We teamed up with Culture Knowsley to deliver the second-ever Serious Nonsense Festival as part of Knowsley's Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture legacy. The town centre and Shakespeare North Playhouse were packed with visitors ready for a programme full of creative nonsense, inspired by Edward Lear, best known for his literary nonsense, who had a significant connection to Knowsley.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, the programme included over 200 artists and creatives, ranging from live music, dance, acrobatics, street theatre and puppetry to poetry, storytelling, workshops and In Conversations.
Highlights include Chic Le Freak drawing in thousands of people to the marketplace, Lady Anne Dodd in conversation with Rev Richard Coles at the Shakespeare North Playhouse and our People Powered “Rocket” - an ode to Stephenson’s Rocket – which was ridden by Edward Lear reciting nonsense poetry whilst parading throughout the town centre and carrying six horses.
Serious Nonsense Festival was initially developed by our senior producer, Bev Ayre, as part of Knowsley’s award-winning Borough of Culture programme. And this year Walk the Plank programmed and produced the festival as part of our ongoing relationship with the Borough.
As well as programming and producing Serious Nonsense festival, we supported Culture Knowsley with an Arts Council England bid, securing funding for the event, which was also supported by UKSPF and HAZ funds.
