First major event for Kirkby’s new plaza

The new events plaza in Kirkby town centre will host its first major show on Saturday when the Active Ashfield Games close with a bang.
WIRED FOR DANCE -- spectacular aerial show will be a highlight.WIRED FOR DANCE -- spectacular aerial show will be a highlight.
WIRED FOR DANCE -- spectacular aerial show will be a highlight.

The plaza is part of a £400,000 regeneration project by Ashfield District Council that also features cricket sculptures and a pedestrianised area.

It won’t be fully completed until July, with an official opening planned for August. But it is the ideal venue for Saturday’s event, which the council has organised in partnership with the First Art organisation.

Running until 2017, First Art is a new project, funded by Arts Council England, that aims to inspire local people in Ashfield, Mansfield and parts of Derbyshire to get more involved in the arts.

The programme of entertainment it has laid on for the Active Ashfield Games finale includes a spectacular aerial dance performance of ‘Straw Dog’ by the Wired Aerial Theatre Group.

Successful singers from the Active Ashfield Factor auditions will be performing on stage in the grand final. And visitors will also be treated to music from the Bow Belles String Quartet throughout the day.

What’s more, there will be lots of free and fun activities between 10 am and 4 pm, including a craft market, a magician, circus skills, face painting and walkabout arts.

The day should fulfil the aim of the plaza project, which is to provide a pleasant environment for Kirkby’s public events, community activities and market.The council also hopes it will attract further business and residential development

Costing £403,365, the plaza has been funded by contributions from local housing developers and by grants from the European Regional Development Fund. The Fund has been established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate economic development by investing in projects that support local business and create jobs.