Keep creativity shining bright in Hartlepool

We're excited to welcome around 15,000 people to Hartlepool Headland in November, with so many local artists, partners, sponsors, volunteers, and businesses involved.

 

Wintertide is an independent festival, working at a grassroots level on the Headland in Hartlepool. We use arts and culture to inspire and empower communities, and do so in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.

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We rely on grant funding, donations, and sponsorships to fund the events, workshops and activities that make up Wintertide Festival. The Festival has an enormous impact on local creatives and Hartlepool's economy. In 2023, 1,739 people engaged in creative projects, the Festival was attended by 17,000 people, and reached half a million people online - spreading the word that Hartlepool is the unassuming creative powerhouse of the north. £135,000 was spent across the Festival, with £87,000 generated for the Tees Valley economy.
 

In 2023 Wintertide Festival moved to a Biennial model, with plans for deeper, more meaningful community engagement throughout the year. This year's theme, Constellation, represents the interconnectedness of individuals in a community, coming together to form a unified, radiant whole. Inspired by the stars, this theme celebrates shared dreams, collective ambition, and the beauty of unity. Just as constellations guide travellers and tell stories in the night sky, the people of the town weave their unique lights into a shared vision for the future.