Inverclyde’s Galoshans Festival 2024 Returns for Spooktacular 10th Anniversary

Inverclyde’s Galoshans Festival 2024 Returns for Spooktacular 10th Anniversary

(Partner Press Release)

Get ready for ghoulish grins and festive fun – Inverclyde’s beloved Galoshans Festival returns for its 10th anniversary!

This milestone event promises the largest celebration to date with a spellbinding blend of art, culture, and Halloween festivities from Sunday, 17th October to Saturday, 2nd November 2024.

Ontrack to surpass all its previous achievements, Galoshans Festival 2024, centred around Halloween traditions, aims to showcase the wealth of art and culture Inverclyde has to offer.

With the biggest Galoshans consortium of partners than ever – RIG Arts, Feral and The Beacon Art Centre.

Supported with programming by Inverclyde Libraries, Watt Institution, Kayos Theatre Company, Greenock Rock Choir, Magic Torch Comics, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, TRANCND, The Wyllieum and Oi Musica/YMI Youth Band via Inverclyde Council.

Funded by Creative Scotland, the festival will feature a diverse range of events and activities, from art installations and theatre to live music and street performances, there’s something for everyone!

The festival culminates in the highly anticipated Galoshans Street Party, which this year will be taking place on Tuesday 29th October (6-8 pm) at Custom House Square, East India Harbour and Beacon Arts Centre.

Featuring ‘Sail Loft’ by Scottish company Oceanallover, an otherworldly performance, live music and spellbinding costume alongside a spectacular 10-metre-tall tower installation on Greenock’s waterfront.

Also proudly presenting performances by Greenock Rock Choir and OiMusica / Where’s the One? (In association with Youth Music Services) Street Band.

Greenock Burns Club Spooky Storytelling and NoNonsense Productions Performance of Frankenstein.

With the usual street party favourites of the Galoshans Giants, Arts & Crafts, Immersive Sensory Art Bus, FacePainting, DJ/Music and projections.

Karen Orr, Chief Executive of Rig Arts said “It’s amazing to be celebrating 10 years of the Galoshans Festival. “RIG has been a driving force in its development. “Seeing the festival transforming and growing with strong grassroots support, local consortium partners and accessible cutting-edge cultural experiences for the wider community is fantastic.”

For the third consecutive year, Feral will present a curated takeover featuring playful performances and curious encounters across the region.

This year’s highlights include:

• MHz’s STRUT Performance and Projection Parade: a dazzling night-time parade celebrating Inverclyde’s talent through dance, light and projection on the streets of Port Glasgow and Greenock.
• Animated tales of ghosts, dreams and the supernatural from Paper Cinema. Vivid pen and ink animation, puppetry, and a treasure trove of acoustic and electronic sounds at the Beacon Arts Centre.
• Meditative film installation This Endless Sea by artist Chloe Smith. An exploration of Grief housed inside a specially designed coastal shelter at James Watt Dock.
• Strange Loop’s Foraging Workshop and Interactive Performance: An engaging, hands-on experience discovering the hidden beauty of nature through art, music, and technology with Sita Pieraccini and Jamie Wardrop at Inverkip Community Hub.
• Dumpling Poetry at The Drying Green with artist Sean Wai Keung: An Autumnal dumpling-making workshop that is also a poetry reading with stories of food, family and migration.
• Oceanallover’s Visual Performance Poetry: Bringing East India Harbour to life with otherworldy performance and spellbinding costume alongside a spectacular 10-metre-tall tower installation as part of the Galoshan’s Street Party.

Feral producer, Kathryn Boyle, said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Galoshans Festival again this year to bring an array of pop-up performances, installations and interactive encounters to distinct locations across Inverclyde which celebrate people and place.”

Councillor Francesca Brennan, Inverclyde Council’s vice-convener of education and communities, said: “It’s a real achievement that we’re coming up for ten years since the Galoshans Festival started and congratulations to all involved over the years in establishing this as a key fixture in the Inverclyde events calendar.

“I’m pleased that we, as a council, are able to support the festival once again through our various services and particularly those involved with the programming, including libraries, the Watt Institution, Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, and the youth music service.

“The festival does a wonderful job in bringing together so many talented creative groups and organisations and also the community as a whole to celebrate the uniquely Inverclyde Halloween tradition of ‘going Galoshans’ and I’m looking forward to the 2024 instalment of the festival.”