Many arts festivals adopt the word Fringe as a worldwide identifier of grassroots culture. The big event in eastern England is not one of them, however. Instead it sticks to its simple title that dates back to the eighteenth century. The organisers say, "Our vision is to use the power of the arts to make our part of the world a truly great place to live, work, learn and play."
Our vision is to use the power of the arts to make our part of the world a truly great place to live, work, learn and play.
The Norfolk & Norwich Festival originated in 1772 as a fund-raising event for the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, founded the previous year by two worthy gentlemen as a charitable institution for the care of "the poor and the sick". Originally a triennial event, the festival has been held since 1824, making it one of the oldest in the country. It witnessed the building of a new hospital in 1883 and its incorporation into the NHS in 1948. By 2003, all departments had closed in an amalgamation with West Norwich Hospital to form Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) located in Norwich Research Park.
The Festival was suspended during WWI but was revived in 1923 under the patronage of Norwich's first female Lord Mayor, Ethel Colman. In those days, its focus was largely on classical music, attracting many premieres from composers such as Edward Elgar, Frank Bridge, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arthur Bliss and Benjamin Britten. Directors included such famous names as Sir Henry Wood, Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Norman Del Mar and Vernon Handley.
Change came in a move away from its focus on classical music to being a diverse event that included a variety of circus, performance, contemporary music, dance, visual arts and children's entertainment.
This programme has developed and widened since 1989 when it became an annual event, following a merger with Festival Norwich. The Festival organisation now works on creative learning schemes across Norfolk with support from Norwich and Norfolk councils and Arts Council England, which has funded it as a "bridge organisation" since 2012. It’s an event designed to celebrate and share cultures while bringing the community together, featuring world-class international performances alongside trailblazing local artists and emerging new talent.
This year’s Festival is organised around ‘thematic programme stories’. Magic and Mystery provides just that, while Coastlines celebrates the diversity of coastal living through works that focus on communities, nature, industry and stories. Create and Share is a testament to the Festival’s year-round work with young people, schools and communities.
There are many other events and activities. The Adnams Spiegeltent will be furthering its reputation for staging awe-inspiring circus within the celebratory settings of the Festival Gardens, while Upswing’s Showdown will mix circus thrills, cheeky humour and battling contestants. Special events and performances around Norwich will make up the Welcome Weekend; think free outdoor performances across the centre of Norwich, including a marching band, over 150 electric guitarists and outdoor arts companies.
Grammy award-winner Arooj Aftab and DJ and record collector Gilles Peterson in Norwich Cathedral are just two of many solo performers at the Festival, with others from different genres appearing at the Norwich Theatre and Playhouse. In partnership with the National Centre for Writing, The City of Literature Weekend returns with a lively programme of talks from numerous writers.
Artistic Director & Chief Executive Daniel Brine said: “We’re delighted to unveil this year’s programme in full. It feels like a really vibrant and dynamic mix with a number of international voices peppering the music programme; exciting new performance pieces; some fascinating literary conversations; and a strong sense of community with a number of events that showcase our participation work. I’m really looking forward to May!”
