Free family fun day beckons as The Vale arts centre celebrates its third birthday this weekend

A Mossley arts centre turns three in style this weekend, with a water-themed free family fun day planned.

Called Carnival Flow: a celebration of water, The Vale's birthday festivities will take place on Saturday (September 7).

Activities from 10am-4pm will include music workshops and arts and crafts.

Walkabout acts, including giant snails and stilt walkers will create a festival atmosphere and help to keep every member of the family entertained.

Get into the flow at a drumming workshop where you will learn to play Afro-Brazilian rhythms inspired by the purity of water or let the vibrational sounds of an early morning pre-celebrations gong bath at 9am wash away stress.

Join a craft session to fashion your own river goddess inspired headdress, or create a water-carrying pinch pot out of clay.

Dive into a storytelling adventure with Ilaria, explore water's flow at Rimmon's Water Wall or shiver your timber as you learn to pirate dance to sea shanties.

There will also be a chance to find out about some of the regular sessions that take place at The Vale.

Birthday celebrations continue on Sunday, September 15, 2024, with a special Sunday Sessions from 1-5pm.

Special guests at the free event are Henry Botham, a Manchester pianist best known for his work with 52 Skidoo, The Nightcreatures and No Good Beatniks and Coruja Jones, whose dreamy indie-folk has been described by BBC 6 Music's Tom as “deft and assured".

Finally, on Saturday, September 21, 2024, a performance from Grupo Lokito and a Congolese dance workshop will bring the birthday celebrations to a close.

General manager Amelia Bayliss said: "We’ve chosen to theme activities for the day around a celebration of water, its power and its spirit.

"This stems from our project to build a micro hydro generator in the stream behind our building, which we hope will one day use the power of water to make our energy use more sustainable.

"Daytime celebrations are free to attend, with donations towards the running of The Vale gratefully received.

"Everyone is welcome, so dive in and get involved."

Launched on a shoestring 12 years ago, The Vale received a £1m upgrade and relaunch in 2021, when the Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence opened within its walls.

Popular acts Mr Wilson's Second Liners and Honeyfeet played at the centre's reopening event.

The Vale is at Vale Mill, off Micklehurst Road in Mossley, OL5 9JL.

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