Hard to pronounce Northumberland coastal village to shine light on heritage with two-day festival

A Northumberland coastal village is set to host a two-day festival to celebrate its heritage with events in several venues across a weekend in September.

Seen as an opportunity to shine a light on a place on the coast that locals often feel is overlooked, Cambois Hidden Depths will showcase everything from local hunters in the Bronze Age to the old tradition of Cambois wives pulling in the lifeboats. Preparations for the festival kicked off with an archaeological dig at the village primary school in July and continue with multidisciplinary events in dance, film, photography, art, and installations.

Led by local community charity The Tute and performing arts charity November Club, it is hoped that events taking place across the village will bring the village's rich history to life. These include Roaring Voices, monologues written by the Tute's Creative Writing Group, led by playwright Alex Oates.

• Read more: Gateshead detectorist's joy as Bronze Age Northumberland find declared treasure

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One part is a spoken-word poem written collectively by the writing group, which will be read out by Jill Halfpenny, which people can listen to whilst walking around the village. Visitors can also experience a dance film inspired by the history of the Cambois lifeboat and 200th anniversary of the RNLI, called The Heave; A 36-minute film named Cambois Echoes of the Past with a Q&A session with filmmaker Trevor Hearing; Cambois 24, an exhibition by Cambois Camera Club; and Faces and Places of Cambois, an exhibition showing more than 50 digital photographs of people and places in 19th and 20th century Cambois.

In Lamps and Lights, residents of Unity and Ridley Terrace and West Bridge Street will illuminate the streets by placing a historical light, or one they have crafted themselves,at their homes to light the way for visitors and pay homage to Cambois' incredible history. While in Youthful Spirit Projections, photography and artwork featuring young people from Cambois Primary School will be projected in the heart of the village.

Alex Oates from The Tute said: "People who get out around Cambois on the weekend of the festival will have a really unique experience. I’m so happy about how we’ve managed to bring together so many parts of the community to bring the history of Cambois to life. There’ll be so much to see and do, so for anyone who cares about the history of this area it’s a must see."

Joe Hufton from November Club said: "Across two nights we will offer audiences an opportunity to explore Cambois’ built and natural environment in new ways with surprising performances, interventions and displays.

"I’m proud of the way the weekend will bring together this amazing community with professional artists and creators to create something truly special. We are grateful to National Lottery players and our funders for making this project possible."

Cambois Hidden Depths takes place on Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28. It is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, and supported by Northumberland County Council.