Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival

Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival reveals spectacular line-up for 20 September – 12 October 2013, with free outdoor opening weekend 20-22 September

The programme for Bournemouth’s third Arts by the Sea Festival has just been announced.  Three weeks of over 50 highly original and exciting arts activity are in store, spanning music, dance, film, visual arts, performance and spoken word, in all kinds of spaces across the town.

The Opening weekend of 20-22 September sees an exciting free outdoor celebration for all the family to launch the Festival in real style.  Mutoid Waste (who created the futuristic Mad Max-style vehicles for the London Paralympic Closing Ceremony last year) will create a huge stir with their giant articulated creations parading the beach.  In addition, lots of events – including light installations, film screenings, live music and dance, street performance and a vintage market will take place in the town centre, lower gardens and seafront.

Over the following three weeks residents and visitors alike will be able to experience a host of special events and performances; from razor-sharp poetry brought by legendary ‘punk poet’ John Cooper Clarke to an incredible ‘sound’ performance in complete darkness from the creators of the Electric Hotel; from Mark Bruce Company’s dance interpretation of Dracula to a candlelit concert of work by Paganini set in the historic ruins of Shelley Theatre.

This year there’s a distinct cinema and ‘live score’ element to the Festival.  Look out for special showings of Alfred Hitchcock’s early films restored by the British Film Institute, accompanied by live music from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  Also at the festival will be the only vintage mobile cinema left in the country, with its unique slice of cinema history.  And don’t miss your chance of a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at some of the world’s most spectacular film and animation visual effects.

For more great combinations of live music and film, catch The Dodge Brothers as they play their first gig in Bournemouth as well as accompanying the classic silent movie Beggars of Life; see beautiful ‘live’ cinema using paper, puppets and music from home grown talent Paper Cinema; and experience a welcome return of Indy band British Sea Power accompanying the 1934 docu-drama Man of Aran.

Carol Maund, the Festival Director says; ‘We’re very excited to present this year’s programme of rich and varied events for the Arts by the Sea Festival. This year we have built on the success of the past two Festivals by bringing some of the very best local, national and international artists, performers and film-related events to Bournemouth.   We have big names in dance, music and animatronics, as well as workshops run by professionals from their field.  The Festival has something for everyone, with a number of events aimed at children and their families.’

Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival is funded by Bournemouth Borough Council and an Arts Council Grants for the Arts award. Headline sponsor is the Arts University College Bournemouth.  The Festival runs from 20 September to the 12 October, with a free weekend of outdoor arts during the first weekend.  For more information visit www.artsbournemouth.org.uk.

If you're thinking of buying something recommended by us, please go via the links on our pages. When you do this we may earn a fee which supports our editorially independent, family business.