “We are devastated that our audiences can’t join us here in Harrogate this summer. Since our first festival in 1966, our mission has been to promote the arts - and despite the cancellation of our entire summer programme, 2020 won’t be an exception.

“We have organised a fantastic four days of music performances and star interviews, all commencing with the unmasking of this year’s winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.

“What we are delivering is Made in Harrogate, but being enjoyed across the whole world. At HIF, we promise you’ve got the best seats in the house.”

The Government may have announced that theatres and venues in England will be able to host live performances from August, but excitement at the easing of lockdown in the arts had been tempered by fears that the social distancing rules will mean it will not be economically viable for most events and venues to return.

Harrogate International Festivals has acknowledged the scale of challenge posed by lockdown and Covid-19.

But Sharon Canavar said its decision to go digital over the last four months by introducing HIFAtHome with its own iPlayer meant it was still delivering world class arts with the generous support of the community.

She said: “It has been an immense challenge and HIF wouldn’t be delivering in this way if we hadn’t received support from a number of organisations and individuals.

“Since Harrogate International Festivals launched its “HIFAtHome”, more than 6,000 hours of podcasts featuring top musicians, authors and inspirational speakers, have been listened to by audiences from as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Finland.”

Much of the arts world may still be on the edge of a precipice with almost all theatres and live venues still closed but every now and then it’s possible to detect a chink of light in the cultural doom and gloom.

The small team at Harrogate International Festivals, Yorkshire’s longest-running arts festival, a team which has become even smaller during the long months of lockdown, have done everything to keep the flag flying.

HIFAtHome has even featured on the official British Arts Podcasts Chart – a remarkable achievement in a relatively short period of time.

Harrogate International Festivals Chairman Fiona Movley said: “As a charitable arts organisation we had to move quickly to ensure our survival but more importantly to ensure that our doors didn’t close, and that we still maintained a high quality community and entertainment programme through the arts within our festivals delivery.

"We are delighted that our much reduced team of three have been able to produce such a wide range of events.”

The list of names lined up for The HIF Weekender is hugely impressive. It includes:

Hacienda DJ Graeme Park

Crime writers Lee Child, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham

Bestselling suthors Anthony Horowitz and Stella Duffy

International violinist, Tasmin Little

Acclaimed British cellist Steven Isserlis

Ben Palmer, chief conductor of the Deutsche Philharmonie Merck

Broadcaster and ClassicFM presenter John Suchet

Pride of place over the next four days, however, will go to two major events.

Despite the unusual circumstances, The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year Awards will be live streamed today, Thursday at 6.30pm.

While, tomorrow, Friday will see a real world premiere taking place in a new commission by Harrogate International Festivals, as internationally-renowned, Yorkshire-based, composer Dr David Lancaster performs his Eclipse.

Scored for brass band, Eclipse is a new musical work - written in just five days in the early period of lockdown - involving more than 100 musicians from across the world joining together to create a world premiere performance which will be streamed from 6pm.

As well as big names, HIF Weekender is also shining the light on young talent, especially in music, something it has built a formidable reputation in over the last five decades.

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If, for much of the arts world since the pandemic struck, it has been a case of ‘sink or swim’, Harrogate International Festivals has shown that, in this spa town, it was made for the water.

The vision of the HIF Weekender will at least ensure that 2020 is not a total washout.

HIF chief executive Sharon Canavar said: “Harrogate International Festivals is known for championing young musicians and we are delighted to continue this tradition during our ‘HIF Weekender’.

“The arts is worldwide and people are craving the arts to help make sense of the world right now.

“It is time to adapt, reinvent, reflect and press on.

“We are proud to create festivals in Harrogate that are enjoyed around the world but we miss everyone - our friends, audiences and artists.

“We will continue to need support in the coming weeks and months.

“But we cannot wait to welcome everyone back to our amazing live events in the future.”

HIF Weekender diary of key events

Thursday, July 23:

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year Awards will stream live at 6.30pm.

Friday, July 24:

World premiere of David Lancaster’s new music piece Eclipse will stream from 6pm.

An Interview With… Ian Rankin and An Interview With… Val McDermid.

Also available: Misha Mullov-Abaddo; Highwaymen - For Families; Lewis Dartnell; Silas Bassa; Stella Duffy; Mahan Esfahani; Granny’s Attic; Navarra String Quartet; Abigail Hammett & Iwan Owen.

Saturday, July 25:

New Blood with Val McDermid: The undisputed ‘Queen of Crime’ Val McDermid talks with the hot new talent she has handpicked for 2020.

Graeme Park, world famous Hacienda DJs three hour set.

Also available: Mark Billingham; Back Chat Kids; Adam Rutherford; Momo Kodama; Steven Isserlis; Rachael Green; Writing In The Age Of A Pandemic; The Red Hot Chilli Writers present Career Criminals; Noah Stoneman; Worst Historical Figures In History- For Families; SOE Lecture With Dr Kate Vigurs.

Sunday, July 26:

An Interview With... Anthony Horowitz: One of the most prolific and successful writers working in the UK.

International violinist, Tasmin Little will stream at 11am.

ClassicFM star John Suchet presents his bestselling book Beethoven: The Man Revealed.

Also available: Claudia Hammond; Lee Child; Two Crime Writers & A Microphone; Secrets And Lies; Ben Palmer; Sean Payne; George Harliono; Battle With Household Objects - For Families.

How to enjoy HIF Weekender online

You can log onto the Harrogate International Festivals website at: https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/hif-player/

For a list of daily events go to: https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/live-stream/the-hif-weekender/

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