Welcome summer return to Redcar for Festival of Thrift
New partnership deal with council
Summer dates have been announced for the popular Festival of Thrift and a return to its former home of Kirkleatham Museum – the result of a “multi-year partnership” with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.
This year’s event will take place over the weekend of July 4 and 5 on the site it occupied from 2016 until 2022.
Since then it has been split between two sites in Billingham town centre and nearby John Whitehead Park.
The announcement by the festival organisers expresses delight at the development.
“For several years, audiences, artists, traders and local residents have been asking whether the festival would return to its much-loved home at Kirkleatham,” they say.
“It brings the Festival of Thrift team great joy to finally share this news with the wider public.”
The statement adds that the festival will be back “with the historic site and surrounding grounds once again transformed for Festival of Thrift’s distinctive free weekend of arts, craft, performance, fashion, food, traders, workshops and sustainability.”
And it goes on to say that the new “multi-year partnership” with the council “creates a unique opportunity to work more deeply with local people, businesses, artists and communities across Redcar and Cleveland.
“Alongside the annual summer celebration, the team will be developing playful, creative activities and projects throughout the year, all rooted in imagining a greener, fairer and more joyful future together.”
The festival first took place in 2013 at Lingfield Point, the Darlington business park.
It was the brainchild of designer Wayne Hemingway who dreamt up a celebration of culture, sustainability and style after a meeting with developer John Orchard.
Experienced cultural leader Stella Hall was appointed as creative director, a post now shared between Tanya Steinhauser and Dominic Somers.
The festival has grown so that it now attracts up to 40,000 people from around the UK, providing a boost to the local economy and a colourful platform for all sorts of artists and makers.
Wayne Hemingway, still a festival board member, said: “Kirkleatham holds a very special place in the heart of Festival of Thrift.
“From 2016 to our 10th anniversary in 2022, it became a true home for the festival and we’ve been asked countless times if we would ever return. To now be able to say yes, and as part of a long-term partnership, feels incredibly special.
“Festival of Thrift is about celebrating sustainability, creativity and community in ways that are joyful and accessible.
“Redcar and Cleveland embody those values and we’re thrilled to be part of the area’s continued growth and ambition.
“We can’t wait to return in July and bring the festival back to Kirkleatham for audiences old and new.
“And we can’t wait to hear from the region and the UK’s second-hand sellers, charities, upcyclers, sustainable food sellers, artists, designer makers and clubs and societies working for the well-being of society”
Alec Brown, leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Festival of Thrift back to Kirkleatham as part of this new multi-year partnership.
“The festival is hugely valued by our residents and visitors and brings real cultural and economic benefits to the borough, supporting local businesses, artists and traders while attracting tens of thousands of people to the area.
“Its return reflects our ambition for Redcar and Cleveland as a place of creativity, sustainability and confidence, and it sits perfectly alongside our growing programme of cultural and sporting events.
“We are proud to support a festival that celebrates community, innovation and a positive future for our borough.”
To find out more about the festival, take part, trade, volunteer and stay up to date, sign up to newsletter via the Festival of Thrift website or follow the festival’s social media feeds @festivalofthrift on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Threads.