Arts news

Regional award for Artsreach

ARTSREACH, Dorset’s rural touring arts charity, has been voted Best Arts, Culture and Theatre organisation in Somerset, Dorset and Bristol in this year’s Muddy Stilettos Awards, which celebrate independent business across 35 counties throughout the UK. The various organisations and businesses are divided into multiple categories for the public top vote for their favourites. There…

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Women reclaiming the stage at Exeter

EXETER’s Northcott Theatre is hosting a week-long celebration of women in the arts, Reclaim festival,from 9th to 14th June, at the city-centre Barnfield Theatre. The programme includes gatherings, workshops and performances, ranging from Bollywood dance to poetry performances and a daytime open mic gig for children. It’s the second year of the festival, described by…

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Larks descending on the BSO

BIRDSONG has been an inspiration to composers and musicians for centuries, from the trills of Vivaldi’s Goldfinch Concerto to Beyonce’s cover of the Beatles’ Blackbird. Now, the Lark Music-Making Competition, launched this week in association with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, encourages today’s amateur instrumentalists to take flight with their own interpretations. Open to anyone over…

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New plays for rural touring

A PROJECT to find new plays for small professional companies to tour rural areas has been launched in the South West by Artsreach, Dorset’s rural touring arts charity. The aim is to discover a new piece of touring theatre from a South West based company or artist as part of a national arts scheme called…

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Dorset Opera Festival’s 20 years at Bryanston

DORSET Opera Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary at Bryanston School’s Coade Hall this year, following its move to Blandford from its original home at Sherborne School. This year’s festival will run from 22nd to 26th July, and will include two formal dinners in Bryanston House. The opera programme is thrilling, with Verdi’s cruel but musically…

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Easter workshops for young people in Chippenham

A SERIES of creative workshops for young people is being run over the Easter holidays at the Neeld Community Arts Centre in Chippenham, by Rag and Bone Arts CIC and Knapsack Productions. The project is supported by funding from the National Lottery and the government’s Million Hours scheme to help young people to work with…

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Jodie Comer coming to Bath

JODIE Comer is coming to Bath Theatre Royal in February 2026, reprising her BAFTA, Emmy, Tony and Olivier Award-winning solo performance in Suzie Miller’s powerful play Prima Facie. Bath is one of nine destinations on the UK and Ireland tour, with the world-famous production appearing at the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th…

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Workshops to discover untold stories of Dorset women

HISTORY, it is often said, is written by men about men. It is also said, with equal truth that history is written by the victors. A group of creative women in Dorchester and the surrounding area are confronting these sexist tropes with an exciting new community play project – Women of Dorset. The play, which…

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