Council and partners unveil plans to boost visitors at start of thrilling summer season

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Wakefield Council and our tourism partners are delighted to launch a new comprehensive Destination Management Plan (DMP).

It not only unveils ambitious plans for the next five years but also sets the stage for an unforgettable summer filled with exciting events, and experiences for visitors and residents.

"Our district is an incredible place to visit. We’ve got so much to see and do, and we’re demonstrating that every day during Our Year – Wakefield District 2024.

“So, we're delighted to be rolling out a new approach to destination management. It will help us to work even more closely with our tourism partners to create more unforgettable experiences for visitors and deliver more economic growth and opportunities for everyone who lives here.

“We’re excited to launch the new destination management plan ahead of an action-packed summer season as part of Our Year. And we look forward to welcoming visitors from right across the country and beyond to our amazing area."

Cllr Michelle Collins

Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport

Cllr Michelle Collins

Key aims of the plan include:

•    Working in partnership with the tourism and hospitality sector to achieve increased spend from visitors by extending stays and creating new and sustainable experiences. 
•    Raising awareness of the Wakefield district as the sculpture capital of the UK and cultural gateway to the north.
•    Ensuring the district’s infrastructure is ready for growth, that visitors feel welcome and can easily find the information they need to have a positive experience during their visit, creating a desire to return. 
The summer calendar is packed with events, exhibitions and activities, including:

The Hatchling - Wakefield City Centre and Pugneys Country Park  
Friday 23 August – Sunday 25  August
A ground-breaking outdoor theatrical performance will unfold over the August bank holiday weekend across Wakefield City Centre, finishing in an extraordinary finale as The Hatchling takes flight over Pugneys Country Park as the sun sets. The Hatchling is created by the award-winning creative team at Trigger in collaboration with a leading design team specialising in puppetry, kites and immersive theatre.  
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/the-hatchling/  

Bharti Kher: Alchemies at Yorkshire Sculpture Park 
Now - Sunday 27 April 2025
Yorkshire Sculpture Park presents a major solo exhibition of work by Bharti Kher, in her most extensive UK museum presentation to date. The powerful group of works spans from 2000 – 2024, including four significant outdoor bronze sculptures, and a large clay work that will be made outside the gallery so that visitors can watch the construction process evolve and then observe its slow process of disintegration. 
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/bharti-kher/ 

Summer Holidays Helping Hands at National Coal Mining Museum for England
Saturday 20 July – Sunday 1 September
Discover how communities pulled together to support each other in the Miners’ Strike. Enjoy sunshine at the beach, explore the great outdoors, and much more in a fun-filled programme of events throughout the summer holidays.
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/summer-holidays-helping-hands/

Ronald Moody: Sculpting Life and Summer Holidays at The Hepworth Wakefield
Saturday 20 July – Sunday 1 September
Explore the highly anticipated exhibition of works by Jamaican born sculptor Ronald Moody, one of the most significant artists of the 20th Century. Families can find something fun happening every day during the school holidays, including garden play, art pods, explore and draw stations and family workshops inspired by works in the gallery. 
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/summer-holidays-hepworth-wakefield/
        
Evita at Theatre Royal Wakefield
Wednesday 21 August - Saturday 31 August
Wakefield Youth Music Theatre present the breath-taking musical smash hit Evita. With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Evita charts the rise to fame and power of María Eva Duarte de Perón.
https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/event/evita/

Fun with Featherstone Rovers at Nostell, National Trust 
Monday 22 July - Thursday 29 August
Join the Featherstone Rovers Foundation at Nostell National Trust for free family play sessions on Mondays and Thursdays during the school holidays. Sessions include athletics and cheerleading to tug of war and wigwam building, with special appearances from some of the Featherstone Rovers players and their mascot, Percy the Pit Pony. 
Fun with Featherstone Rovers at Nostell | Experience Wakefield

Super Summer at Wakefield Museums and Castles
Saturday 20 July – Sunday 1 September
Get set for a super summer at Wakefield Museums and Castles with a whole host of activities taking place at venues around the district, from fashion workshops at Wakefield Museum and history hunting at Castleford Museum to family quests at Pontefract Museum and dungeon tours and outdoor theatre at Pontefract Castle. 

Olivia Colling, Deputy Director, The Hepworth Wakefield, said: “As the birthplace of two of the 20th-century's most important British artists - Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore - as well as being home to two of the country's best art institutions - The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park - Wakefield plays a special role in the public enjoyment and understanding of sculpture and art more broadly. The new destination management plan really focuses on sculpture and culture as one of Wakefield's strengths and we’re looking forward to working with the Council and the numerous cultural destinations across our district to attract more people to Wakefield to experience our outstanding offer.” 

Lynn Dunning, CEO, National Coal Mining Museum for England, said: "We are delighted by the news that the Wakefield DMP has been approved. It was great to be involved alongside many other organisations in the development of the plan which will ensure we can make the most of what our amazing district has to offer. We look forward to working together and to playing our part in making Wakefield a must-visit destination."

For more information on the Destination Management Plan visit: Wakefield Destination Management Plan | Experience Wakefield

For details of things to see and do this summer in the Wakefield district, visit https://experiencewakefield.co.uk/

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