November 2018
Author, Composer, Soldier-of-a-sort: The Life and Work of Ivor Gurney
“From Severn to Somme: an enduring friendship” Fresh from its acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, we celebrate the work of Gloucestershire poet and composer Ivor Gurney with this one-woman show featuring writer and actor Jan Carey, Leading us from rural Gloucestershire to the battlefields of France, “Author, Composer, Soldier-of-a-sort” gives us a compelling dramatised introduction to Ivor Gurney’s poetry and music, told through the voice of his devoted friend, the pioneering music critic, Marion Scott. Performed by…
Find out more »December 2018
Ballet Cymru
A Child's Christmas in Wales
A Child's Christmas, Poems and Tiger Eggs by Dylan Thomas A brand new ballet by award-winning Welsh Dance Company Ballet Cymru, narrated by Cerys Matthews. Ballet Cymru presents a timeless interpretation of the Dylan Thomas classic A Child's Christmas In Wales with music by Mason Neely and Wales' own icon, Cerys Matthews. Step into the imagination of a genius and follow us on a journey through snow, cats and melancholy. Featuring choreography by Creative Wales Award winner Darius James and Amy Doughty, and evocative,…
Find out more »May 2019
Winter Hill
Hexagon Theatre present Winter Hill, a play by Timberlake Wertenbaker There are big plans for Winter Hill, and work has already begun on a fabulous new building. But is it a boon for the local economy or a reckless, destructive folly? And why is this group of women gathered here at dusk to discuss female heroism? Is it a book club debate or a revolution in the making? Darkness is falling. Someone is going to die. First performed in 2017…
Find out more »Stroud and the Chartists – A Radical Stroud Walk
Photo: Deborah Roberts
May 26th 1839. Revolution was in the air and in Stroud around 5,000 people met on Selsley Common in support of the Chartist demands for democracy. Radical Stroud commemorates this event 180 years on with a performative walk up to Selsley Hill. Meet at the Kitsch café (opposite Ebley Mill) on Sunday 26 May at 10am. A stiff walk follows up to the common, allowing 3 hours maximum for up and talk and discuss and back down again. The…
Find out more »FIlm premiere: Day of Hope
The Grand Demonstration took place on Selsley Hill in May 1839
Day of Hope is a new community film about the Chartist movement in Stroud. Written and directed by John Bassett of local theatre company Spaniel in the Works, the film explores the fight for the right to vote and the variety of campaign methods adopted to finally succeed. Part drama, part comedy, part surreal journey through the Stroud political landscape, the film commemorates the meeting on Selsley Common which took place 180 years ago, in May 1839, in support of…
Find out more »REVOLUTIONARY music for two pianos
Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring - arranged for 2 pianos Stroud Festival invited talented pianists Ashok Gupta and Jâms Coleman to put together a programme of music considered at first hearing to be 'revolutionary'. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring seemed a natural choice, with its strident sounds and jagged rhythms, as it had caused a riot at its premiere in Paris on 29 May 1913! Originally scored for ballet, it was arranged as a four-hand piano arrangement in 1913 by Stravinsky…
Find out more »July 2019
PLAYGROUND – SATURDAY PROGRAMME
A Festival of Play for everyone who likes to have fun! Playground Fest is Stroud’s new festival of play aimed at children but inclusive of adults, with activities, workshops and entertainment spread across two days in two locations.
Find out more »PLAYGROUND – SUNDAY PROGRAMME
A Festival of Play for everyone who likes to have fun! Some events are specifically for children, others are for children of all ages.
Come to the Brunel Goods Shed and join in.
Find out more »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…
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