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First established in 2019 to celebrate the amazing creative things happening in our town! We also wanted to boost the amount of arts funding coming into Keighley, and raise awareness that we have been underrepresented nationally. The festival was a huge success, and we can’t wait to do it again in 2021, once Covid restrictions lift and it is safe to do so.
One of the local events that inspired KAFF (this is what our festival is now known as!) was RATMA International Film Festival, Keighley’s film-shorts festival that has been running since 2013. Now, as a part of Keighley Arts and Film Festival they have doubled the public venues around town where they show films during the festival and we can’t wait to see where this collaboration leads in the future. To find out more about what they do, and how you can get involved visit: https://www.ratmafilmfestival.com/
Are you interested in working with Keighley Creative?
Have you got great, relevant experience of event and festival coordination, especially around the arts and film?
Do you enjoy finding the funding to make things happen? Are you keen to develop working partnerships across the district?
Then this opportunity is for you! Click button below for more information and how to apply.
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 9am Monday 24th May 2021
A new Covid-proof festival experience, featuring poetry by Nabeela Ahmed, local musicians Blue Cat Crib, and storytelling from Sue Dyad.
Keighley Art and Film Festival launched with a bang in October 2019, this year we are going for something more… well, intimate. The full 2020 programme can be enjoyed here or you can visit our dedicated Facebook and Youtube pages to join in with the conversation.
Awesome Cover songs and videos just for us! Blue Cat Crib are super talented local musicians, Rose Wheeler and Bryan Diggle.
They kicked off the festival for us with their cover of Cars by Gary Numan. Listen to their super electronic version, made anew for a different time.
They recreated One Dance by Drake as a lock down lament with a live sound feel; a humorous look at the things that occupy our minds when we have time on our hands.
Nabeela’s first set, Social Injustice features three poems- ‘Isms’ in English, ‘Khusre Naamarad’ in Urdu, and ‘Zoar Naal Bolo’ in Pahari. You can find out more about Nabeela and her work through her Instagram page nabeela_ahmed.
The second set is all about Coronavirus, They Say Corona Doesn’t Differentiate at All is in English and Urdu, and Changa Corona Aaya Eh in Pahari. Pahari (the word means of the hills and mountains), is the name of a language from the Lower Himalayas. More than seventy percent of the Pakistani population in Britain is from these regions of Kashmir who speak this language in their homes.
Nabeela’s third set, Childhood features images from Kashmir and Bradford, and her fourth set is all about Love. The video for Love features beautiful photographs of flowers taken by Nabeela.
Sue Dyde has written and presented these four tales, based on true life. Be amazed, saddened and full of wonder in turn. Who would have thought it!
Rodneys’ Murky Tale We start with the first of Sues Tales that describes the lowly start of poor Rodney. In the end he seems to have all he needs materially, and yet is plagued by a soul not quite at ease.
Mrs Thewlett’s Murky Tale Mrs Thewlett takes her class of children to Keighley Library, where she divulges fascinating information from Keighley’s industrial past.
Teresa’s Murky Tale Told with wry humour, this is truly a tragic tale of deception with a dark conclusion.
Annie’s Murky Tale What really happened to Annie, we will never truly know, but be prepared to have your heart touched by the plight of Annie, and to always wonder about those strange circumstances.
Here is a round up of fabulous films from our festival partners, RATMA, The River Aire Ten Minute Awards.
RATMA International Film Festival, Keighley’s film-shorts festival that has been running since 2013. To find out more about what they do, and how you can get involved visit: https://www.ratmafilmfestival.com/
The 2019 festival, Our Window on the World was amazing. We had over 1000 visitors across the events, and several of our highlights came from your guidance and ideas. As a result of our focus groups other organisations based in Keighley, like The Musicians Centre and ICLS applied for funding themselves to run amazing workshops and performances as a part of it.
For the film enthusiasts RATMA showcased their winning short films all over the town and local filmmakers Scott Coultard and Munnie Lee made the Why Keighley? documentary, looking at what brought people from different cultures to Keighley.
The artists amongst us were able to join in the Mini People project, run by Penny Rowe from Penny’s Community Arts, and join in Lisa Holme’s Stained Glass window photography project.
Drama came from Irene Lofthouse who took people on Mill Walks around the area, and Sue Dyde, from Shoutdrama who put on the Time Train extravaganza.
There was dancing in the shopping centre from several groups, including Life Aquatic’s flash mob, and Tribal Wind’s magnificent dance troupe.
Made possible through funding and support from Keighley Council, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Arts Council England, Keighley Big Local, Lottery Heritage Fund and East St Arts.
It was an incredible team effort! Thank you to everyone who was involved.
Old Sunwin House,
Hanover Street,
Keighley,
West Yorkshire,
BD21 3QJ
Keighley Creative, Registered Charity Number 1190497 | Brand And Website By Out Of Place Studio Ltd
