Grand Northern Ukulele Festival

'

The Grand Northern Ukulele Festival (GNUF) is a UK-based ukulele festival that takes place in Huddersfield, England every Spring. It was established in 2013 and has been the recipient of multiple awards including UKE Magazine's, "Best Ukulele Festival" Award in 2017. The festival organisers have also received a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service for their contribution to communities. In 2018, the festival was awarded the Epic Award for England from the UK & Ireland's Voluntary Arts.[1]

Festival organisation

GNUF is a volunteer-run festival that is also not-for-profit.

GNUF was built on three key principles: making things, making connections and sharing knowledge.[2] As described on their webpage, the team behind it continue to believe in those ideas and keep expanding opportunities on offer to include features and activities for an ever wider range of ages and communities. A stated goal of the festival team is to work closely with partners to try to ensure there truly is something for everyone.

In 2014, George Hinchliffe of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain described, the festival as "truly amazing".[2]

The festival works with local businesses who bring their wares and skills to the festival. The festival team also works with a wide range of ukulele players and festivals around the world to develop and grow their event. In the past, they have worked with ukulele brands, Ohana and KoAloha and having advised organisers of events in the UK and elsewhere.

TeamGNUF and the festival as a whole also promote tours and events outside the festival.

Festival dates and headliners

Festival Date Notable Performers
1stSeptember 2013Manitoba Hal, Ukulele Uff & Lonesome Dave, Yan Yalego, Phil Doleman
2ndOctober 2014Andy Eastwood, The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, Del Rey, Zoë Bestel
3rdJune 2015The Quiet American, Sarah Maisel & Craig Chee, Ben Rouse,
4thMay 2016Danielle Anderson (aka Danielle Ate the Sandwich), Hope & Social, The Quiet American, Samantha Muir, FU*K (Fagersta Ukulele Klub), Bisctuithead and the Biscuit Badgers
5thMay 2017Victoria Vox, Andy Eastwood, Elof & Wamberg, Amelia Coburn, Eat-my-uke
6thMay 2017Mr._B_The_Gentleman_Rhymer, Andy Eastwood performing an original composition with the Didsbury String Quartet, Andrew Molina, Hot Potato Syncopators, Peter Luongo

Festival team

The festival producer and director is Mary Agnes Krell. Though from the US, she is based in the UK and runs the festival in her spare time.[3]

Robert Collins, a ukulele luthier from Hebden Bridge is the co-director, and a founding member of the festival team. His responsibilities include the development of "making" workshops.[4]

Audra "Mim" Jeppson, a ukulele dealer from Virginia, USA, is the "Overseer of Enthusiasm." Her responsibilities include organising and running the open mic elements of the festival.[5]

Robin Evans joined the festival team in 2017 and acts in an festival outreach role, liaising with other ukulele festivals and events, to allow communication and help collaboration with other festivals and events.[6]

Awards

YearAwardResult
2018Epic Award for England from Voluntary ArtsShortlisted[7]
2017UKE Magazine BEST UKULELE FESTIVALWon[8]
2017The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service[9]Won[10]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.voluntaryarts.org/epicawards2018-winners-announced. Missing or empty |title= (help); External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. 1 2 "About Us - Grand Northern Ukulele Festival". Northernuke.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  3. ↑ "Mary Agnes Krell - Grand Northern Ukulele Festival". Northernuke.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Robert Collins - Grand Northern Ukulele Festival". Northernuke.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Mim - Grand Northern Ukulele Festival". Northernuke.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Robin - Grand Northern Ukulele Festival". Northernuke.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Grand Northern Ukulele Festival - Winner Epic Award for England". voluntaryarts.org. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "UKE Magazine Awards - The Winners". Worldofukes.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "The London Gazette". 2 June 2017. p. J11. Supplement:61945
  10. ↑ "Queen's Awards 'highest honour' for volunteers". Yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.