Breathtaking dragon flight comes to Wakefield 23 – 25 August 2024
Tuesday, May 07, 2024
As part of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024, a huge 366-day programme of cultural and creative activity, Wakefield district prepares to welcome The Hatchling.
Standing taller than a double decker bus, The Hatchling is the world’s first and largest human-operated puppet to fly.
Hatching from an egg located at Wakefield Cathedral, the dragon will encounter locals and visitors around the city on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th with a series of events prepared especially for her majestic visit.
The weekend will culminate with a breathtaking finale, as The Hatchling takes flight over Pugneys Country Park on the evening of Sunday 25th August.
As part of the project, Wakefield Council and Trigger are engaging hundreds of residents and community groups from across the district to participate in this once in a lifetime city-wide event, welcoming The Hatchling over her three-day journey across the city.
Created and produced by Trigger, The Hatchling is brought to life by a world-class team of designers, kite flyers and puppeteers.
During the August bank holiday weekend, the magnificent creature will hatch from its egg. The dragon will then explore and perform through the city centre, before taking flight over water in a breathtaking finale at Pugneys Country Park on Sunday 25 August.
"We are excited to be welcoming The Hatchling to join us in celebrating our culture and community as we reach the halfway point of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024.
“The Hatchling is a captivating way to showcase our creativity, entertain the crowds with amazing performances and put the Wakefield district firmly on the map as a cultural hotspot for what is sure to be an unforgettable experience.”
Cllr Michelle Collins
Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport
The performance is free to attend with entertainment happening throughout the bank holiday weekend on August 23rd to 25th.
Spanning everything from dance and music to martial arts, groups will showcase the breadth of culture Wakefield has to offer whilst creating memorable experiences and demonstrating the district’s community spirit. Organisations and groups confirmed so far including sports clubs, choirs, craft groups, dancers, performers, young people and more from across the Wakefield District.
Conceived by Trigger’s Creative Director Angie Bual, The Hatchling encourages the community to interact with the mythical visitor, showcasing what makes Wakefield unique and celebrate a sense of local pride.
Angie Bual said: “Community engagement and creating mass participative opportunities for engagement in cultural experiences is at the heart of The Hatchling’s purpose. The Hatchling will celebrate the talent, energy and vibrant cultural landscape of Wakefield District, inspiring not only the people who live here but everyone who comes together to experience her transformation from across the UK.
“Our Year – Wakefield District 2024 will be The Hatchling’s third outing and only her second ever flight. If you missed her World Premiere in Plymouth in 2021, now is your chance to experience The Hatchling and the power of spectacular public art to bring people together.”
Designer Carl Robertshaw (Super Bowl Halftime Show, Kylie Minogue) and Director Mervyn Millar (War Horse) will be joined by artists and puppeteers from across West Yorkshire for this spectacular event showcasing the best of local talent and creativity, as well as a huge community engagement programme underway involving hundreds of residents from the Wakefield District.
The Hatchling is just one element in a packed programme for 2024 which includes a series of festivals, exhibitions, talks and activities in the Wakefield district as well as major events from key partner organisations including The Hepworth and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
The year of celebration will be a catalyst for inward investment and boost the visitor economy. And will offer people across Wakefield district the chance to get involved in culture and creativity, experiencing the positive role it plays in their community.
Find out more at: ouryear2024.co.uk
For information:
Last seen leading the celebrations at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022, The Hatchling is an unforgettable event of national significance.
This visit to Wakefield further establishes the district, which is home to nationally and internationally renowned art and cultural attractions including Yorkshire Sculpture Park and The Hepworth Wakefield, as a leading cultural destination in the UK.
About Our Year
Our Year – Wakefield District 2024 is a partnership celebration led by Wakefield Council.
The council is enabling Our Year to leave a lasting legacy for its people and places, working in partnership with organisations from Wakefield district and the West Yorkshire region. West Yorkshire Combined Authority has also supported Our Year with a grant of £800,000 towards the cost of staging the year-long programme, with Arts Council England investing £500,000 and National Lottery Heritage Fund supporting with a grant of £245,000.
To find out about Our Year, please visit ouryear2024.co.uk
For further information, follow Our Year on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Trigger
Trigger are shape-shifting creatives who dream-up, create and produce free, bold and brave live events. Trigger reimagine and revive public spaces, interrupt daily life, and put audiences and togetherness at the heart of everything they do.
Led by Creative Director and artist Angie Bual and Executive Director Natalie Adams, Trigger’s varied output is inclusive, accessible and boundary-pushing. It’s always memorable, often large-scale and outdoors. Their epic, imaginative spaces range include: PoliNations - a city-centre super garden celebrating biodiversity and multiculturalism; The Hatchling - a ground-breaking puppetry and kite flying experience; TEABREAK, a heart-warming outdoor touring show around the history and the ritual of tea; Ground, an immersive dining and theatre experience premiering at Brighton Festival, 4 - 26 May 2024.
Trigger is for everyone, and everyone is invited.
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About The Hatchling
The Hatchling is a ground-breaking outdoor theatrical performance that unfolds over a weekend of events leading up to an extraordinary finale. With a wingspan of over 20 metres, the Hatchling is the world’s largest human-operated puppet to fly.
A beautiful visitor hatches, builds herself a nest and then takes to the skies in a bid for her freedom. Along the way she explores the city, and as she roams, she encounters a series of events from intimate interactions to city-wide performances, prepared especially for her majestic visit.
At the end of her journey The Hatchling undergoes an incredible metamorphosis, unfurls her wings, and takes flight!
In 2021 the World Premiere of The Hatchling drew a live audience of 30,000 to Plymouth city-centre over 2 days. In 2022 The Hatchling was experienced by a live audience of 22,000 and a broadcast audience of 8.7m leading cultural celebrations along The Mall for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.