The festival we all know and love is going online and will be broadcast by the BBC between the 4th and 6th of September. It’s time to get ready for a plethora of incredible live music, poetry, talks, debates, digital installations and activities. I’ve listed some brilliant highlights to get you in the mood but be sure to check out the full programme on the website.
Friday 4th September
The Dyr Sister is a film combining provocative music with iconic Hull locations. It spans contemporary folk, all the way to post-hip-hop and electronic music and combines it with percussive beats, strings, bass guitar and ethereal vocals harmonies.
Something to Breathe is a show by Karen Lee Stow that looks to the future as a protest against weapons of mass destruction. Watch recordings of three generations of Hiroshima women as they reflect on the 75th Anniversary of the first atomic bombings on people, and why a world without nuclear weapons is more important than ever.
Road is a film by Nick Driftwood and Donna Close that will allow you to escape to the magical vistas of the American South West. The scenes of coasts, canyons, deserts and cities are accompanied by a unique composition fusing art with data to create an extraordinary duet between human and machine.
Saturday 5th September
A Portrait Without Borders allows you to become a work of art, by having robots draw your portrait. Your picture, along with the drawings of countless other individuals will be drawn on the walls of the now deserted Hull Truck Theatre to show that we’re together even if we’re apart.
Play-Along Plink and Boo is a filmed interactive circus theatre adventure that explores what happens when people don’t fit into boxes. It’s an engaging activity for parents and children like no other, where you will create some simple props and explore a world of colour.
The Remains of Logan Dankworth, filmed by Nova Studios, is the third of Luke Wright’s thought-provoking political verse plays. It explores trust and privilege in the age of Brexit and looks at the impact of the EU Referendum.
Alex Figueira is on a mission to deliver the most exquisite and unusual music including rare records from around Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s the perfect way to explore the world and get dancing at home.
Sunday 6th September
Lullaby is Luke Jerram’s first artwork for children, which captures the magic and fragility of bedtime. Your kids will love watching the lullaby bikes as they pass by houses in a flurry of light and relaxing music.
Les 7Â Doigts is a multi-award winning international circus, who will perform in Montreal and stream the performance online at 7 pm. Their Reversible performance explores the ancestry of eight performers and questions how our ancestor’s stories impact us and the evolution of our future.
The Broken Orchestra is the perfect DJ set to keep you grooving this weekend. It will last 3 hours and cover a myriad of chilled, ambient and downtempo tracks ranging from the melodic and mellow to the weird and wonderful.
How to Watch
Most of the events will be available to watch on the Freedom Festival website for 72 hours at a time that suits you, starting from noon Friday, so all you need to do is to wait for the links to become available. In contrast, some event links will be available at a set time including the Social Distancing Club, the BBC radio shows and events taking place on partner websites such as A Portrait Without Borders, The Reset Lab, Discomposure, Hull Story Map, Live from Larkins and Lockdown Doorsteps. The best way to keep track of your favourites is by registering an account on the Freedom Festival website or app and creating an itinerary of events to watch, so you don’t miss out.
Check out the Freedom Festival FAQ for more information and be sure to make an account on the website or app for Apple and android.
