Leith Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leith Festival |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Theatre, comedy, dance, music, art, poetry, film, sport |
| Dates | 2018 9-17 June (exact dates vary each year) |
| Location(s) | Leith, Edinburgh |
| Years active | 1907–present |
The Leith Festival is a fun arts festival held every year in Leith, a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. It mostly takes place in the EH6 and EH7 areas, which cover the historic town of Leith. This festival is all about the community. It is organized by the Leith Festival Association. Other festivals, like the Edinburgh Short Film Festival and Leith Jazz and Blues Festival, often happen around the same time.
Contents
How the Leith Festival Started
The Leith Festival we know today began in the late 1980s. It happens every June. A big part of it is the Leith Festival Gala Day. This Gala Day actually started way back in 1907 as the Leith Gala.
Long ago, the Leith Gala and Leith Pageant were created to raise money. They helped pay for medical care at Leith Hospital. This was before the National Health Service (NHS) provided free healthcare. Today, the festival still helps raise money. It has a parade, fun fair, and stalls on Leith Links.
Leith has hosted many different festivals over the years. These include the Edinburgh International Festival and the 1951 Festival of Britain. In the late 1960s, a community art festival was set up. Over time, the Gala grew into a big community arts event. It has been running continuously in its current form since the late 1980s. Local businesses and funding help support it. It is a much-loved event that people look forward to every year.
Important Moments in Festival History
- 1907: The very first Leith Gala takes place. It has happened every year since then.
- 1932: Leith Theatre opens. It was also known as Leith Town Hall. Many famous bands, like Thin Lizzy, played here.
- 1934: Royles Radio Rascals perform at the "Leith Hospital Pageant." This was part of the fundraising efforts.
- 1936: On June 15, The Scotsman newspaper reported on events helping Leith Hospital. They mentioned concerts in Edinburgh and Leith. The Scotsman has covered the festival for a long time.
- 1947: The famous Edinburgh Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival begin. Many of their events are held in Leith.
- 1952 – 1986: The Leith Gazette newspaper is published. It often featured articles about the festival. It even had a special photo spread called "Sunshine on Leith Festival."
- 1956: The Leith Dockers Club opens. This venue has been important for the community.
- 1961 – 1968: Leith Theatre is used as a venue for the Edinburgh International Festival.
- 1972: The Scottish International journal reports on the festival. It says the Leith Festival was created to involve local people. It helped them provide their own entertainment and support their community.
- 1973: A festival program calls it "Britain's only free community festival."
- 1988: Leith Theatre closes. Since 2004, the Leith Theatre Trust has worked to bring it back to life.
- 2004: Leith FM (later 98.8 Castle FM) starts. It began as a two-week broadcast for the festival.
- 2005: Famous Scottish writer Irvine Welsh opens the festival. He reads new material at the Leith Dockers Club.
- 2010: Tom Allan writes in The Guardian newspaper about the festival. He describes the Leith Gala Day with a Samba band, dancers, and many stalls.
- 2011: The festival launches with a fun "Wool Bomb attack." The BBC reported that trees were wrapped in woolly jumpers. This was a creative art project to mark the start of the festival.
Famous People Who Have Performed
Many talented people have performed at the Leith Festival, including:
- Kevin Bridges, a popular comedian
- Sandra Brown, a writer, broadcaster, and actress
- The Citadel Arts Group
- The Leith Community & Concert Band
- Kingdom Theatre
- Raymond Mearns, an actor and comedian
- Janey Godley, a stand-up comedian and writer
- Irvine Welsh, a Scottish novelist and writer
Other Festivals to Explore
