Staff Festival 2018 countdown
Final preparations are being made ahead of this year’s instalment of the hugely popular Staff Festival.
Enjoying a ride on the dodgems at last year's Staff Festival
With the theme ‘A Festival of Making’, a packed programme has been 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 for an enjoyable afternoon of activities.
Mouth-watering food and drink stalls will be selling a wide 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, Ferris wheel, caricaturists, hook-a-duck, coconut shy, hoopla, splat-the-rat, mini steam train, candy floss, ‘unclimbable ladder’ and pedal karts.
And children’s activities include balloon modellers, face painting, a bouncy castle, craft tables and competitions.
‘Book now’ is the message for people wanting to secure places on this year’s Staff Festival workshops.
Sessions are filling fast for the events, which include cocktail making, Chinese calligraphy and beer tasting, 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.
And two new sessions have just been added to the schedule.
A Bollywood workshop takes place on the Piazza, with all levels welcome, from beginners to experienced dancers. The fun-filled taster session is organised by Salsa Twins UK.
And there will also be a Junk Orchestra workshop, located behind Beech Grove House.
The Junk Orchestra is a supersonic recycled collection of objects, rescued and re-invented from the urban sprawl. Director Saul Eisenberg, a former STOMP and BLUEMAN member, started the company in 2011 from a curiosity to create percussive tuned music created from the sounds of recycled and discarded objects.
Both of the above workshops run as drop-in sessions from 5.30-6.30pm. Participation in either is via a donation to this year’s chosen charity, Pets As Therapy.
E-mail the Staff Festival team to book your place at any of the workshops.
Live entertainment will also take place on the Festival stage, with the line-up including the Pantasy Steel Drum Band, DJ Lubi and Mansion of Snakes, followed by the Leeds Samba Parade.
See the Staff Festival website for full details of all the events and attractions.
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.”
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. 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.
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