August 2019
Wool & Water Festival
Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Stroudwater Textile Trust, the Wool & Water Festival is a collaboration between the Trust, the Cotswold Canal Trust and the Museum in the Park. Starting with a callout to artists to respond to Stroud's rich textile heritage the Festival has come together to feature 7 exhibitions, 2 music world premieres, poetry readings, mill visits and other community happenings spread throughout the month of September. This is a Festival with something for everybody!…
Find out more »September 2019
R is for Revolution
Make your mark. Add your views. What does Revolution mean to you? This experimental community installation will take the form of a giant alphabet - 26 printed letters - each exploring what ‘Revolution’ means to different people living in Stroud and the valleys. Gloucestershire Printmakers Cooperative's Christine Felce and Rachel Oram are inviting comments from the public in specially printed books placed around the town throughout the summer. They will then run workshops using letterpress techniques to produce the…
Find out more »October 2019
Performative Walk – The Jacobin Fox was here!
In the summer of 1797, the ‘most dangerous man in Britain': that Jacobin fox', John Thelwall, came to stay in the Stroud area. This was after leaving London, pursued by William Pitt’s spies, to spend ten days with Coleridge and Wordsworth at Nether Stowey. He not only talked politics with the poets, but influenced the Lyrical Ballads, too. During his timet here he stayed with sympathetic local clothiers and dyers, with visits to Uley, Nailsworth, Chalford and Bowbridge. He talked…
Find out more »Julius Caesar
Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in a modern production performed by the Cotswold Players A country troubled by civil unrest and political uncertainty. The emergence of a charismatic new leader, on a wave of popular acclaim. Some say she should be given absolute powers. But that would contravene proud democratic traditions. And it would sideline the current political elite. What is the opposition to do? And what will be the consequences of their actions? This contemporary production underlines the terrible timelessness of…
Find out more »Revolution in Song – A Night at the Opera?
We asked mezzo-soprano Clare McCaldin to put together a programme of arias and song with a 'revolutionary' theme and she identified such a wide range of composers it was difficult to choose! The resultant programme covers composers and material which Clare felt was aesthetically, harmonically, politically or socially revolutionary. See what you think! From Beethoven to Sondheim via Wagner and Debussy, with Mozart, Cage, Ives and Kern, this is a rich and varied programme which will be musically pleasing…
Find out more »November 2019
Romeo a Juliet
Critics Circle Award winning company Ballet Cymru present an extraordinary adaptation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece ‘Romeo a Juliet’ with music by Serge Prokofieff. Intense fighting, passionate duets and universal themes echo through dramatic and lyrical choreography. Exquisite costumes and extraordinary video projections create a world of danger and excitement where two young lovers are caught in an age old feud. ‘Romeo a Juliet’ is a dynamic and unique collaboration between 3 of Wales’ outstanding arts organisations, Ballet Cymru, Coreo Cymru (The…
Find out more »January 2020
Rick Vick – Memorial
To many people – artists, writers, musicians, performers of all kinds, venue folk, anyone connected with Stroud’s arts scene - Rick was synonymous with Stroud Festival. Our ‘Man at Large’ for more than a decade Rick sought out acts to promote and projects to support, gave newcomers and emerging artists a helping hand and brought established names to a fresh audience. Rick sadly passed away on 30.11.2019 and will be greatly missed by all those whose life he touched. For…
Find out more »October 2020
Black History Month Discussion: The Life and Works of Robert Wedderburn
Robert Wedderburn was a political activist of Jamaican / Scottish heritage from the early 1800’s, who fought for the freedom of slaves and equality for the poor in London.
Find out more »November 2020
IN NEARBY BUSHES with Kei Miller
Kei joins Stroud Book Festival in conversation with Adam Horovitz, and will read from his latest poetry collection, “In Nearby Bushes”.
Find out more »The Dave Ayre Trio Featuring: The Carducci Quartet
Join the subs@home for a special evening of live world-class music featuring the Dave Ayre Trio, the award-winning Carducci String Quartet and author, historian and BBC presenter Anthony Burton.
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