The Bloomsbury Festival has announced the initial line up of shows, exhibitions, events, concerts, walks and talks in the 2021 programme with the theme ‘Shining Light’ on Bloomsbury people, culture, art, communities, heritage, discoveries and science.
Opening festivities are focused on Cromer Street and a free outdoor spectacle with a procession including Bengali silk banners, kinetic tigers, and musicians, and lightworks including neon sculptures by Chila Kumari Singh Burman and live video projection from street artist Mohammed Ali. From 6.30pm to 8.30pm Friday 15 October.
The artistic programme boasts music from the London Handel Festival, performances from Pascal Theatre Company and The Place, walking tours of the area and a newly commissioned play about Minnie Lansbury and the Poplar Rates Rebellion of 1921, with an accompanying talk.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshi independence Bloomsbury Festival has teamed up with The British Library and Camden Mela, with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund, to offer a celebratory event for everyone in the outdoor piazza and indoor foyer and theatre of the British Library, featuring performances, talks, film screenings and food.
Festival director Rosemary Richards said, “We have a wonderful range of entertaining and thought-provoking events this year. The programme allows us to put in the spotlight the very best of established and emerging creative talent in Bloomsbury, and celebrate the diversity of the area, and its local communities.”
A world class local festival Bloomsbury Festival has a distinctive creative programme made by the artists, academics and residents of London’s premiere cultural quarter. Many of the Festival events are FREE to attend. 2021 sees the festival engage with new partnerships within the community, and with some of Bloomsbury’s major institutions including UCL, University of London, The Bedford Estates, and the British Library.` The festival’s year round New Wave programme supports emerging creative talent in the area, with a new theatre writing bursary scheme, an exhibition featuring the winners of a Fine Art competition, a weekend of new theatre from six companies to be presented at RADA Studio theatre, and an outstanding programme of music.
