Outdoor Arts at Just So Festival 2017

Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor

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Just So Festival

18-20 August 2017

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

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Just So Festival (as part of the acclaimed Without Walls and Northern Festivals Networks) is annually one of the best places in the UK to see the finest new boundary breaking outdoor arts for families.

Our top picks include Matthew Harrison’s The Actual Reality Arcade – a life-sized interactive game zone for all ages, inspired by classic arcade games and the intimate experience of Theatre For One from Horse & Bamboo.

We can’t wait to get involved with The Jukeboxes from Bootworks Theatre – a live re-creation of classic pop videos, spot Wilford, a “rockabilly tree planting anarch-nomad” in Seed, the brand new show from Pif-Paf and explore Unlimited Theatre’s Space Shed in How I Hacked My Way To Space to be inspired by how small people can achieve big dreams.

Contemporary circus and theatre company Dizzy O’Dare  will be presenting Baba Yaga’s House – a ramshackle old cottage which roams the land on chicken legs while Baba flies in her giant pestle and mortar.  We have heard that she will either tell our fortune or eat us.

Seed. Courtesy Pif Paf

We love that the tiniest of festivalgoers have been considered with new performance The Adventures of Snigel – a bubble-loving snail who will be based in the Peekaboo Garden by artist and choreographer Caroline Bowditch and Flit Flap Fly by Fine Chisel – learn birdsong and get ready to take flight for the first time.

Our last pick is to take time out to walk through Between Stillness and Storm, a newly commissioned,  large-scale sculptural installation by artists Aiden Moesby and Tim Shaw. Situated by the stunning Rode Pool,  experience changing sound, light and motion made by a range of historic and contemporary instruments for “sensing” the weather.

Where to go near Outdoor Arts at Just So Festival 2017

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

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