SpareParts
Go behind the scenes of one of LeftCoast's flagship projects - a festival transforming the social and financial capital of its town
By Arts Council England
Story curated by LeftCoast
SpareParts 2 (2018) by Claire GriffithsArts Council England
A festival within a festival
In 2014, LeftCoast took the Fleetwood Festival of Transport Committee to several outdoor arts festivals in the UK, to begin co-curating a transport-themed arts programme that would fit into ‘Tram Sunday’ - an annual Fleetwood gathering for transport enthusiasts (est. 1985).
Jodie Gibson (2021) by Blackpool GazetteArts Council England
The creation of SpareParts
The motion-related arts programme at Tram Sunday is ‘Spareparts’. Artistic Director Jodie Gibson explains how she curates the arts and culture festival.
Big Fish uncropped (2016) by Jill ReidyArts Council England
Jodie's three steps when commissioning
To ensure expertise and excellence, Artistic Directors co-create both its ambitious content and community participation activities. From 2014-18, Adam McGuigan was in this role followed by Jodie Gibson in 2018-21.
SpareParts 2022 (2022) by Garry CookArts Council England
SpareParts post Covid
Jodie addresses the pandemic and how she brought SpareParts "back with gusto" in 2022.
SpareParts tours across the North West
In 2018, SpareParts was assisted by Arts Council funding to visit Sandbach, Oldham and Crewe with the economies of scale that touring work can offer.
Diversifying traditional audiences
All events had a variety of bespoke performances, amazing street artists and newly-commissioned contraptions creating family days out, which diversified traditional audiences and appealed to more ages. Community participation and volunteering grew too.
SpareParts in Fleetwood
While SpareParts has travelled across the North, its home will always be Fleetwood. Each year, LeftCoast collaborates with Fleetwood residents and outdoor artists to create a joyous and celebratory parade full of spectacular, whacky, and travel or motion-themed acts.
Audience at SpareParts (2018) by Claire GriffithsArts Council England
The faces of Fleetwood
What used to be an event for transport enthusiasts only, SpareParts at Tram Sunday is now a festival that attracts a diverse audience demanding to be entertained and amused by artistic invention. The audience is more inter-generational.
In Memoriam (2021) by Claire GriffithsArts Council England
Transported
SpareParts stalled in 2020 when Covid hit, but, a year later, LeftCoast commissioned ‘In Memoriam’ – a moving installation using NHS bedsheets, by acclaimed artist Luke Jerram. This was sited at the Marine Hall for Fleetwood residents to visit and remember those they had lost.
Contributing to Fleetwood
Fleetwood's Tram Sunday and SpareParts Festival contribute richly to the town’s regeneration. Aside from the social capital created by community participation and volunteering, there is the income generated from serving the consumer needs of both a resident and visitor audience.
Social impact
In 2019, 5,050 people were involved in SpareParts participation projects to produce high quality festival content. All were from areas of (ordinarily) low arts engagement in the North West.
Economic impact
In 2018, for every £1 spent on art, an average of £39.98 was returned to the economy of Crewe, Sandbach, Oldham and Fleetwood.
Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band (2022) by Garry CookArts Council England
SpareParts' return
Following the pandemic, SpareParts made an incredible return to Tram Sunday in 2022, with an estimated 40,000 people in attendance.
Hippochondriac and Audience (2022) by Garry CookArts Council England
The acts of 2022
Co-curated by the Transport Festival Committee, LeftCoast and Jodie Gibson, acts such as the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, Hippochondriac and Glowing Gastropods joined local arts students in a wonderful parade.
SpareParts 2022
LeftCoast volunteers and SpareParts acts share their experience of the festival's return.
Aliens at Wordpool (2019) by Paul BerryArts Council England
The importance of outdoor arts
Outdoor arts have a role to play in civic life by amplifying community feeling about local heritage and culture. Outdoor arts can change people’s perceptions of a place. They are anti-elitist and so audiences who do not usually engage with the arts attend SpareParts every year.
SpareParts Festival: The Story So Far
Find out more about SpareParts and its journey as the festival approaches its 10-year anniversary in 2024.
LeftCoast website: https://leftcoast.org.uk/
SpareParts Festival: https://leftcoast.org.uk/spareparts-festival/
Title slide credit: Martin Bostock
The story was curated by LeftCoast as part of Arts Council's Northern Stories collection.
