Community arts organisation Made With Many has celebrated the resounding success of its Family Arts Festival, which transformed Corby town centre into a vibrant hub of creativity and connection earlier this month.
The free festival attracted visitors of all ages who experienced a day packed with creative activities and live performances throughout the town centre. With the rain staying away, performers, visitors and town workers alike were able to fully enjoy the fun-filled programme of arts and entertainment. With combined audience figures of 18,000 interactions across the day, and footfall up by over 21% from last year’s event, Made With Many are thrilled to hail the festival a huge success and want to thank everyone who got involved.
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Victoria Bell, Co-Director of Made With Many, said: “This festival was all about bringing a sense of discovery and the creativity to Corby town centre – making the everyday special and joyful. Seeing visitors of all ages engage with the inclusivity and joy of art, music and live performance was simply wonderful.”
Highlights from the day
The magic of the day was perhaps best captured in some of the spontaneous moments that unfolded across the town centre. Market traders emerged from behind their stalls to capture photos of the performances, while security guards and police patrols were spotted being delighted by the walkabout acts. Shop workers found their days brightened when the festival’s Curious Creatures appeared at their windows, bringing smiles to the everyday.
Huge crowds gathered on Queen Square to watch Fish Boy by 2Faced Dance Company; a dance theatre piece about the journey to uncover what is polluting our rivers and the impact on the wildlife. Other highlights included sensory dance sessions from Mustard Seeds Dance, traditional Japanese taiko drumming from Leicester Taiko’s Yamabiko group, interactive storytelling with Mike Payton, and the walkabout performers who brought magic to every corner of the town centre.
The power of community-led creativity and collaboration
The festival was also presented alongside GAIA by Luke Jerram at The Core at Corby Cube and Tipping Point, also by Luke Jerram, presented by Fermynwoods Contemporary Arts in Corby’s ancient woodland. Visitors were also treated to a multi-cultural food festival by Flyby Bars on James Ashworth Square.
Made With Many Co-Director Vicky Frayard added: “The success of this festival shows what happens when we create time and space for community-led creativity. We are forever grateful to the generosity and spirit of the Corby community who continue to surprise and delight us in their appetite to fill their town with creativity! We’re also incredibly grateful to our partners The Core and Willow Place, without whom the festival would not have been possible. Working together with local organisations like this is at the heart of how we bring arts programming to our community. ”
The success of the Family Arts Festival was supported by Made With Many’s dedicated volunteers, who took on important roles from marketing and stewarding to helping create the festival’s ‘Shed of Culture’. These volunteers also provided valuable input through the community panel, helping to select artists they knew would delight local families.
Vicky adds: “The generous commitment of our volunteers in giving their time, commitment and enthusiasm for community-powered arts helped make the festival truly special.”
The Family Arts Festival reflects Made With Many’s ongoing commitment to creating accessible, high-quality arts experiences for communities in Corby and Wellingborough. Supported by public funding through Arts Council England as part of the Creative People and Places programme.
About Made With Many
Made With Many is a community arts organisation dedicated to empowering individuals and communities through creativity. By co-creating projects with residents, the organisation promotes inclusion, wellbeing, and cultural expression. With a strong focus on Corby and Wellingborough, Made With Many continues to lead the way in community-led cultural development.
