Box office opens for festival of fun and freedom

Fun and freedom are the twin themes of this year’s Hebden Bridge Arts Festival. Tickets have been selling fast since postal bookings opened – and now, organisers are gearing up for a rush when the box office opens on June 16. Box office hours: 10.30 to 5pm - Sundays from noon to 5pm

There are more than 60 performances and events, including music from classical to world jazz, theatre, talks on everything from Guantanamo Bay to modern horror writing, exhibitions, open studios and gardens and plenty for younger audiences.

Special guests this year include Honor Blackman, Ian McMillan and two top comedians en route to the Edinburgh’s Fringe.

And, as an exciting addition to the main programme, there will be a series of events linked to the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. This Freedom! Freedom? programme begins with the world premiere of Can’t Chain Up Me Mind by the internationally acclaimed Grand Union Orchestra.

Hebden Bridge Arts Festival runs from June 30 to July 15. Programmes are available at tourist information centres, libraries and venues such as cafes, shops and pubs. Details are also available online at www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/festival or by calling 01422 842684.