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Final Countdown!
Ways to get involved
With only 5 days to go there are still a range of ways to get involved, but don’t hang about!

If you can’t join in beforehand, there may be spare costumes available on the day, and we’d love you to come and join us just to watch, follow along and enjoy the day. Please keep sharing and inviting friends- let’s make this a fantastic end to the summer holidays!
What’s on this week- Last chances to get involved.

Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th

We need dancers! Please help! 

Come and join Gil Burns to create dance and movement pieces for the parade.
Think moving Flash Mob in parade costumes!
This is a great fun way to be involved in the parade. No experience of dance is needed (it’s really designed to suit everyone’s abilities).
You need to attend 3 sessions out of 6 to really be prepared for the parade- get in touch if you really want to join in but are struggling to make 3 sessions. 
No need to book, just turn up!

5.30-7pm FAMILY SESSION
Be one of our Guardian and Protectors looking after the planet. This group will be representing Lancashire’s Famous Knitting Nanas !
7.30-9pm ADULT AND TEENS SESSION

Be a baddie – every parade needs some! This group will be chainsaw wielding maniacs trying to chop down the trees. Add a little mayhem and be prepared to be booed at!
All for fun of course…

Workshops are free to attend, donations welcome. Children must be accompanied at all time. Ability to attend the parade on the afternoon 1st September is essential.

Costume making session for dancer on Tuesday 27th before/ after the dance session.

Stilt Walking and Circus Skills

Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th, Friday 30th, Saturday 31st

Join Dimitri, who will teach you some great circus skills- still places available as long as you are up for the practice! 
Stilt walking is now full, but if you are interested, please do get in touch as there will be other opportunities in the future.

3.15-5.15pm Circus Skills
Learn poi, clubs and hula hooping skills and join our circus troupe for performance in the parade! Not just for kids! It is
Costume making session Thursday 29th August time 5.15-7.30pm
5.30-7.30pm Stilt Walking 

Stilt walking has been going well and is now full up!   Tall tree costume making for stilt walkers on Thursday 29th 5.30-7.30pm

Workshops on Blackburn Market
Saturday 24th- Saturday 31st August  

Jessica Rost, the artist who created Spinning Jenny ( sadly lost in the fire) for our winter parade in 2018, is back! She will be based on Blackburn Market and will be creating a Giant Ark out of recycled materials. 

Come along every market day from 10am-4pm to help lend a hand.
There are a number of ways to help out including workshop activities at various times- see signs in the market for details.

*Bring an empty, clean, clear plastic drink bottle along and write a message in a bottle to send an SOS for something from the natural world that you would save, and add it to the Ark.
* Print an animal onto a square of calico to add to the flag bunting and sails for the Ark
*Give Jessica a hand with sewing on the Ark’s coverings and creating the boat.

Children must be accompanied at all times.

Check out www.wearetheark.org to find out how you can help protect the natural world

On Friday 30th and Saturday 31st we have Parade Craft sessions also on the market, where you can create and easy item to bring to the parade, and carry alongside the Ark.
Bring along clean empty plastic bottles and create an ocean creature from plastic waste to help highlight the plastic polluting our oceans.

Volunteers needed for the Parade!

Ever fancied driving an Ark? Want to become a Polar Bear or Rhino handler for the day? Take a baby bee for a walk with a push-chair hive?

We  are also looking for people to help carry or drive or puppeteer some big structures in the parade. Please get in touch if you feel you can handle a Rhino, a Polar bear, an Ark , giant bees, a sea monster or a Green Man. This is a job best suited to adults and older teens.

We really need to get names against each of our big puppets, so please get in touch and let us know if you are up for it.

Sew many opportunities to get involved!

We are calling out for anyone who would like to get involved in sewing this week!

Flag making Artist Helen Davies joins us at The Bureau this week

Helen Davies has been commissioned to help us create a series of flags to decorate Cathedral Square for the end celebration of the event.
She will be using a reverse applique technique and will be based at The Bureau all this week Tues- Sat creating 9 fantastic flags. She would welcome anyone who is confident in the basics of using a sewing machine to come along and help out. This is a great opportunity to work with an artist to create some lovely pieces of work that will get used again and again!
If you are interested please call 07845 964802, or email kerris@blackburnfestivaloflight.co.uk to find out more- or just pop in between 10am and 5pm any day this week.
Katie Duxbury is Creating Costumes Tues-Thurs, come and help out!

This is another sewing opportunity- Katie is making costumes for the stilt walkers, the circus skills groups the dancers and the bands.
All hands on deck to help out! Some of the groups themselves have been invited to join in creating their own costumes, but help is needed to make sure all goes smoothly.
If you fancy helping Katie, get in touch as she is in at various times throughout the week. We have sewing machines available though so once you know what you are doing, you can sit and sew anytime we are open.

Route Map and Timings for the Event- make sure you don’t miss the Parade!

Workshop times
How to find us!
We have had a bit of confusion from people as to where we are, so here is a photo of our new home, along with The Bureau Centre for the Arts.
We are now based on Penny St, opposite the job centre. The building still has the signage from the Thwaites Training and Visitors Centre, but will soon be being changed.Parking is pay and display on Penny St, or Brown St car parks.
We are less than 200 yards from the bus station.You may need to phone from the entrance to get access.
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August Workshops
Ways to get involved
What’s on this week…and next….

Monday 19th and 26th – Street Band 

Come join the fun and be part of our Festival Street Band! Take part in parades and events.

Learn drumming & percussion in workshops leading towards performances using a mix of Samba, African and South Asian rhythms
Beginners and more experienced players are all welcome.

EVERY MONDAY 5:30PM- 7:30PM

Sessions for adults and young people over 13 (by arrangement).
SESSIONS ARE CURRENTLY FREE (DONATIONS WELCOME)

Wednesday 21st, Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th

Come and join Gil Burns to create dance and movement pieces for the parade.
Think moving Flash Mob in parade costumes!
This is a great fun way to be involved in the parade. No experience of dance is needed (it’s really designed to suit everyone’s abilities).
You need to attend 3 sessions out of 6 to really be prepared for the parade- get in touch if you really want to join in but are struggling to make 3 sessions. 
No need to book, just turn up!

5.30-7pm FAMILY SESSION
Be one of our Guardian and Protectors looking after the planet. This group will be representing Lancashire’s Famous Knitting Nanas !
7.30-9pm ADULT AND TEENS SESSION

Be a baddie – every parade needs some! This group will be chainsaw wielding maniacs trying to chop down the trees. Add a little mayhem and be prepared to be booed at!
All for fun of course…

Workshops are free to attend, donations welcome. Children must be accompanied at all time. Ability to attend the parade on the afternoon 1st September is essential.

Costume making session for dancer on Tuesday 27th before/ after the dance session.

Themed Costume Making

Tuesday 20th, Weds 21st, Friday 23rd, Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August

Come and make yourself costumes for the parade!

TUESDAY 20TH and SATURDAY 24TH 10AM-1PM & 2PM-5PM 
Trees, Plants and Nature Spirits.
Join the Beech Leaf  and Sycamore Warriors, or make a beautiful Bluebell costume. Bluebells are  a protected British Wildflower – did you know that from the time the seed  falls and  germinates to flowering normally takes about five years as the plant first has to grow a bulb.

WEDNESDAY 21ST and SUNDAY 25TH 10AM-1PM & 2PM-5PM
Guardians and Protectors – help create hope for the future – make an eco- energy costume, a Robin Hood outfit,  or join the youth climate strikers in calling for action on Climate Change with a Greta Thunberg outfit!

Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish girl who has been ‘skipping’ school to protest about adults not taking action on Climate Change. She has started a Global Climate Strike movement of children and young people calling for governments and adults to take action to save their futures.  She is currently sailing to America for a conference as she won’t fly due to the high carbon emissions caused by planes.
FRIDAY 23RD  10AM-1PM & 2PM-5PM

Extinct and Endangered Species- We’ll be creating Orangutans, Crayfish and Hedgehog costumes from fabric and cardboard.
Orangutans are in the top 10 most endangered creatures list, as their habitats are being destroyed at a rapid rate due to the increased demand for palm oil, which is grown as a cash crop after companies have cleared the rainforests from the land. You can help by avoiding buying things with palm oil in.

Workshops are free to attend, donations welcome. Children must be accompanied at all time. These are messy activities. Ability to attend the parade on the afternoon 1st September is essential.

Stilt Walking and Circus Skills

Thursday 22nd, Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th, Wednesday 28th, Friday 30th, Saturday 31st

Join Dimitri, who will teach you some great circus skills that work in a moving parade, or teach you how to walk on stilts!

3.15-5.15pm Circus Skills
Learn poi, clubs and hula hooping skills and join our circus troupe for performance in the parade! Not just for kids!
Costume making session Thursday 29th August time TBC
5.30-7.30pm Stilt Walking 

Be the tallest people in the parade! Learn to stilt walk and wow everyone! Tall tree costume making for stilt walkers on Thursday 29th time TBC.
You need to attend 5 sessions out of 6 to really be prepared for the parade as these are skills that take some practice. 
Stilt walkers will need a support person for the first 2 sessions and the parade itself.
Please book, as places are limited!
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-bureau-centre-for-the-arts

Workshops are free to attend, donations welcome. Children must be accompanied at all time. Ability to attend the parade on the afternoon 1st September is essential.

Workshops on Blackburn Market
Saturday 24th- Saturday 31st August  

Jessica Rost, the artist who created Spinning Jenny ( sadly lost in the fire) for our winter parade in 2018, is back! She will be based on Blackburn Market and will be creating a Giant Ark out of recycled materials. 
Join her every market day from 10am-4pm to help lend a hand.
Children must be accompanied at all times.

On Friday 30th and Saturday 31st we have Parade Craft sessions also on the market, where you can create and easy item to bring to the parade, and carry alongside the Ark.
There will be an update next week as to what exactly is being made.

Flag Making Residency 

We are excited to announce that with funding from the Arts Council, we not only have a Resident artist on the market making the Ark, but we also have a resident artist who will be based at The Bureau to make a series of flags for us for site decor. There will be chances for people to join in with this as well…. details are being firmed up right now, so look out for updates.  

Big Build Week- Sneak Peek of what we made! 

With help from artists, volunteers, members of the public and a great group of young people from the NCS Team Ward, last week, 
we created a giant Black Rhino- recently extinct in the wild, ( in progress in the photo above) a Green Man and a mystery beast…..

If you missed this, you can still make a costume of your own. We are also looking for people to help carry some big structures in the parade. Please get in touch if you feel you can handle a Rhino, a Mammoth, a Polar bear, an Ark or a Green Man. This is a job best suited to adults and older teens.
Please book for dance, big build, stilt walking and circus skills here:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-bureau-centre-for-the-arts

Costume making sessions are on a drop in basis and open to all.
How to find us!
We have had a bit of confusion from people as to where we are, so here is a photo of our new home, along with The Bureau Centre for the Arts.
We are now based on Penny St, opposite the job centre. The building still has the signage from the Thwaites Training and Visitors Centre, but will soon be being changed.Parking is pay and display on Penny St, or Brown St car parks.
We are less than 200 yards from the bus station.

You may need to phone from the entrance to get access.