Déda and Derby Festé’s Full Moon Friday
- 04 September 2020
- Close Acts Parade cr. Silviya Chovanska
Full Moon Friday, the magnificent opening to Derby Festé’s twelfth annual festival, has been recognised nationally as one of thirteen events shortlisted for the Fantastic for Families 2020 Best Family Event award.
Friday 17 September 2019 saw Derby Festé’s Full Moon Friday bring a range of regional and international high-quality art to the heart of Derby as part of the festival’s accessible family programme. Marking the 70th anniversary of the moon landing, Derby Festé 2019’s programme of largely free events took inspiration from space, tides and the moon.
First-up Splash!, created by Extraordinary Bodies and Diverse City delighted audiences on Cathedral Green with puppetry, physical theatre and circus. The water-themed show was created specifically for children and young people with disabilities and their families. Commissioned by East Midlands Splash! Consortium, led by the Mighty Creatives, Splash! put a Deaf and disabled aesthetic at the heart of the production process.
Families were then encouraged to take a stroll up Amen Alley to Derby Cathedral, to experience the beauty of Luke Jerram’s installation Museum of the Moon. The acclaimed artwork attracted 70,000 visitors during its time in the cathedral and provided a thought-provoking setting to the excellent One Moon community participation event from 6 – 7.30pm, led by Hubbub Theatre Company.
One Moon brought together over 500 people from across Derby and Derbyshire’s’ communities to create a choreographed human wave connecting the spectacular Museum of the Moon in Derby Cathedral to the River Derwent, highlighting the unbreakable connection between the moon, tides and humanity. This performance and participation event saw a beautiful moon crafted out of bio-degradable materials, flowing down the human wave to the river, accompanied by music, movement and circus performances from a diverse range of people including families from Derby and beyond.
“It was great to be a small part and see the joy on participants’ faces. Well done everyone involved” - One Moon participant
International acts on the bill for Full Moon Friday included the amazing Los Galindos, from Catalonia, Udul with an exquisite performance of dance and contemporary circus inside a yurt. Netherlands- based outdoor theatre company Close-Act Theatre provided a grand finale to the evening with a procession of giant futuristic silver creatures leading a delighted family audience through Derby City Centre.
Derby Festé, attracts 30,000 visitors to the city each year benefiting the community of Derby, and beyond by enriching people’s lives with arts and culture, as well as spreading a sense of unity and community spirit.
This year we have had to do things differently due to government restrictions around Covid-19. Instead of gathering people for performances on the streets of Derby, we have created an arts trail around the city, aimed at animating the streets with ‘Well Dressings’ designed by the public for the public and by five artworks which are designed with public engagement at their core. For more information about Derby Well Re-Dressed and how to get involved visit:
For up to date information about Déda please visit: www.deda.uk.com
Derby Festé is produced and presented by Déda with support from cultural partners in the city Derby LIVE, QUAD and Derby Theatre as well as Derby Cathedral in association with the Without Walls Associate Touring Network.
It is currently funded by Arts Council England and Derby City Council, with sponsorship from St Peters Quarter, Cathedral Quarter, Intu Derby, and Derby University.
