More than moths at the Amy Johnson Festival
Pictured are Leonardo Da Vinci’s flapping wing experiment, a glider and, suspended from the roof of the gallery, a parachute.
MOTHS memorably left their mark on a drab Euro 2016 final but Hull’s are better and they’re only part of the story as the Amy Johnson Festival takes off.
Highlights of the coming week include music and memories, with Festival HQ hosting part of the Hull Folk and Maritime Festival and modern-day aviatrix Tracey Curtis-Taylor heading to Hull to tell of her exploits in re-tracing Amy’s flight path.
The Amy Johnson Festival stage in Zebedee’s Yard will be one of the Folk Festival venues and will present 12 acts on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July, starting at 1pm and running until 6.45pm.
Hull’s famous carillon bells will be put to full use on Wednesday 20 July as part of the remarkable Laurence Rugg’s Musical Journey. The bells, which ring out across the city from the Guildhall four times a day, can be programmed to play any music and their unmistakeable chimes bring a unique dimension to a performance which begins at Holy Trinity Church and takes in St Mary’s Church, Lowgate, en route to a finale in the plush surroundings of the Civic Suite in the Guildhall. The performance begins at 7pm and is one of the few ticketed events in the Amy Johnson Festival schedule, with an admission price of £5.
On Thursday 21 July Amy’s niece, Judy Chilvers, will visit Hull for the unveiling of the Lord Mayor’s Centenary Plaque, which will take place at Rosedale Mansions in The Boulevard at 2.30pm. It is the site of Boulevard Secondary School, which Amy attended from 1915 until 1922.
That evening Tracey Curtis-Taylor will deliver the BAE Systems Brough Centenary Lecture and tell of her expeditions over the past four years in her 1942 bi-plane Spirit of Artemis. Tracey trained as a diamond valuer and then worked in the diplomatic service. She developed her interest in aviation after moving to New Zealand and, inspired by Amy, she now flies round the world delivering her message of freedom, ambition and inspiration. The event will take place in the Allam Lecture Theatre at Hull University Business School from 6pm until 7pm on Thursday 21 July. Admission is free but advance booking is recommended.
The hectic week will conclude with spectacular shows featuring Altitude and the 75 Second Films.
Altitude is a performance-parkour show commissioned by the Amy Johnson Festival, It will amaze visitors to Zebedee’s Yard with a thrilling family show combining free-running, circus, dance and theatre. It’s free, with performances at midday and 2.30pm on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July.
75 Second Films has received submissions from around the world to mark the 75th anniversary of Amy’s death. The portfolio includes stop frame animation, experimental film, short narrative and more, created by internationally acclaimed figures and comparative newcomers. You can meet some of them at the awards night at Kardomah94 at 7.30pm on Saturday 23 July. Admission is free but booking is advisable. You can view the films at Kardomah94 from Tuesday 26 July until Saturday 30 July from 10am until 6pm.
Meanwhile the Festival’s core attractions and activities continue. Don’t forget Da Vinci Engineered, featuring some of Leonardo da Vinci’s flight and wind machines alongside work by contemporary artists. The 12 models are from the Niccolai Collection at the Da Vinci Museum in Florence. They were built to Da Vinci’s designs using techniques and materials similar to those from the 15th and 16th centuries, and they are on display in the UK for the first time. The exhibition runs until Sunday 21 August.
And then there are the moths – 26 around the city centre, another 22 in the suburbs, five in the East Riding and six further afield including one at the Science Museum in London. All far prettier than the Parisian moths!
For full details visit http://amyjohnsonfestival.co.uk/
One of the moths which has landed at Hull Station.
