Festival of the Sea returns to Grimsby this summer thanks to £49k grant

The Festival of the Sea is back this summer in Grimsby. The 2024 event has had a £49,000 grant awarded to it from Arts Council England.

This year's programme has events for all ages as well as families. For the last three years, the festival has drawn thousands of visitors who have enjoyed activities, discussions, and performances about the town’s historic links with its sea-faring past.

This year's event, which takes place on Saturday, June 22, will see the activities stretch along Grimsby’s waterfront from Garth Lane bridge to Heritage Square, between 11am and 5pm. The Festival of the Sea plans to move towards a zero-carbon, green agenda. As a result, the company Stagebus is providing a solar-powered stage where host Adam from Go Entertainment and young talent from Grubby Knees will introduce acts.

READ MORE: Council supports plan for Barton school race track - believed to be first of its kind

READ MORE: Scunthorpe man hopes to impress Aldi buyers with cannabis gummies on Channel 4 show

The programme of activities, performances, guided walks, installations, and workshops includes:

• Save the Sea activities with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. This national charity operates in Grimsby to raise awareness of marine mammal rescues. There will be marine-themed crafts and a competition to win one of their soft cuddly marine animal toys.

• Ready, Set, Sail! introduces the first poetry game show, where five contestants write and perform flash poetry in five rounds, each themed around the festival. Contestants will have two minutes to write a poem based on a unique prompt, perform it while accompanied by a live music band, and the audience will vote for their favourite, with winners of each round receiving prizes.

• Caution SeaHorses, alter ego of lowercase theatre, is a folk-pop-rock indie trio known for its live performances and three-part harmonies. Its upcoming performance will showcase acoustic renditions of sea shanties and local songs, accompanied by light-hearted sea-themed entertainment.

• Heritage Lincolnshire will present Memories of the Sea workshops. These sensory workshops for ages 8-11 are being run in collaboration with Linkage Community Trust's sensory bus. They will delve into storytelling and Grimsby's maritime heritage. There will also be drop-in activities for all ages, exploring memories of the historic docks and fishing heritage through vox pops and written recollections.

As the programme is being finalised, organisers Swans Events highlighted how its team had worked with a steering group, made up of local people who are all passionate about Grimsby’s history. And it was their community spirit that had a real influence in creating this year’s festival.

A steering group spokesperson said: “We’re thrilled to be joining the festival steering group for a second year, it feels our input is truly valued. This year's line-up is fantastic, featuring bespoke work tailored for this area, along with loads of exciting community engagement opportunities. It's inspiring to witness new collaborations forming within our community, both locally and nationally.”

The festival has been supported by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as well as Arts Council England – backing that has been welcomed by North East Lincolnshire Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage, and the Visitor Economy, Cllr Hayden Dawkins.

He said: “Grimsby has a rich heritage, built on the sea. Festival of the Sea is a great example of how we can use arts, fun and culture to bring this heritage to life. I want to personally thank everyone involved for making this possible. We are all looking forward to another fantastic event.”

Follow Festival of the Sea on social media @festivalofsea @swans_events. It is a free event, but booking may be needed for some activities so please go to www.festivaloftheseagrimsby.co.uk