Spectacular animated adventure attracts more than 3,900 visitors to Newark Market Place

The event, which was delivered by Newark Creates, was created by Electric Egg, a creative video production company based in Lincolnshire and founded by collaborators Neil Baker and Steven Hatton. It featured an animated adventure called ‘A Likely Story’ which follows Harriet and friends as they enjoy a historical escapade through the history of Newark, discovering stories around every corner.

Newark Creates is led by Newark’s Cultural Consortium, which is made up of several local organisations including Inspire Culture, Learning and libraries, Newark and Sherwood District Council Heritage and Culture, Newark Civic Trust, Newark Heritage Forum, Newark Book Festival, Newark Town Council, and Newark College.

Councillor Claire Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council, explained why events like this are so important for the prosperity of Newark: “Seeing the historic Town Hall being used to bring to life the history of Newark in such an engaging way was incredible. By bringing crowds of visitors to the Town Centre to see free family entertainment also provides them with the chance to discover what a wonderful and beautiful place Newark is in the evening, with its unique and distinctive character.

“Working with Newark Heart, Newark Creates has delivered an amazing and innovative spectacular that really showcases the best that we have to offer in the town. With so many visitors coming into the town, we hope that they got a taste of what Newark has to offer and will join us again in the future.

“The District Council is committed to supporting the arts and developing a strong local economy for all of our towns and villages across Newark and Sherwood. This event shows how, working together, we can create a special and meaningful event to deliver on both of these objectives.”

Carol Newman, Director of Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, the lead partner in the Consortium, said: “This year’s new funding from Newark Heart, along with that from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has allowed us to really flex our creativity and bring some truly incredible projects to Newark. Screening ‘A Likely Story’ really was a highlight, with so many local people coming out to enjoy it.”

Louise Casey-Simpson, Chair of the Newark Towns Fund, continued: “The partnership between Newark Heart and Newark Creates has been really fruitful this year, with so many people visiting the town to enjoy events at Newark-on-Sea, Newark Festival and the Book Benches. Bringing this innovative event to Newark really showed how creative thinking can deliver a memorable event for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

The screening was part of a wider Newark Creates event which also included:

• The Celestial Sound Cloud in St Mary’s Remembrance Gardens
• Lamplight Guided Tours of St Mary Magdalene Church
• A Shadow Play at the National Civil War Centre Tudor Hall

Several evening economy businesses also collaborated with the event including:

• The Governor’s House,
• Letsxcape Together Board Games Café,
• St Mary Magdalene Coffee Bar, and
• Tambo Lounge.

The evening, a follow-on from last year’s hugely popular light show at St Mary Magdalene Church, was part of the Newark Creates cultural programme which has seen the curation of free arts and heritage events and activities across Newark since it was established in 2021. This year, the programme has been supported by Newark Town Board’s Newark Heart project, alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, creating opportunities for more activities within these well-established events than ever before.