SparkFest 2025
News
SparkFest returns for its seventh year
Monday, 12 May, 2025As the warmer months finally roll around, we look forward to celebrating Sparkfest in its seventh year this May. A vibrant showcase of dance, theatre, film and music running from 12 May to 14 June, the five-week festival spans across Bath, with performances happening at the Rondo Theatre, the Egg, and Widcombe Social Club, and will draw to a dramatic close with a weekend of Shakespeare in the BSU Newton Park theatre.
Sparkfest champions the creatives of tomorrow, with works from students, staff and alumni across the University, as well as the School of Music and Performing Arts’ own production company Bath Spa Productions. Graduate Content Producer for Bath School of Music and Performing Arts Louis Green said:
“Our creative and cultural World Heritage City hosts a plethora of innovative, original and visionary work made by new creatives to give you hope, inspiration, reflection and purpose ...or just a big belly laugh! This five-week long festival brings audiences the creatives of tomorrow, today.
SparkFest's ethos is to promote connection throughout our community, across disciplines, locations and generations, whilst also championing creativity's cruciality in the maintenance of wellbeing. These guiding principles manifest through all our work, driven by our commitment to the development and nurturing of new talent, including early career creatives, practitioners and researchers.”
With over a hundred performances across the entire festival, it is hard to choose a select few that best represent the large array of talent on offer. But if you are looking for somewhere to start, we have compiled some brief highlights of the amazing performances to come.
Third Space
13 – 15 May
A three-day event celebrating the rich imagination of this year’s graduating artists from BA (Hons) Dance at BSU. ‘Third Space’ offers an opportunity for audiences to experience a range of new works including solo performance, ensemble work and live performance which interact with cutting edge technologies.
Earth Works
23 May
Students from MA Dance, MA Music and MA Fine Art collaborate in response to the beautiful grounds of the Newton Park Campus to bring you a series of new performances. Featuring student work exploring elements of place, sound, rhythm and aesthetics found in nature, alongside a co-created work with professional choreographer Sivan Rubinstein.
The 39 Steps
24 May
Richard Hannay, a seemingly ordinary man, finds himself entangled in a thrilling spy chase. Framed for a murder he didn’t commit, he is pursued by both police and a shadowy organisation of spies. A suspenseful thriller filled with daring escapes, romantic encounters and ghastly murders.
Script Up
29 May
Celebrating new theatre writing, ProducerWorks presents an explosion of brand-new theatre scripts. We have given writers the space to explore their creative ideas and a platform for their voice to be heard. This evening of original works promises to be an exciting and dynamic event as we watch the creatives of tomorrow’s voices rise up!
Creative Music Technology Degree Show
4 June
A curated evening celebrating the highly original creative and technical work of the final year BA (Hons) Creative Music Technology students at BSU. Expect a diverse range of produced music, sound, composition, alongside multimedia screenings and small-scale installations.
Women, Beware the Devil
5 – 7 June
England 1640. A war is brewing. Rumours are flying. A household is in crisis. And the Devil’s having some fun. Embark on a world of power, passion and betrayal in this gripping tale full of treachery and trickery.
Find out more about all the performances and book tickets on the SparkFest website.