Council hails 'amazing' CultureDale festival

An "amazing" year of celebrations marking a borough's 50th anniversary has come to an end after hundreds of events.

Calderdale's culture festival, named CultureDale, included 135 projects and 550 events celebrating the region.

Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council's cabinet member for public services and communities, said the borough remained "the place to be" for culture, art and music despite the end of festivities.

"The Year of Culture has wowed a diverse range of people from across the borough, country and even the world," she said.

"It has showcased the talent, creativity and distinctiveness that make Calderdale special, it has strengthened relationships with communities, artists, performers and creative professionals, and has paved the way for culture to play an even bigger part in Calderdale's future."

CultureDale launched in April 2024.

According to the council, it was supported by 82 volunteers who spent more than 1,000 hours working on events.

Events included the Anne Lister Memorial Weekend, Happy Valley Pride festival, and The Starlight Parade, which saw light-up puppets and performances in Halifax in the run-up to Christmas.

The region also hosted Little Amal – a 12ft (3.6m) puppet of a 10-year old refugee girl - and an exhibition showcasing the "wet shirt" worn by Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice.

The programme concluded with a grand finale showcasing a series of light installations, called The Beacons.

During the event a UFO-like sphere shone over Todmorden, while a "searchlight spectacular" lit up the Old Flour Mill in Brighouse.

The programme was funded by Calderdale Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The council said it was evaluating the impact of CultureDale and full data would be available in the coming months.

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