Festivity at Victoria Park, Ilkeston: A Weekend of Art, Words, and Wonder

We’re excited to announce the line-up for the Festivity weekend at the much-loved Victoria Park in Ilkeston! Nestled in the heart of Ilkeston, this welcoming community space will come alive with creativity, performance, and participation as we continue our summer celebration of Derbyshire talent.

With something for all ages and interests, the Erewash edition of Festivity promises to be a joyful weekend of local voices, vibrant art, and hands-on fun.

🎶 Live Music

• Saturday 5th July – Simon Clements
• Sunday 6th July – Romy

🖼️ Digital Exhibition

Step inside our digital gallery to experience work by 11 exceptional Derbyshire visual artists, including:

• Bernie Rutter & Vitor
• Paul Johnstone
• Small Print
• Ray Gumbley
• Nikki Dennett
• Rebecca Morledge
• Stephanie Sian Coley
• John Bullock
• Nell Swift
• Mark Knight
• Alice Marshall (Film)

🎤 Spoken Word

Curated by Derby Poetry Festival, our spoken word programme will feature a powerful mix of performance poetry and storytelling through verse which will be bold, moving and memorable.

• Saturday 5th July – Jack Washingdale
• Sunday 6th July – Conor Perrott

📖 Storytelling

The ever-inspiring Adverse Camber will bring a line-up of storytelling artists to the tented village. Expect rich tales, heartfelt performances, and plenty of imagination. Storyteller, Rachel Murray, will lead the storytelling sessions accompanied by early-career storytellers who will guest in the programme over the weekend.

🎨 Workshops

Taking over the weekend workshop programme at Erewash are:

• Saturday – Hubbub Theatre Company, bringing playful, inclusive creativity to the tent
• Sunday – A guest participating artist, Nita Rao will lead a crafting workshop inspired by her practice

Stephen Munn, Director of Arts Derbyshire, said:
“Victoria Park is the perfect host for Festivity. It’s a space where people already come together to connect through heritage, culture and creativity, and we’re proud to bring something extra special to that.”

Katherine Simpson, Events and Marketing Officer for Erewash Borough Council said:

“We are delighted to bring Arts Derbyshire’s Festivity to Victoria Park, Ilkeston, this summer. This vibrant, family-friendly event celebrates the incredible talents of Derbyshire’s musicians, poets, dancers, visual artists, and storytellers. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and experience the richness of our local arts scene in a beautiful outdoor setting. We look forward to welcoming audiences of all ages to enjoy an inspiring day of creativity and connection.”

Bring your curiosity, your creativity, and your friends, we’ll bring the rest.

Entry is free and open to all!

Let the Festivity begin!

Find out more about the Festivity events to be held this summer across Derbyshire:

• Bolsover Castle, 31 May to 1 June
• King George V Park, Staveley, 21 to 22 June
• Victoria Park, Ilkeston, Erewash, 5 to 6 July
• Tapton Lock, 6 to 7 September
• Melbourne Festival, 20 to 21 September