Artists and events line-up for Wakefield's Long Division Festival

Wakefield’s Long Division Festival have announced more than 60 artists as well as more events, stage partners and commissions for this year's five days of music, art and culture in the West Yorkshire city from Wednesday May 29 to Sunday June 2.
Asian Dub FoundationAsian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation

Among those coming to Wakefield on the Saturday is New Order / Joy Division legend Peter Hook and the Light, American Indie icons We Are Scientists pioneering dub collective Asian Dub Foundation and Avant-pop experimenters Penguin Cafe, all joining the previously announced Bill Ryder-Jones, Avi Buffalo and Art Brut.

Also joining the bill are Leeds duo Menace Beach who released their acclaimed second record Black Rainbow Sound last year, Bella Union artist and Duke Spirit singer Liela Moss, Sheffield trio International Teachers of Pop, the longest standing and last incarnation of The Fall, Imperial Wax and folk-pop troupe Keston Cobblers Club among many others.

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This year will see a number of free entry stages across the Saturday music event with dedicated spoken word, jazz, BBC Introducing West Yorkshire and Yorkshire Music Forum stages popping up across the city.

Wakefield Art Walk will be hosting Wednesday’s opening, Thursday see’s new promoter Body’s take over The Establishment with performances from Glasgow’s Meursault and Wakefield’s own Mi Mye, elsewhere in town local musician and composer Ric Neale will be hosting a LD special of Monochrome - a monthly piano night at The Jolly Tap.

Friday will see a estival quiz in the Long Division festival marquee with live music, special guests and huge prizes, all for charity with money raised going to Andy’s Man Club, a Halifax- based charity that supports men’s mental health.

The final day of Long Division, alongside Richard Herring recording his Leicester Square Theatre Podcast at Theatre Royal, will see a city centre record fair, family focussed live music from Youth Anthems at the festival marquee alongside a zine workshop and instrument workshop and an all-ages free show from Mercury, a Queen tribute band in Wakefield precinct presented by Wakefield BID.

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Support from Arts Council England has allowed local artists to pitch for commissions as part of On To The Streets, a collection of pieces displayed throughout Wakefield during Long Division.

Wakefield-born poet Matt Abbott will be writing 10 poems for past music venues in Wakefield, displayed in shop windows in the city.

Long Division director Dean Freeman: said: “After our biggest ever year in 2018, our feeling for 2019 very much centred around this phrase of More Than A Festival.

"We’ve always been challenged by the physical spaces and the infrastructure in Wakefield; we’re not a city setup to host something like Long Division. But we’ve always turned that into a positive, making the festival an unusual but joyfully surprising experience."

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"It's about using the festival idea and turning it into something more; let’s raise money for a mental health charity, let’s run an education programme to find the next generation of DIY promoters, let’s offer £500 to local artists to create something new and show it off to these audiences, as they travel between Peter Hook and Asian Dub Foundation. We don’t do things the easy way, but it is fun, rewarding and makes an impact."