Make some noise as The Tetley hosts quirky '˜micro-festival' in Leeds

WHEN the news broke that the Tetley brewery site would close in Leeds, there were fears that a big part of the city's identity would be lost.
The Tetley is preparing to host its first ever micro-festival.The Tetley is preparing to host its first ever micro-festival.
The Tetley is preparing to host its first ever micro-festival.

But when it shut in 2011, the site underwent a huge transformation and it has since flourished as a contemporary art space, bar and restaurant.

It has already hosted events such as Mint Festival, Leeds Feast and Light Night – and now a new event is being added the calendar.

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The Tetley Weekender will be held at the venue at the end of June. The family-friendly micro-festival is based around the current exhibition ‘No Quiet Place’ and will incorporate sound, music and visual art.

Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.
Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.

There will be child-friendly gigs, experimental sound art, noise sculptures, installations, workshops and more.

Curator Zoe Sawyer said: “It’s about taking things like experimental music that is usually for adults and making it accessible and more engaging for children too.

“We are really keen for everyone of all ages to get involved in the artistic content and the festival will be built on year-on-year.”

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The two-day event will start on Saturday, June 25 with performances by post-punk indie pop trio Cowtown and Golden Meat Duo.

Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.
Out There Sounds will be hosting a family-friendly gig.

A range of drop-in sound workshops led by artists and groups including Hayley Mills-Styles and Pyramid of Arts will also be held from 11am to 3pm.

Outside on Brewery Green, visitors can listen to 105 Decibels – a sonic art installation by Invisible Flock that will see recordings of Leeds United fans played through 12 speakers.

The sound was recorded during a previous game at Elland Road against Charlton Athletic using microphones positioned around the stadium, as well as two other football games, capturing more than 80,000 voices.

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Artist Ben Eaton said: “105 Decibels refers to the sound level at which individual voices are lost in a crowd and we’re interested in exploring what it means to belong as an individual or part of a mass.

“We hope the work will evoke a strong emotional response from a wide range of audiences who experience it.”

Catherine Baxendale, company director, added: “Brewery Green is next to Salem Chapel – the site where Leeds United FC was founded in 1919 so we feel like transplanting the raw energy of Leeds United’s last game of the season back to this spot almost 100 years later will have a beautiful synchronicity.

“We can’t wait to see how audiences in Leeds will respond.”

A spokesman for Leeds United Football Club said: “Leeds United prides itself on the passion of the club’s loyal supporters so it is a great opportunity to showcase this to a wider audience.”

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Other events throughout the weekend include live spoken word and vocal performances, a show by the Analogue Synth Ensemble, computer music, ‘meet the artist’ sessions and more.

With such an unusual and exciting line-up at this brand new event, we can’t wait to see what else is in store as the Tetley continues to push the boundaries and make its mark as a go-to culture spot.

l The Tetley Weekender is part of Yorkshire Festival. For details and a full schedule of events, visit the website at www.thetetley.org.