CQ Saturdays Whets Appetite For Derby Festé
Derby Cathedral Quarter’s September CQ Saturdays programme of free entertainment has been designed to whet the public appetite for the exciting Derby Festé 2014 festival which will come to the area at the end of the month.
CQ Saturdays Street Circus, produced in partnership with Déda Producing, who are also a lead partner in the Festé programme, comes to the Waterfall stage in the Market Place on Saturday September 13 between 11am and 3pm.
The action is compered by Changofuego – a performer with his own special brand of fire juggling, unicycling and comedy.
He will be joined by The Tom Show – a variety spectacular including magic, contortionism, uni cycling, juggling and comedy; and Tim Byrom – a ‘Master of Manipulation’ juggling everything from balls to hats, spinning plates and balancing objects.
Then on Saturday September 20, the popular CQ Saturdays Knickerbocker Glorious programme returns to the Waterfall with a host of music, comedy, street theatre poetry and dance between 11am and 3pm.
The street entertainment is organised in association with Derby arts promoters Furthest from the Sea who are also part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts and Crafts Market held under the Guildhall arches. The market is held between 10am and 4pm on Saturday September 20 and features a wide range of local and regional artists and craftspeople.
These events herald the annual Derby Festé in the city on Friday September 26 and Saturday September 27 which will include a host of street entertainment on the second day throughout the Cathedral Quarter and neighbouring St Peters Quarter.
Stephen Munn is Director of Déda Producing, which is part of regional dance house Déda in Chapel Street, and is the artistic lead of Derby Festé.
He said: “We were commissioned by the Cathedral Quarter BID to present the CQ Saturdays Street Circus programme running once a month since May and the final event on September 13 will be the perfect appetiser for Derby Festé 2014.
“Every year Derby Festé attracts huge crowds to the Cathedral Quarter in particular who thoroughly enjoy the high quality street entertainment that is such an integral part of the programme.
“CQ Saturdays Street Circus has been well received by visitors to the area and many have commented that it has brought some of the magic of Covent Garden to heart of the Cathedral Quarter.
“Déda is based in the Cathedral Quarter and we have been particularly delighted to be working with the Business Improvement District on the CQ Saturdays programme to support its efforts to increase footfall to the area and to local businesses.”
Martin Langsdale, chair of the Cathedral Quarter Management Group, which drives forward activities under the area’s Business Improvement District status, explained: “The CQ Saturdays programme has brought a wide range of entertainment to the Cathedral Quarter to entertain and enthrall visitors.
“It has brought some of the magic of Derby Festé to the Cathedral Quarter throughout the summer and I hope it will encourage even more people to return at the end of the month to enjoy the festival on September 26 and 27.
“We are proud that the Cathedral Quarter has always been at the heart of this and many other major event and entertainment programmes organised in the city and the BID is one of the sponsors for Festé again this year.”
The CQ Saturdays programme continues throughout the Autumn and winter months:
The first Saturday of the month sees the CQ Saturdays Vintage, Arts and Food market in the Old Blacksmiths Yard off Sadler Gate, organised by local designer and retailer Sheena Holland.
CQ Saturdays – Towers, Tunnels and Tales is also held on the first Saturday of the month starting at 3pm and lasting two hours. Tickets cost £12 per person and must be pre-booked either in person, by telephone or email from The Mecca in the Market Hall (Tel: 01332 381076; themecca72@aol.com) or the Tourist Information Centre in the Market Place (Tel: 01332 643411; tourism@derby.gov.uk).
The third Saturday of every month then sees the CQ Saturdays Knickerbocker Glorious free live entertainment programme at the Waterfall as well as the Cathedral Quarter Arts and Crafts Market under the Guildhall arches – organised in association with Derby arts promoters Furthest from the Sea.
For information about the Derby Festé programme, visit www.derbyfeste.com
Information about all the events in the Cathedral Quarter are available at www.derbycathedralquarter.co.uk ; on Twitter @DerbyCQ and Facebook CathedralQuarterDerby