Bath Festivals
Bath Spa University works in partnership with the Bath Festival, helping to deliver a series of unforgettable lectures, events, and performances.
"The creativity and energy that Bath Spa brings to the table is a huge asset."
Ian Stockley, CEO, Bath Festivals
Bath Festivals programme, market and produce celebrations of music and books in the unique buildings and open spaces of our beautiful city, that inspire and promote the positive impact that music, words, books and performance can have on people’s lives.
They stage two distinctive annual festivals: the Bath Festival in May and the Children’s Literature Festival in October, featuring entertaining and enlightening events for new and existing audiences with international recognition and local significance.
As importantly, they deliver greater engagement for those with less access to the arts through a year-round Creative Learning Programme.
Partnership
Bath Spa University is the Official Partner of Bath Festivals; this partnership brings value to both parties through nurturing of creativity, increased public engagement and building of opportunities for volunteering, work experience, internship and future employment for students.
Around 100 students and staff from Bath Spa typically participate in the Festival, both on stage and behind the scenes, helping with the production and administration of several events that are run through the partnership between Bath Festivals and the University, including:
Sparkfest
Since 2018, Bath Festivals has partnered with Bath Spa University Productions to bring this celebration of performance from students, staff and alumni. It provides a springboard for students to test ideas for the future and an opportunity to engage with the wider community.
Sparkfest runs for four weeks over May-June, and in 2020 went digital. In 2021, the plan is for Sparkfest to feature a mixture of digital and pop-up outdoor events.
Party in the City
Party in the City is Bath’s biggest free party – the opening night of the May Festival is when the city centre bursts into life for one night only of free creative entertainment.
Bath Spa students are invited to join the hundreds of musicians, poets, bands and choirs who perform in over 30 venues across the city, including outdoor venues in Queen Square, Parade Gardens and SouthGate.
Bath Introduces
Bath Spa Students are invited to take part in this talent contest to find the best unsigned musical talent to play the main stage at the Bath Festival Finale Weekend and win a day’s recording at the prestigious Real World Studios.
The winner of Bath Introduces in 2018 was singer-songwriter Isobel Holly from Bath, who has gone on to release her debut album. There are also opportunities for students to support this event behind the scenes, in marketing and production.
Student Programmers
In 2019 Bath Festivals established a project working with a group of students to curate and produce an event for the Literature programme in The Bath Festival. The five students worked with the Head of Literature Programming and Head of Creative Learning and shaped a panel event to discuss the Cost of Education, exploring challenges facing students and universities.
Student Programmers will be a regular part of our Literature Programme for The Bath Festival.
Corporate and Educational Advisory Group (CEAG)
Bath Spa is a member of CEAG, managed by Bath Festivals; the purpose of the group of city stakeholders is to listen, advise, influence and reach agreement on actions that allow Bath Festivals to maximise added value to individual and group members, from growing their engagement with and bringing greater benefit to the wider community through the arts.
Bath Cultural Education Partnership (BCEP)
Bath Festivals work closely with Bath Spa and other cultural, charity and education partners in the city to support the cultural and creative education of young people aged 0-25 in B&NES, listening to and understanding their needs and finding relevant and inspiring creative and cultural solutions to support the identified needs.
