The Lancashire Encounter Festival

Six years ago the cultural climate in Preston city centre was very different. You could happily walk the streets without mask, you could greet artists and musicians with a handshake and a hug without hesitation and you could meet in large crowds with nothing to hold you back. 

 

Sure, the pandemic has eased  slightly but let’s not take things for granted, we still need to be careful. 

 

In 2015 Preston City Council staged it’s very first Lancashire Encounter Festival as a pilot project. The weekend event was an ideal opportunity to showcase the excellent talent of the local artists in the community, drawing in a maximum of 20,000 attendees. 

 

In response to the positive event organisers felt it should occur every couple of years and this continued right up until the pandemic era last year. 

 

Previous encounters have seen the following take place:-

 

 

You may conclude the festival is not for you but this unique weekend brings together both the city of Preston and the Lancashire County. The streets are filled with artists and performers sharing their talent with the crowds.

 

Now it is back for 2021. This year it is expected to take place in and around Preston from 17th September - 2nd October. To find out more information about this highly anticipated event please go to the following website link:-https://www.lancsencounter.co.uk/

 

The Lancashire Encounter Festival is also a member of the Without Walls Associate Touring Network. It is the UK’s largest commissioner of outdoor arts shows taking inspiring new work to audiences all over the country and beyond. For more information simply visit this website address:-https://www.withoutwalls.uk.com/

 

The Lancashire Encounter Festival continues to be an authentic voice for Lancashire, celebrating the breadth of the County’s diverse cultural offering  with high quality and high profile arts. 

 

Whatever the 2021 festival brings, you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable Encounter. 

 

^Alex Ashworth CCG Art Blogger