CREWE'S popular TrAction festival will take place next year after councillors agreed to pay a performing arts company for the work they have done preparing for this year's cancelled event.

TrAction was scheduled for Saturday, July 4 but was postponed because of the Covid-19 crisis, ending a run of spectacular performances and interactive shows across town staged by Spare Parts, which is managed by Fleetwood Festival of Transport (See the video above, courtesy of Crewe Town Council).

The work of the group, who showcase their transport-inspired activities across the UK, has been part funded in Crewe by an Arts Council England grant, but 2020 was due to be its last year.

Now the Arts Council has agreed to push the funding into 2021 and Crewe town councillors at this week's marketing and events committee agreed to pay Spare Parts a sum of £30,000 to £35,000 (with £5,000 factored for "quality") in recognition of the work they have already undertaken.

Crewe Town Council's Events Officer Edwina Rigby has shared photos from previous events on TrACtion's Facebook page and said: "It was nice to see photos of crowds of smiling faces. We can't even gather a crowd very easily at the moment, so it was lovely to look back at a time when that could happen.

"It was extremely disappointing we couldn't run TrAction this year. We've had some spectacular performances in the town centre over the few years it's been going."

TrAction has been a town centre event since 2016 and built on previous events such as Crewe Fest, Crewe Transport Festival and the iconic Crewe Carnival.

In 2017 a four-year strategic touring grant was agreed with the Arts Council to bring high quality performances to the festival as part of a wider touring programme with Sandbach, Oldham, Fleetwood and Rochdale.

Crewe Town Council will pay Spare Parts for the planning work the group has already undertaken, including evergreen digital content that can be used next year.

The payment will also cover the content of the 2021 event as well as crew and production support, parade management, community engagement workshops and programming support.

Edwina explained: "This is match funding provided by Crewe Town Council to Spare Parts for the Arts Council strategic touring grant. The grant effectively doubles the council's cash making it go much further and allowing us to bring high quality outdoor arts to the town."

And Edwina added: "The Arts Council has agreed to push it all (the grant) into next year, so 2021 will be the final year of the current arrangement.

"We're keen to hear from my community groups who would like to be involved, or volunteers who would be interested in taking part and I'm hopeful that the creative energy that is pouring into the Creative Hub will be able to be expressed as part of TrAction 2021 as well."