Wakefield College is pleased to announce it is sponsoring Wakefield’s award-winning music and culture festival, Long Division 2023 – helping to support aspiring and professional artists across the District.
The festival will take place between Friday 10th until Saturday 11th June 2023 and will see a range of emerging and established artists play across Wakefield city centre.
Marie Dalton, Head of Curriculum for Arts, including Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Music and Fashion, said: “The Long Division Festival is a great asset to the Wakefield District and the music community, and we’re delighted to be supporting the festival for another year. It provides artists from a variety of genres with a platform to showcase their talent, which is invaluable for aspiring artists who are trying to get their foot in the door of the music industry, like our students.”
Wakefield College’s Mechanics’ Theatre on Wood Street, which is home to its performing arts centre, will be one of a number of venues in the city hosting live music events.
Pete Goodwin, Music Lecturer at Wakefield College, said: “We have a fantastic relationship with the Long Division Festival, one which has created a number of opportunities for our students over the years. In addition to our students receiving free tickets to the festival, the organisers have also delivered song writing workshops and guest talks as part of our internal Industry Days. Many of our students have even played slots at the Festival, which is an invaluable experience for their confidence and development as aspiring artists.”
Dean Freeman, the Director of Long Division Festival, said: “Myself and my colleagues at Long Division are incredibly proud of what the Festival has achieved over the past 12 years. We owe this success to some of the fantastic partnerships we’ve developed across the Wakefield District, including our longstanding and fruitful relationship with Wakefield College. This has enabled us to reach audiences from all ages and all walks of life, whilst giving students the opportunity to further explore and develop their passion for music – helping them to become the future of the music industry.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Wakefield College for their support over the years and are looking forward to marking the last Long Division Festival with our partners, artists, music lovers and the local community in June,” added Dean.
Some of the College’s students have also taken part in the Young Team initiative, which is an ambitious educational programme funded by Wakefield Community Foundation that aims to teach people skills which are required for a career in the arts sector.
This enabled the students to develop skills in DIY event creation and management, building connections and networking and presentation skills.