A list to be grown as to why Sheffield is city of culture.

After being shortlisted for city of culture for 2013 which made the council aware of the finicial burdens of hosting such an event then Sheffield will not be bidding for city of culture in 2021. The benefits of being a city of culture for a year; have not yet been realised. Sheffield may not be a city tourists think to visit but it does have lots of culture to offer. I have a couple of German colleagues who even after working in Sheffield for 9 months and a year respectively, Still loved it enough to return for trips. Perhaps as Sheffield is so close to Hull, it is unlikely even if bided for 2021 city of culture to win.

I can keep adding to this list but these are the cultural assets I can think of. What have I missed?

  • The elephants prove we can host big, city wide art events. With varied places to display large scale arts from city centre locations like Winter Gardens, Peace Square to spaces further out of the city; Endcliffe park, Graves Park, Hillsborugh walled garden.

The mini Elephant Herd

Top 5 Large Elephants (Children’s Hospital Trail Sheffield 2016)

I saw all the big and mini Sheffield elephants; but where are they now????

Theatres

  • Lyceum theatre shows everything from panto to ballet.
  • The crucible has seating around the stage as well as being home to championship snooker host plays, musicals and talks. The Nap in 2016 about the snooker was one of the highlights of 2016.

Top theatrical performances 2015 and 2016

  • The studio within crucible is an intimate space for performances which I have seen configured many different ways.
  • The Deli theatre which was formally Woolworths is a massive space. I have seen Pic and Mix down in the Woolworths basement and The Great Gatesby immersive theatre.

Great Gatesby:Incredible Immersive Theatre (Deli Moor Theatre Sheffield)

  • Montgomery theatre
  • Universty drama studio theatre.
  • Lantern theatre; a small quirky Victorian theatre in Netheredge who offer similar quirky offerings

Music

  • Tramlines which features multiple music venues throughout the city; many free.
  • In 2016 cliffhanger included a music stage on Devonshire green.
  • Outline festival
  • Jazz at the Lyceum monthly
  • Music stage at Heeley festival where you get the authentic festival experience of sitting on the grass.
  • Carol singing at various pubs November and December. Featuring Sheffield’s traditional carols that are not known outside Sheffield.
  • Chorus and semi chorus concerts. Next Chorus concert at the city hall featuring the community choir of over 200 is on 2nd April 2017 and features songs from films.
  • Once a month a folk train leaves Sheffield station to travel to Edale. On one of these nights we spotted Sheffield born Jarvis Cocker in the beer garden. Music is also played on the train.

Cinemas

  • Showroom shows some main steam films and some quirkier films.
  • Curzon never been as seems expensive but shows some less mainstream films like showroom.
  • Many are not keen with Odeon, it is not grand but I have found it adequate to watch films in.
  • Centertainment, large multplex which shows all the blockbusters and some Bollywood films.

Visual Art

  • The winter gardens is a great venue where local art groups sometimes show their pictures, mobiles can be hung from the ceiling and sculptures placed within the foliage; for example the Arctic Monkey elephant now lives here and some of the mini elephant herd lived here during summer 2016.

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Hello again, to Arctic Monkey elephant🐘 in his new home in the Winter gardens.

  • Annual art in the garden in botanical gardens.
  • Graves art gallery.
  • This painting is in the O2 shop in Fargate.

Films filmed in Sheffield

  • Full monty which has later been converted to a stage play. Go to Cocoa for a full monty hot chocolate.
  • 4 lions.

Other

  • Off the shelf literature festival.
  • Mosque
  • Night food markets with music: Peddlers Market and Street City.

Celebrating Chinese New Year at Sheffield Street City Food Market avec Music

To be continued ….