Staff Festival attractions revealed
Excitement is building for this year’s instalment of the hugely popular Staff Festival.
Event organisers with Vice-Chancellor Sir Alan Langlands celebrating last year's event
With the theme ‘A Festival of Making’, a packed programme is close to being finalised, featuring workshops, refreshments, entertainment and competitions suitable for all ages.
All University staff, family and friends are invited to join us on campus from 3-7pm on Friday 6 July 2018 for an enjoyable afternoon of activities, full details of which will be announced nearer the date.
But a taster of what’s in store has now been revealed.
Workshops include cocktail making, Chinese calligraphy and card designing, as well as how to make a:
- fresh flower crown, under the expert eye of florist Margaret Fiddes
- dreamcatcher, with a craft specialist; and
- Chinese tea ceremony, with the opportunity to taste the fruits of your labour.
Staff can also enjoy a selection of interesting beers during workshops run by Simon Jenkins, from the Alumni and Development Team, who is also an author, journalist and a former British Beer Writer of the Year. You will learn more about beers, brewing and pubs – and get the chance to win a splendid case of ales.
Mouth-watering food and drink stalls will be selling a range of tasty treats, including toasties, a hog roast, cakes, pancakes, pretzels, brownies, pies, vegetarian and vegan street food, ice cream, cocktails and beer.
There will be a craft market, farmers market and a tombola, for which an appeal has been issued for prizes. Brand new and sealed items should be delivered to the LOGIK Centre no later than 26 June, with all proceeds going to this year’s chosen charity, Pets As Therapy, who will also be attending on the day.
Jo Westerman, LOGIK Centre Manager and Festival project manager, said: “The Staff Festival planning team is keen that ‘A Festival of Making’ is welcoming, inclusive, educational and, most of all, a fun thank you to staff for their hard work throughout the year. So, this year, we are offering more interactivity for staff and their families and are inviting all of you to make Staff Festival 2018 the best one yet.”
Other attractions include a Ferris wheel, caricaturist, hook-a-duck, coconut shy, hoopla, splat-the-rat, mini steam train, candy floss, ‘unclimable ladder’ and pedal karts.
And children’s activities include balloon modellers, face painting, a bouncy castle, craft tables and competitions.
Live entertainment will also take place on the festival stage.
LOGIK Centre administrator and fellow organising committee member, Jenna Hudson, added: “The Festival is a great way to bring colleagues together in a relaxed, welcoming and friendly atmosphere at the end of a busy academic year.”
The Festival team has arranged for parking to be available to all staff on site from 1pm in the orange zone car parks. Spaces are limited and cannot be guaranteed. See the Parking at Leeds web page for details of how to register your car.
The Festival will take place in and around the Refectory, University Precinct and University Road. Disabled access is available throughout the site, with the opportunity to pre-book personal assistants and British Sign Language interpreters. Contact Jenna Hudson for further information. Toilets will also be available, together with prayer and breastfeeding facilities.
Please be aware there will be increased levels of noise and traffic on the day. Although the Festival officially opens at 3pm and ends at 7pm, disruptions may be caused outside of these hours for the event setup and pack down. Contact Jo Westerman by Friday 29 June 2018 if you have any questions about this.
And please contact Jenna, via the e-mail address above, if you are able to display one of the Staff Festival 2018 What's On posters where you work on campus.
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