SO Festival 2021
What did we get up to in 2021?
We delivered a weekend of digital art!
Featuring immersive installations, prancing pixels and roaming robotics, the programme, filled with innovative and high quality arts and culture, took everyone on a journey of digital discovery in November 2021.
As Storm Arwen’s rage blew across the North Sea, audiences of all ages were welcomed into the warmth of the Embassy Theatre, ready to experience thought-provoking digital art from the International circuit.
This addition to SO Festival’s 2021 calendar provided a welcome stage for 4 artistic companies from 3 countries, who delivered 6 performances and 1 networking session, captivating an audience of over 200 people.
Film screenings from mixed heritage filmmakers sparked discussion, dancing digital gravity inspired local creatives and the hotly anticipated headline act – The Third Reich by acclaimed Italian Theatre Director, Romeo Castellucci – left audiences astounded and feeling as though they had “travelled to a different dimension.”
Here are some lovely comments from our audiences:
Memories and Moments
Enjoy highlights, performance snippets, audience reactions and special moments from SOvember Weekender 2021…
Hear what our SO Festival communities thought of SOvember Weekender 2021: a weekend of digital arts encounters, experiences and exploration for all!
We partnered with MDB to bring VR to Lincolnshire
Award winning, Leicester based storytellers, MBD (Metro Boulot Dodo) brought immersive Virtual Reality to Lincolnshire towns and villages in February and March 2022.
‘Paint to Pixel’ Graffiti Exhibition took audiences on an interactive Virtual Reality experience of an immersive tour of UK graffiti and street art.
MBD also hosted VR Digital Skills Workshops where participants were able to learn the basics of 3D modelling and animation and how to design 3D virtual environments.
We delivered our community project, Craft SOcials
Craft SOcial workshops were delivered on a fortnightly basis at Hope House, Mablethorpe and The Storehouse, Skegness between October 2021 – March 2022, alongside additional family-friendly events. The project was supported by Without Walls Audience Development funding and aimed at involving people who were experiencing a range of challenging circumstances. The overall ambition of the project was to stimulate participation by people who typically do not attend SO Festival, by raising awareness and self-confidence and by building relationships with SO Festival staff.
A total of 26 sessions were held (13 in each venue) between October 2021 – Marc 2022. During this time 73 individuals attended one or more sessions: 40 in Mablethorpe and 33 in Skegness. Of these 26 attended more than once, ranging between 2 and 10 sessions but with an average of 5 sessions. A total of 176 cumulative visits were achieved.
We supported the Summer Holiday programme at The Eco Centre
The Eco Centre’s Summer Holidays Programme saw some very exciting additions in August 2021.
Alongside their usual programme of hands-on fire side workshops, SO Festival supported the programme by bringing along two local theatre companies to perform.
On the Tuesday and Wednesday, the lovely Joy, from Tales from the Heartwood, told some mesmerising multicultural folk stories with her handmade puppets.
On the Thursday, the wonderful Jane, from Barmpot Theatre, took audiences on an adventure around the farm with Nature Elly.
We grew our online community, Lincs Creatives' Hub
Aimed at professional creatives and artists in Linclnshire, the Facebook group is a place to connect, collaborate and create with anyone from the Humber to the Wash. The Lincs Creatives’ Hub is a joint initiative between SO Festival and Barmpot Theatre.
Job opportunities, networking events as well as creative events are regularly shared in the group.
