Leigh984, The creative portfolio of Leigh Spencer

In 2025 Leicesters Old Town Festival took on a Roman flavour with a Roman encampment on Jubilee Square featuring a life sized forum and exploring Leicester`s Roman past. Alongside the Romans the usual fun of the festival could be found at the @LeicesterCathedral Gardens with St George and his Dragon (inferno) FACT: St George was a solider in the Roman Army !. We start our day in a fiery way with Inferno the dragon breathing smoke and meeting visitors. Then from New Street we hear the unmistakable sound of bells as Leicester Morris arrive and perform a traditional dance in the Cathedral Gardens. After the excitement of the dance we move to the relative calm of the @LeicesterMuseums Guildhall where a Roman style mosaic is being created inspired by those soon to be displayed at @JewryWallRoman160AD (Re-Opening 26th July 2025). A brief march with a passing troop of Roman Soldiers brings us to Jubilee Square where Bill Brookman and Christine Parsons of www.billbrookman.co.uk welcom...

Join the Leicester Morris Men as they perform a variety of traditional Morris Dances in the car park of the Blue Bell Inn, Desford. The sun was setting as the Morris men took their places and the musicians struck up one of many tunes handed down through generations, did you know ? traditionally in the Morris all the dancing steps, the movements and music were passed down from father to son within each village or Morris side. First we see a hanky dance then followed by a stick dance. The Leicester Morris Men are predominantly a Cotswolds Morris side, which means they dance traditional dances collected from the Cotswolds villages. In 1989 they also started to perform traditional Border Morris dances from the Welsh – English border villages. In 2023 the group proudly celebrate 70 years of Morris dancing in and around Leicester.

Founded in 1975 in the town of Nuneaton by a group of folk music enthusiasts the Anker Morris men take their name from the River Anker which runs through the town, anker also being an ancient word meaning meander. The team was admitted into the Morris ring in 1980. Each Morris team has its own distinct kit the Anker`s being blue and silver-grey. My film features a Morris dance performance at the Swan Public House and Restaurant set against a setting sun accompanied by  traditional instruments and carrying on some of the country's oldest traditions.

Steli is an interactive urban performance by Stalker Teatro that resembles a game of giant pick up sticks. The work starts off with a few small structures before the public are invited to join in and complete a visually striking piece of contemporary artwork exploring the themes of living and inhabiting architecture in post-industrial cities. My film aims to show the piece as it takes shape with a live soundtrack provided by an on site DJ mixing in sounds from various sources including his own voice to create a soundscape as varied as the artwork itself. The performance was part of The City Streets Festival which itself is part of The City Festival in Leicester a collection of festivals bringing street entertainment, sports, Culture, Music, Art, Heritage, and more in a city wide celebration of Leicester.

The Leicester Riverside Festival takes place annually along the mile straight of the River Soar featuring music,arts,crafts and activities both on and off the water, for the whole family it`s a great day out for everyone. With a toot of the whistle from the Abbey Pumping Stations traction engine, my film shows some of the many highlights from Sunday at the festival. Look for Bill Bailey`s band playing toe tapping jazz as they travel along the river, the beautiful sound of the sing for water choir and tales of the canals of old England with the Bonnet And Belt theater company among other attractions. There is even an appearance from a strange yellow character not dissimilar to a Muppet riding his tricycle into castle gardens.

The Leicester Cosmopolitan Carnival is an annual all-day spectacular in the city center. Featuring a mix of art and music from around the world. The festival entertains and celebrates the wonderful diversity that makes Leicester so special. My film shows a selection of the artists performing at the event and moves from high street to the clock tower and onto Jubilee square, look out for World Drummers, A Brass Band and smooth reggae (check that guitar solo !) among others ! For further information on Cosmopolitan Arts please visit their website