A GIANT roaming puppet, aerial acrobats and a giant ball of yarn will be among the acts and events in Bradford city centre as part of this year’s BD: Festival.
The two-day celebration will be one of the major events of Bradford’s City of Culture year, and will be held in numerous locations in Bradford city centre on Friday and Saturday.
The headline act on Friday is Cie Basinga, who will bring their performance Soka Tira Osoa to City Park.
The company celebrates the art of tightrope walking, and the 45-minute tightrope show will take place at a height of 4.5 metres over a length of 25 metres, performed with the help of the audience.
Playing with the codes of traditional performance, Soka Tira Osoa brings together riggers, musicians, sound engineers, a tightrope walker, and the audience, in their participatory show, which explores the theory that ‘What brings us together, makes us stronger’.
Image: Visit Bradford
The audience participation will involve assisting the artist to reach the required rope tension. They will be invited to slowly pull on a rope, which is connected to a pulley system that allows the tightrope to reach the correct tension. It is a collective choreography, a slow movement realised with many hands together, whose immediate effect can be seen through the tightening of the rope.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places said: “This performance promises to be absolutely amazing. It is powerful in its choreography, music and message that by working together we can do anything. Something we can all relate to.
“BD:Festival is bigger and better with world-class performers, including international names and home-grown talent, fabulous family fun activities, music, dance, arts and craft, alongside breathtaking and thought provoking performances. It’s free to attend and suitable for families and people of all ages. Please come on down to the city centre on Friday or Saturday, I’m sure you will have a great time.”
The performance can be seen in City Park, Bradford at 7.30pm on Friday evening. It is part funded by Global Streets, Arts Council England.
Following the performance at BD:Festival, Basinga are taking the show onto New York.
Closing the Saturday is Zee & The City by Puppets with Guts – which will see a four metre tall puppet going on an hour-long adventure through the city centre.
It starts at 7pm on Ivegate.
Throughout the festival people will be able to create their own custom cardboard cars to “drive along” with the huge puppet.
For a full list of events visit visitbradford.com/whats-on/bdevents
