Join The Torrent To Celebrate Lancaster's Mill Race

Lancaster residents and visitors can take part in a unique event on April 30 celebrating the Mill Race area of the city.

They will be invited to form a line along the route of the Mill Race, starting at the historic St John’s Church in North Road and finishing at the Sugarhouse. Sounds and actions will be passed along the line to reflect the water under their feet.

Anyone of any age or ability can take part in or just watch the event beginning with 30 minutes of preparation inside the church starting at 3.30pm. The event itself begins at 4.15pm and will last about 20 minutes.

Participants can just turn up or those aged 16 plus can attend a pre-event rehearsal on the day at 12.30pm on the Millennium Bridge.

Those taking part will be given instructions about the sounds they need to make using their voice, hands and feet. No singing is involved.

“It’s crucial that the whole city is represented by as many people as possible, so we’d love to have families and friends there,” said Alice Booth, producer for Lancaster Arts.

“I love the idea of creating an overground stream with lots of people. It’s a big challenge but a really exciting one.”

FLOW: Marking the Mill Race is the first event in a three-year programme of cultural activity overseen by Lancaster Arts coinciding with redevelopment work in the High Street Heritage Action Zone led by Lancaster City Council and funded by Historic England.

The historic Mill Race, once the lifeblood of local industry, flows under the Action Zone. Thought to date back to Roman times, mills and other industries grew up along its banks later. Although it was culverted from the late 1800s because of health concerns, the Mill Race continues to make its presence felt, most recently during the 2015 floods.

FLOW project artist, Loz Kaye said: “FLOW is about marking Lancaster’s rich history, and about looking to its future too. What we want help with is revealing the course of the hidden Mill Race as Lancaster looks forward to reclaiming and re-energising this part of town. FLOW is part of that journey.”

Anyone wishing to sign up for the rehearsal or wanting more details about the project, should visit https://www.lancasterarts.org/projects/flow-marking-the-mill-race/For more information or questions, contact Alice Booth via email: alice@lancasterarts.org