Tag Archive: Press Release

  1. BATH FESTIVALS WINS ARTS AWARD’S GOOD PRACTICE AWARD

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    The Learning and Participation team at Bath Festivals is thrilled to announce that they have been awarded a Good Practice Centre Award by Arts Award.

    Bath Festivals has been recognised as a national centre of good practice for its work with children and young people. As well as producing its three major festivals, Bath International Music Festival, The Independent Bath Literature Festival and The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival, Bath Festivals also runs a busy year round Learning and Participation programme.

    Belinda Kidd, Chief Executive of Bath Festivals says:
    “This is a fantastic endorsement of the quality of Bath Festivals’ learning and participation programme. We’re really proud of the young people who’ve won Arts Awards through their involvement with our projects, and it will be great to help even more young people gain this important recognition of their achievement in the future.”

    The Good Practice Award recognises the work Bath Festivals does to support young people working towards their Arts Awards, a national scheme to recognise the achievements of young people in engaging with the arts.

    Bath Festivals engages with thousands of young people every year, by running the largest dedicated children’s literature festival in Europe, and by delivering a host of education projects across all three of its festivals, and year round. Activities include enlisting a team of Young Curators from Wellsway School in Keynsham to help programme and present events at the Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival, working alongside best-selling children’s authors, and offering musical opportunities to young people in challenging circumstances across Bath & NE Somerset and South Gloucestershire as part of the Building Bridges project.

    Arts Award’s unique qualifications support young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. The programme develops their creativity, leadership and communication skills. Open to anyone aged 7 to 25, Arts Award embraces all interests and backgrounds. Through working towards an award young people learn to work independently, helping them to prepare for further education and employment.

    Good Practice Centres are chosen from a range of sectors, including schools, youth and community centres and the arts and cultural sector.

    Louise Betts, Bath Festivals Learning & Participation Manager says:
    “We are delighted to have been selected as an Arts Award Good Practice Centre and look forward to working with more young people over the coming year to help them explore the arts and achieve their Arts Awards. We’re grateful to all the supporters who help to fund this vital work, and also to all the other local arts organisations we work with including The Holburne Museum, the egg theatre and Suited and Booted Studios, and partners such as B&NES youth service, the library service, Bath Spa University and many others.”  


    Notes for Editors:

    1. About Bath Festivals

    Bath Festivals believes that festivals lift the soul and raise the spirit, make people feel good about the place they live in, and contribute significantly to the economy. Our leading music and literature festivals make the most of the world heritage city of Bath. We bring inventive, memorable and popular events to our many different audiences. We deliver inspiring work with children and young people, and provide support to the arts in our local area.

    Bath Festivals produces the Bath International Music Festival, the Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival and the Independent Bath Literature Festival, delivers a year round learning and participation programme for children and young people, and runs the Bath Box Office, serving over 120 other cultural organisations in and around Bath.

    Bath Festivals earns a significant part of its income from box office sales and sponsorship, and, since the creation of the music festival in 1948, has also relied on grants, donations, and charitable giving in order to secure its national and international reputation and the contribution it brings to Bath’s creative and cultural life. Bath Festivals is currently funded by Arts Council England through its National Portfolio programme and also receives support from Bath and North East Somerset Council. 

    2. About Arts Award and Trinity College London

    Arts Award supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. Young people aged 7-25 of all abilities and interests can gain an Arts Award through any arts, media or cultural activity. Through Arts Award, children and young people can get recognition for their artistic achievements and enjoyment of the arts.

    Arts Award has five levels*, four of which are accredited on the QCF (Qualifications and Credit Framework). The award assesses personal creative development and helps to prepare young people for further education and employment. Young people develop their art form knowledge and understanding, alongside their creative, communication and leadership skills. Trained Arts Award advisers (usually a professional artist, teacher or youth worker) support young people to achieve their aspirations. For more information about Arts Award, call 020 7820 6178 or visit www.artsaward.org.uk

    Arts Award is managed by Trinity College London in association with Arts Council England working with 10 regional Bridge organisations.

    Trinity College London is a leading international examinations board that delivers over 500,000 assessments each year. Recognised by Ofqual, Trinity College London examinations extend across music, drama, and into English for speakers of other languages, with assessment at every level from beginner to higher-level qualifications. For more information on Trinity College London, telephone 020 7820 6100 or visit www.trinitycollege.co.uk

    * Gold is accredited at QCF 3 Level (which also carries 35 UCAS tariff points), Silver at Level 2, Bronze at Level 1 and Explore at Entry Level 3. Arts Award Discover is an introductory level which is not accredited on the QCF.

    3. About Arts Council England

    The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, we will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and an estimated £1 billion from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

    A downloadable version of this press release is available here.

     

  2. THE 8th TELEGRAPH BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

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    THE 8th TELEGRAPH BATH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL

    Friday 26 September – Sunday 5 October 2014
    THE LARGEST DEDICATED CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL IN THE UK
    with
    GUEST ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DAVID ALMOND and OVER 100 EVENTS FEATURING THE BEST CHILDREN’S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

    INCLUDING:
    Holly Black, Martin Brown, John Burningham, Cathy Cassidy, Lauren Child, Cassandra Clare, Mandy Coe, Cornelia Funke, Simon Mayo, Dave McKean, Michael Morpurgo, Mal Peet, Liz Pichon, Chris Riddell, Michael Rosen, Andy Stanton, Henry Winkler, Benjamin Zephaniah and many more.

    Children’s Literature lies at the beating heart of our culture. It is where stories have their start and where literary culture is constantly renewed.” David Almond

    The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival, the largest dedicated children’s book festival in the UK, is now in its 8th spectacular year. This is a festival bursting at the seams with vibrant activity for children of all ages, their teachers, families and friends. David Almond, in his second year as Guest Artistic Director, has created a programme for Bath that puts children, their opinions, their concerns and their creativity firmly at its core.

    Once again, our Young Curators are centre stage, programming weekday discussions for young people, writing a festival blog and recommending and introducing events. The Holburne Museum hosts a range of interactive workshops including how to keep a top secret diary with Emer Stamp and how to turn nightmares into stories with Ross Montgomery.

    The Guildhall is the hub for The Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival Schools Programme. Launched by former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen, it features an array of authors, illustrators and poets. Hundreds of school children will gather at the Guildhall throughout the week for an exciting series of specially curated events.

    This year’s fabulous cover artist is Chris Riddell who will be celebrating the publication of his second book Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death. His first book in the series, Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, has been chosen as this year’s Kids Big Bath Read. We welcome other illustrators including Laurence Anholt, Martin Brown, John Burningham, Jonny Duddle, Debi Gliori and Dave McKean.

    Authors writing for older children and young adults including Joe Abercrombie, Melvin Burgess, Sally Green, Sophie McKenzie, Robert Muchamore, Garth Nix, Mal Peet and Marcus Sedgwick will all feature and Benjamin Zephaniah comes to the Festival with Terror Kid, his first novel in 7 years.

    Cornelia Funke described by Time Magazine as one of the “100 most influential people in the world today” and the renowned author of the Inkheart and Mirrorworld series is in conversation with David Almond, who will also be talking about his own new novel for young adults, A Song for Ella Grey.

    Also appearing at the festival are Philip Ardagh and his wonderfully eccentric Grunts, Simon Mayo talking about his new Itchcraft book and Cathy Cassidy with the latest in her series of The Chocolate Box Girls. We also welcome American authors to the festival, headlined by the much loved Henry Winkler and featuring Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Michael Grant and Jon Sciezska.

    As always, we welcome authors writing for young children including Emma Dodd and Clara Vulliamy as well as John McLay and Martin Brown with their new book The Dragon’s Dentist. Storytelling sessions with Chrissie Weltike in Bath’s Central Library and visits by Horrid Henry, Little Miss Hug and Peppa Pig are certain to delight parents and children alike. Elmer and Kipper, both celebrating their 25th birthdays will be in Bath in person to say hello.

    A range of events designed for teachers, parents and educators is central to David Almond’s 2014 programme, including a keynote lecture, which takes the celebration of children’s creativity as its theme. This event is presented in association with the festival’s Creative Partner Bath Spa University.

    With Minecraft, Miffy, Monsters, Murderous Maths, Michael Morpurgo and sheer mayhem with Andy Stanton at the Big Big Bath Book Quiz on the opening night, this year’s Telegraph Bath Children’s Literature Festival has it all.

    The full programme is now available to view at www.bathfestivals.org.uk
    Friends booking from 3 July
    General booking from 14 July
    Ticket hotline: 01225 463362

    FOR ALL PRESS INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
    TAMSIN TREVERTON JONES: 01225 462231/07980 585664
    tamsin.treverton-jones@bathfestivals.org.uk