SparkFest 2023 runs from 9 May to 12 June. Join the buzz, the celebrations, the live performances from across Bath Spa University’s Music & Performing Arts graduates, alumni and industry collaborators, in partnership with The Bath Festival.
SparkFest
With several weeks packed full of theatre, dance and music in venues spread acoss the city, SparkFest offers ample opportunity for the community to experience the thrill of live performance and creative work from students, alumni, partners and our collaborators across the School of Music and Perfoming Arts at Bath Spa University.
SparkFest asks two things of you, to be adventurous and explore the curious.
Now in its sixth year, this festival of theatre, music and dance is set to take over our beautiful World Heritage city once again.
This year SparkFest brings bright and brave performances and events from Bath Spa University Music and Performing Arts graduates, alumni and industry collaborators, in partnership with The Bath Festival. Take a fresh look at how new talent engages with the region’s artistic community.
When it comes to turning a passion into a paying job, Bath Spa University MA Creative Producing graduate Matt Emeny has done it. His project, The Wave, which he wrote, directed and acted in, was performed as part of Sparkfest 2022 and went on to tour the country.
The Wave features three pirates stuck on a ship and slowly losing their sanity. What started as an idea "to do a show on a boat" was developed while the country was in lockdown due to the covid pandemic. In addition to being a lot of fun, it offered audiences a chance to blow off steam and often confirmed their own experiences during lockdown.
We may not be able to rewrite history, but Violet - produced, written and performed by Bath Spa students - aims to retell it.
Violet is based on the 1926 play The Captive by Édouard Bourdet. One of the first Broadway plays to feature lesbian characters, it was so controversial at the time that it was eventually banned. MA Creative Producing student Beth Adams wanted to revive the play and bring what was once hidden into the spotlight.
The play was performed at the Mission Theatre in Bath as part of Sparkfest 2022.
