And finally… industrial action
A musical celebration of the life of Yorkshire legend Betty Beecroft will hit the boards at Leeds Industrial Museum in May, with the world premiere of folk musical Mother of the Revolution.
Developer CEG is supporting the production, working with learners at its Forging Futures training and skills campus at Kirkstall Forge.
CEG is also sponsoring the community engagement and family outreach of the production, which will touch the lives of so many Kirkstall residents.
The show is the brainchild of Leeds-born Beth Knight, co-director of archipelago arts collective, and hopes to bring the untold story of the successful industrialist to life, along with those of the working communities that followed her.
The performance will interweave 275 years of history, celebrating the incredible impact Betty Beecroft and the generations of industrial workers at Kirkstall Forge made to the community.
Director Knight said: “Using folk, the music of working people, we explore the themes of community, heritage and industry through an ambitious, promenade production at Leeds Industrial Museum.
“Importantly, much of the original script and score have been influenced through our conversations within the local community since 2021.
“The achievements of women need to be celebrated and this project shines a light on how an ordinary Yorkshire woman made an extraordinary change to the world around her. It is also a production that has been made possible thanks to the drive and creativity of a predominantly female team.”
Tickets go on sale from International Women’s Day on 8 March.
The production will take place on Thursday to Sundays between 2 May and 5 May and 9 May and 12 May.
