Thousands of visitors flocked to Redcar this weekend to enjoy Between the Tides, the town’s free festival for children and their families.
Tourists from all over the North-East mingled with local families to enjoy a packed programme of street theatre, circus, dance, puppetry, story telling and live music.
High winds led to some changes with events going indoors on the Sunday but Redcar High Street was transformed on Saturday into a giant futuristic playground with Virtual Reality Swings, the Actual Reality Arcade – life sized versions of classic video games, an interactive foodie gameshow and a giant metal whale that swallowed visitors whole – and then entertained them with a magical story.
At Kirkleatham Museum, the incredible Luminarium – an inflatable installation of colourful chambers and domes – attracted big crowds.
And down at the Majuba end of town, there were performances from internationally renowned companies that looked at topical issues like our relationship with the sea, rivers and environment.
Cllr Carrie Richardson, Cabinet Member for Climate and Culture, said:
“What a joyful weekend. It’s been brilliant to see so many thousands of children and families enjoying our amazing town. There have been so many happy smiling faces – it’s been a wonderful festival that has really put Redcar on the map.
“The support from local businesses has been fantastic too. It’s so good to see everyone pulling together to make events like this the best they can be. There had to be a few last minute changes due to the Great British weather and I’d like to thank all the performers and organisers for making the festival such a success.”
The festival was funded by the Arts Council with support from Without Walls and programmed by the Events Team at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.