It’s Deantime! - Twin Freedom Festival events featuring inimitable poet Dean Wilson
Fans of one of Hull’s best-loved poets, Dean Wilson, are in for a treat tonight with the launch of the DeanWorld Premiere Gala, the first of two consecutive evenings of film, cabaret, and a new set of his inimitable verse performed by the man himself.
The gala, which takes place at Wrecking Ball Music and Books in Whitefriargate tonight and tomorrow night, will have as its centrepiece a new film by Dave Lee, focusing on Dean’s experiences during lockdown.
Already under way is the accompanying Dean Wilson Cinema Shack - a purpose-built shed in Trinity Market, which provides a sit-in experience for passers-by to watch all of Dean and Dave’s classic short films, plus six new ones.
No tickets are needed for the cinema shack, and people can drop in and out as they wish. This will be open until Saturday, September 4.
UNIQUE TALENT: Dean Wilson. Picture by Dave Lee
Both events have been jointly commissioned by Back to Ours and the Freedom Festival Arts Trust.
The DeanWorld Premiere Gala is set within a cabaret evening including music and poetry, and is expected to be an “unpredictable, surreal and very funny evening”.
Dean said: “I can’t believe it. Two projects at once for Freedom Festival.
“It’s always wonderful to do projects with Back to Ours and to have the films and my poems available to so many people in such creative ways is something I could never have dreamed of. I’m over the moon.”
Dave said: “After years of attending Freedom it’s great to be finally creating something for the festival, and creating something so uniquely Hull.
“I’ve always thought the films that me and Dean make are steeped in the character of this area, so showing them in the heart of the city, in such a cool way, is a real thrill.”
‘RELATABLE, FUNNY, BITTERSWEET’: Dean Wilson. Picture by Dave Lee
Dean has been a familiar face on Back to Ours social media channels, with last year’s online premiere of East Coast Fever – the first film about his life by Dave – and the subsequent monthly Dean Wilson Film Club.
Back to Ours director Lou Yates said: “We always love working with Dean. His poetry is so relatable - sometimes very funny, very bittersweet, and always completely human.
“We’ve worked online together over the past year with East Coast Fever and the Dean Wilson Film Club, and he’s also performed at one of our Shindigs, so this is the next part of our journey together – more films with Dave Lee, and an evening celebrating what makes Dean so unforgettable and unique.”
The DeanWorld Premiere Gala takes place between 8pm and 10pm on both nights. Tickets cost £12 and can be bought here.