​We’re still Happy, despite the lockdown!

Events to mark the birthday of Victoria Wood next week as part of the Happy festival are still taking place despite the coronavirus lockdown.

While some activities have been postponed to next year due to the need to maintain social distancing, there are still ways that the Bury community can take part and stay Happy online.

The Happy festival was a key part of celebrations taking place during Bury’s year as the first Greater Manchester Town of Culture.

The team is working with artists, performers, workshop leaders and partners to present a variety of uplifting online content. Hopefully it will inspire you to be creative and raise a smile!

All the details are online at https://happyfestival.org/online/ and highlights include:

• Songwriting – sign up for a six-week online workshop programme starting on 19 May. Work with songwriter Beth Allen to explore the art and science of songwriting and build up the skills you need to present your song to a Happy audience, either online or at the Festival in May 2021.
• Lucky BagS Lockdown Workout - a choreographed work in response to the Victoria Wood archives held at Bury Art Museum, drawing inspiration from the character of Hailey Bailey and the concept of Acorn Antiques. The choreography and film were made last month, created and performed by each dancer in their own home.
• Comedy Writing Course – with Jane Postlethwaite, delivered via Zoom. These workshops are open to all levels of experience, and you can perform your work at the festival next year.
• Let’s Do It!! People across the community havecreated a new version of Victoria Wood’s famous song “The Ballad of Barry and Freda”. It’ll be streamed on Tuesday 19 May, Victoria’s birthday – go to @BuryCulture and look out for it!

• Steve Cooper, a playwright and comedy performer commissioned by Happy, has been working with 10 women in lockdown and developing their comedy performance skills as part of our New Faces talent development programme. Visit here to see his recent blog into the process and watch this space for their performances! https://happyfestival.org/happy_event/victoria-wood-monologues-online-workshop-update/

• On Monday (18 May), to bring together International Museum Day and Happy, Bury Art Museum will be posting a video created by Steve Cooper as his comedic character Karl the Gallery Assistant, doing a 'Museum From Home' tour of his sideboard, which contains his own personal collection of objects/ornaments. Viewers will be invited to post photos of their favourite objects and pictures in their own homes and say what it means to them.
• The video will be shared on the Happy Festival Youtube and on the museum’s social media channels: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuryArtMuseum @BuryArtMuseum; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buryartgallery/ @BuryArtGallery; and Instagram: @bury_art_museum

There’s lots more arts and culture activity happening online in Bury right now – more details shortly!

ENDS

Press release issued: 14 May 2020.