Spirit spectacular chosen for Tour De France festival

Organisers of the Yorkshire Festival 2014 revealed on Wednesday that the town’s annual Spirit celebration would form part of the 100-day cultural programme.

Belgian company Theater Tol will perform Luce, a cycling inspired show, in the town centre on April 12.

The group previously performed its Corazon de Angeles show at the Festival of Light in Huddersfield in 2010.

Festival organisers have named Kirklees as the only local authority in the region to be chosen to deliver official events, with other events being run by arts groups and organisations.

Council leader Mehboob Khan said: “Our inclusion in the Yorkshire Festival 2014 means that our events will be promoted internationally and receive substantial media exposure promoting Kirklees globally and attracting visitors to the district.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Kirklees to show the world just how creative we are.”

But the seventh Spirit celebration is not the only Yorkshire Festival project set to take place in the town.

Poet, composer and community artist Adam Strickson will host Monday’s Birds: Plant-Life-Cycle at Dewsbury Country Park.

People of all ages will be encouraged to get involved with the creation of large-scale sculptures using natural materials during four sessions, starting on February 24.

Adam will also lead a poetry walk to the park, publish new poems and present a music and poetry event inspired by birds making their home in the park.

Elsewhere, Huddersfield will be the starting point for a five-day event using the streets of South Kirklees as a canvas for performances and installations.

l Visit our website to watch a clip of Theatre Tol performing Luce in Singapore.