Wirksworth Festival showcases work of more than 100 artists

Wirksworth will transform into a centre of creative arts for the next fortnight. Fittingly, the theme of the town’s visual arts programme in its 21st year is Transformations.

A festival favourite is the art and architectural trail with creations displayed in houses. The trail on Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13, enables visitors to discover affordable art and design and talk to the makers. The trail weekend tickets cost £7 (under 18s free) for entry to all markets and venues.

The contemporary arts programme (September 12-13, 19-20 and 26) presents the work of internationally respected artists, several based in the area. These include Maggie Cullen who creates detailed miniature monuments and mythical tableaux and Joan Ainsley who uses the poppy as a motif for her work.

The theatre and words programme launches on Wednesday, September 16, with Talking Bob Dylan, an illustrated talk by former Cheshire Poet Laureate John Lindley, author of Dylan Thomas: Embers & Sparks.

Performance storyteller Xanthe Gresham Knight, pictured, will be diving into the mythology of Persia, accompanied by Kurdish Iranian magician, Arash Moradi, in a presentation by Adverse Camber entitled The Shahnameh: The Epic Book of Kings on Thursday, September 24.

Live music, magic and songs combine in The Marvellous Machine, an interactive show for children aged 2-6 years, on September 25-26.

Sleeping Trees Theatre’s production of Mafia?, a hysterical retelling of the classic gangster mob story, will be staged on September 25.

Concerts at the town hall will include Project Jam Sandwich (September 16) and Jungle Lion (September 19).

Shows by The Secret Dance Club, Threefold Dance and Wirksworth’s own INdependDANCE plus films including An American Werewolf In London and The True Cost add variety to the festival.

For more details, see www.wirksworthfestival.co.uk