cultural olympiad » 2008 derby feste

The Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands was officially launched with Derby Feste 2008, which coincided with the opening of Derby's major new centre for visual arts and film, QUAD.

A spectacular 3-day feast of outdoor arts and entertainment which attracted audiences of 25,000 kicked off with an unmissable family event as Derby's streets were overrun by giant insects created by Spanish company Sarruga.

Denis Tricot's Sculpture Garden brought the festivities to a sublime close as his beautiful sculptures were set alight along the banks of the river Derwent.

Derby Feste is now widely regarded as a key contributor to the outdoor arts sector both regionally and nationally, offering a great example of how outdoor festivals can reignite local pride, strengthen a sense of place, bring families back into city centres and provide a model for community engagement with the arts. Through Legacy Trust UK we have continued to support the development of Derby Feste in 2009 and 2010.