WEIR:LIVE: Bringing Stockport’s Creative Scene Under the Arches
Laura Graham has been brought in by Capital&Centric to produce and curate WEIR:LIVE, a free day of music, DJs, art and family events celebrating the creative talent already making things happen in Stockport.
Taking place at the newly opened Weir Mill neighbourhood on Chestergate, WEIR:LIVE will bring two stages and a full day of entertainment to the historic site, running from daytime family events right through into the evening – all underneath Stockport’s Grade II* listed viaduct.
Laura is producing and curating the event, developing the programme and bringing together the artists, DJs, musicians and creative organisations who will take over the site for the day.
And there was one thing she wanted to get right from the start: it had to feel like Stockport.
Rather than parachuting in a line-up from elsewhere, WEIR:LIVE has been built around the talent already making things happen in the borough. Every DJ, musician, artist, record label and creative involved has some kind of connection to Stockport.
“There is so much brilliant creative talent in Stockport, so it made absolutely no sense to me to bring people in from somewhere else to launch a new neighbourhood here.
“The starting point was really simple: the day should feel and look like Stockport. That has shaped everything from the music and DJs to the artists, families and creative organisations involved.
“It’s been great fun pulling it all together. The programme moves from a family rave and choir in the daytime into live music and DJs later on, so hopefully people can come down at any point, discover someone they didn’t know before and stay for a lot longer than they planned.”
Stockport line-up
Across the day, WEIR:LIVE will feature a DJ set from A Certain Ratio, alongside The Playhouse Project Family Rave, Muddy Feet (Sticky Heat), NAM, Bobby Thorpe, Pangolin, Ste Macca, Annie Fay and Pop Vox Choir.
Before I Die will also take over part of the programme with BiD Sound, featuring Arrival, Jason Boardman, J-Walk and Yasmin Lever.
Alongside the music will be local art and creative activity, food and cocktails, plus the Beartown Brewery Bus.
For Laura, whose work spans music, culture, film and live events, the project has also been an opportunity to approach a large-scale launch differently.
“I love producing events where the programming actually has something to do with the place they’re happening in. This isn't a corporate launch with a local act added at the end. Stockport's creative community is the event.
“Giving local talent the stages, the space and the audience felt like the right way to introduce Weir Mill to the town.”
WEIR:LIVE is free, unticketed, family-friendly and dog-friendly, with people invited simply to turn up on the day.
A suggested donation will raise money for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity.
WEIR:LIVE takes place at Weir Mill, Chestergate, Stockport on Saturday 3 October, from 11.30am until 10pm