Festivals news

Reading the Land at Shaftesbury

BOOKS on nature, the environment and landscape are now among the most popular with readers, so it’s no surprise that tickets are selling fast for Shaftesbury’s nature-inspired book festival, Reading the Land, over the weekend of 15th to 17th March, which has an impressive line-up including some of the country’s top writers in this field….

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Giant fun for the community at Salisbury Festival

EAGER participants in Salisbury Festival’s big community event,  Patch’s Parade, went along to Salisbury Playhouse for a day of free workshops early in March. The community play will be performed at Churchill Gardens, following in the sucessful footsteps of 2023’s The Tempest. The discovery day, which runs from 10.30am, also welcomes volunteers for puppeteering and…

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Festival will inspire Curious Minds

A NEW arts festival for Bath from 7th to 28th March kicks off the region’s arts festival calendar. Curious Minds will champion the importance of curiosity for all, with more than 30 book talks, live performances, film screenings, writing workshops and walking tours. Described as “a festival to ignite ideas,” Curious Minds, curated by Bath…

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New festival for Shaftesbury

SHAFTESBURY has a new festival, celebrating the baroque, specifically the glorious music of the 17th and 18th centuries. There are concerts, talks and a screening of a film about one of the greatest stars of the period, from 23rd to 28th January, with most events are at Shaftesbury Arts Centre. The festival – the latest…

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Walks and talks, poetry and publishing at Dorchester

DORCHESTER Literary Festival returns, from Saturday 14th to Sunday 21st October, with a varied line-up that ranges from best-selling novelist Victoria Hislop to retired judge Wendy Joseph, from forager and walker John Wright to art critic Richard Cork, broadcaster James Naughtie to poet Lemn Sissay, and scientist Tim Spector to author and academic Celia Brayfield,…

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Salisbury Celebrates Voice and tenth anniversary

SALISBURY’S Autumn vocal festival is all ready to Celebrate Voice again from 19th to 28th October in the city, marking its tenth year by welcoming the BBC Singers to the Italianate church in Wilton, and all other events to the Guildhall. Founder and director, Lynsey Docherty is delighted that the festival, which has recently become…

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For the love of books

WELLS Festival of Literature was set up in 1992 to celebrate the written word and to promote the love of books and of reading throughout the community. More than 30 years on, the 2023 festival, from 27th October to 4th November, continues to fulfil that ambition, with writers from every sphere of life – politics,…

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BridLit bursary for local students

THIS year’s Bridport Literary Festival will run from 5th to 11th November, and the festival has launched a new bursary scheme to help local students planning to go to university. The BridLit bursary will make grants of £1,000 each to two successful candidates for each year of their three-year degree course, in any subject. Deirdre…

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