Since 2010 The Riverfront Theatre & Arts have brought the Big Splash festival to the streets of Newport. The weekend-long event brings together street performers, live music, arts and crafts and so much more extraordinary entertainment.
This year, the festival returned on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 July for another weekend of magical madness and it’s fair to say, it was a huge success.
Despite the relentless rain on the Saturday which forced the relocation of some events, none of the scheduled acts and activities were cancelled; the festival continued as planned and spirits were high. The Riverfront team has expressed a big thank you to festival sponsors Friars Walk for accommodating the festival under the shopping centre canopy, where acts and visitors gathered in front of the previously occupied Debenhams building to watch in amusement while remaining warm and dry.
The Place, run by Tinshed Theatre Company, also saved the day by offering their space to Defying Gravity Academy who performed all day in their venue room. These young dancers performed their hearts out to a huge audience who were literally bursting out of the doors. A special mention must be made about their dazzling costumes, not only were they spectacular but the variety and number of costume changes was impressive!
The Newport Pride Bus also became the stage for many of the acts that were programmed to perform outside on The Riverfront on the Terrace Stage. Turns out, a bus makes the perfect cosy venue to listen to a few tunes and have a sing-song!
Although many of the acts were relocated, some performers braved the elements and performed under the rain. Hello Buoys by Kitsch & Sync with their dinghy-less damsel routine, also viewed by thousands on Facebook, and Gary and Pel offering rides in a 7ft Swan pedalo were two acts that seemed completely apt for the wet weather.
Click here to watch the video: https://fb.watch/m1TXW-3s0j/
As Sunday came around, bringing with it some clearer skies, so did a new day of entertainment. The sun shining through meant that the programme could go ahead as planned and acts roamed around the city streets delighting intrigued passersby on their way. Making lots of noise and drawing in a great deal of attention was Wonderbrass, a brass band. With a mixture of jazz, pop, funk and fun, this explosion of sound brought the streets of Newport to life.
Down by the riverbank, next to the red wave sculpture was the Celebrate Stage which hosted local musicians, children’s dance groups, local choirs and so much more. This stage highlighted the breathtaking talent Newport has and celebrated the local arts community. Welcoming everyone onto the stage and keeping the audience entertained in between acts was local artist and compere for the weekend, Mackenzie Steed. Mackenzie is a familiar face at The Riverfront Theatre, starting off as a member of the Young Company for one of their yearly pantomimes, to now developing in her own work through their Cultivate programme. Mackenzie was a ray of sunshine over the weekend and put a smile on everyone’s face!
It's fair to say, the weekend brought smiles to thousands of faces. From magic tricks, circus acts, storytelling, live music and we can’t forget about the glitter, people of all ages couldn’t help but be immersed in the euphoric atmosphere.
In addition to the pure joy the festival brings for individuals, it’s also important to remember the positive impact it has on the city of Newport as a whole. Big Splash not only brings thousands of visitors into the city centre, it showcases the depth of creative talent across the city, supports local artists and provides free creative opportunities and activities to for the local community.
Gemma Durham, Newport Live’s Head of Theatre, Arts and Culture said ‘We are immensely proud of the yearly festival we have created. Seeing the smiling faces in the crowds and feeling the excitement in the air reminds us all why we work so hard to ensure the festival returns every year. Big Splash would not be possible without the hard work of The Riverfront team, volunteers, the local community and the support from our event sponsors and partners. I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved and everyone who came’.
The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre pride themselves on being able to offer such a spectacular event to the local community for free. They are extremely grateful to the Arts Council Wales, Newport Bus, Friars Walk, Newport BID and Arts & Business Cymru who have all made the festival possible; and to Newport City Council, the Mercure Hotel, all volunteers and event partners, Le Pub and Tinshed Theatre Co. for their continued support.
If you went to this year’s Big Splash, The Riverfront team would love to hear your thoughts what you thought. Here is the link to their festival feedback survey, it should only take you 5 minutes
