Freedom Festival 2021 plans revealed

One of the highlights of Hull’s calendar, the Freedom Festival, will return this summer with an extended 16-day programme.

It will run from Friday 20 August until Sunday 5 September.

The Festival, back for its 14th year, will take place in galleries, museums, theatres, empty shops and public spaces across Hull, presenting an exciting programme of music, performance, visual arts and talks including a number of special commissions and events.

Anthony Baker, executive director and joint CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “In this challenging Covid-19 environment, we are so pleased to be able to bring you this exciting and relevant programme of events across this extended period. I especially want to thank our partners and funders, without whose support we would be unable to bring you our remarkable celebration of art, community and humanity annually.

“Particular thanks go to Arts Council England and Hull City Council who continue to believe in our work and the impact we make in our great city.”

The majority of festival events will be free but, in line with government guidance, most events will be ticketed to manage capacity. An initial release of tickets for events will be available from Friday 2 July at midday.

Mikey Martins, artistic director and joint CEO of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “We are delighted to confirm our Festival dates for 2021 and announce the first wave of events.

“Today we can announce a few of the events you will be able to experience at the Festival this year including a return by Luke Jerram who last was at Freedom Festival with the hugely popular Museum of the Moon in 2018; this year we are proud to present Gaia (earth). For Freedom we are working in association with Hull Minster (where Gaia will be presented), and the Woodland Trust.

“Audiences will experience this amazing installation surrounded by trees with a bespoke soundscape. During the Festival around Gaia there will be a series of special events, concerts and talks which will include a specially commissioned performance by The Broken Orchestra, and the culmination of a project based around climate change in association with Westcott Primary School.

“We remain a festival powered by people, that’s what Freedom Festival is and what fuels us. We believe bold, exciting and insightful artistic experiences are fundamental and a necessary part of our modern society.

“We work with artists who are brave, innovative and hugely talented and we’re incredibly excited to have expanded the festival across 16 days this year to allow as many people as possible to attend events that may have a limited capacity due to government guidelines.”

Find out more about this year’s festival here.