Arts News Blog

Festival fever – what’s on?!

Yes it’s that time of year again. With Summer in full swing and festival fever at its height, arts enthusiasts everywhere prepare for their annual pilgrimage to Scotland’s first city, there to sample its eclectic month-long programme of cultural events showcasing the very best in new work by artists, both undiscovered and established, from across the globe.
For full details of this year’s festival programme visit: www.edinburghfestivals.co.uk.

Looking for something a little closer to home? To whet your cultural appetite, here’s just a taste of what the region has to offer this season….

• Head to The Lichfield Festival from 8– 18 Jul for a celebration of the creative arts, which this year, plays host to Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy,comedian Rich Hall, and esteemed biographer Stanley Wells, not forgetting University of Warwick’s own Jeremy Treglown.                                                                  www.lichfieldfestival.org

• Also this week, be sure to check out the 26th Birmingham International Jazz Festival (Jul 16 – 25). Sponsored by Big Bear Music and taking place at venues throughout the city, this ever-popular event, is a must for jazz-lovers everywhere. www.bigbearmusic.com

• Aficionados of Folk are treated to a triple bill of events this season, kicking off with Warwick Folk Festival from Mon 19 – Sun 25 Jul 2010, which, this year, boasts the talents of Canadian singer songwriter, Joe Plaskett and Folk-legend Jim Moray. www.warwickfolkfestival.co.uk

• Shrewsbury Folk Festival (Fri 27 and Mon 30 Aug), will feature the music of Dervish, Ade Edmondson & the Bad Shepherds, and – self-proclaimed ‘one-man political rock-star’, Billy Bragg (here on Sun 25 Jul). 

• Moseley Folk Festival,Birmingham, from Fri 3 – Sun 5 Sep with Arts Centre favourite, Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy (here on Wed 17 Nov), who return to the circuit fresh from the success of their new LP, Bang goes the Knighthood.

• ArtsFest UK 2010, the UK’s biggest free arts festival, takes place at venues throughout Birmingham between 10-12 Sep. Designed to showcase regional talent within the performing, visual and digital arts genres, the festival features exhibitions,performances, workshops, installations, talks and screenings from over 600 artists currently living and working within the West Midlands region. For more
  information and for details of this year’s theme, visit the official website at www.artsfest.org.uk.