Dan Goodchild – Technical Media and Coding Trainee at Toasted Productions
“MediaCity is such an exciting place to work. You never know which well-known faces you’re going to spot and there’s a real sense of excitement about the place.”
Kate Doyle – Festival Director, We Invented the Weekend
Originally from Derry in Northern Ireland, Kate has spent almost 20 years carving a successful career in events which has seen her deliver a range of high-profile activations from open air festivals to science events and One Direction concerts.
It’s not a career for the faint hearted as she reflects on her time with Manchester based, event production powerhouse – Engine Number 4, when she delivered one of the first socially distanced concerts at the Unity Arena in Newcastle during the pandemic: “It was one of the largest operating venues in the world at the time and it felt like all eyes were on us. The pressure was immense, but it was worth it to be able to bring back the joy of live experience, even in a socially distanced way.”
Prior to clinching the Festival Director role for We Invented the Weekend, which will be the first cultural festival of its kind to be hosted in MediaCity, Kate was Head of Festivals and Events for the Museum of Science and Industry.
Kate explains: “I was responsible for programming the Manchester Science Festival and overseeing contemporary science events. It was very much all about making science accessible to a range of audiences and inspiring the scientists of the future.”
Making exciting and engaging events which are accessible to all is Kate’s passion and underpins her vision for We Invented the Weekend.
“The festival will be a people focussed celebration of Salford and the role it played in establishing the weekend as a global ritual – bringing together lots of amazing performances, activities and people who live out their passions at the weekend whether that’s music, gardening, knitting, playing sport or eating out. The possibilities are endless.”
Kate has been in post since the start of March, and in that time has seen a genuine excitement and a willingness by the MediaCity community to get involved: “We will be really animating and super charging MediaCity for the weekend with a programme of events – the vast majority of which will be free. The aim is to throw the doors open and get everyone involved.”
As Festival Director, no two days are the same for Kate: “In the past two weeks, I’ve directed a voice over recording at dock10, met with TfGM to talk about sustainable travel, toured more MediaCity venues than I even knew existed and have had some really exciting ideas sessions with our creative and content partners. I’ve been making an effort to get to know Salford better too – visiting RHS Garden Bridgewater, Sounds From The Other City, The Lowry and the weekend Makers’ Markets hosted in the Plaza. I’m blown away by what this special place has to offer.
“It’s so inspiring to see MediaCity up close and if there’s anywhere we can do this and do it well it’s MediaCity because of the amazing, creative people who work within it, making wonderful things happen every day.”
We Invented the Weekend will take place on 10th and 11th September and the full programme of events will be announced in July.
If you’d like to get involved in We Invented The Weekend, drop Kate and the team a line at: hello@weinventedtheweekend.com
Socials: @weinventedtheweekend
Related Tales from the City
Daniel Scott – The Eyewear Stylist
Eyewear Stylist, Daniel Scott re-frames the way we buy our specs
Simon Williams – Store Manager of Co-op
“I want to get out and meet as many people as I can across MediaCity as knowing your local community is very important to the Co-op. We want to get involved with Mediacity initiatives, events and support whenever we can.”
Mwaka Mudenda – BBC Children’s TV presenter
“There’s this sense that collectively we’re trying to make great TV.”