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Three former Bath Festivals staff have set up a new social enterprise, Bath Arts Collective, focusing on driving and developing the arts and culture scene across Bath.
The collective, made up of Kate Hall, Kate Abbey and Jasmine Barker, is behind a new event, Curious Minds, billed as “a festival to ignite ideas" and which will run from 7th to 28th March in multiple venues across the city.
Organisers say the new festival will host more than 30 book talks, live performances, film screenings, writing workshops and walking tours. The Bath Festival continues to operate separately and will run from 17th to 26th May this year.
Highlights of the Curious Minds festival include insights from the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen on the current situation in the Middle East, while the Polari Literary Salon will celebrate queer prose and performance. Comedian Robin Ince, writer and historian Peter Frankopan and writer and scientist Adam Rutherford will also be in attendance, alongside author and journalist Bryony Gordon.
There will also be screenings of Whoopi Goldberg film "The Associate", followed by a discussion with Ellen J Jones, author of How Film and TV Can Solve Racism and Solve the World (Faber).
Local talent and venues are also being celebrated with a Songwriters Festival curated by Matt Owens as well as an evening of jazz and conversation with writer Varaidzo and award-winning jazz musician Orphy Robinson, to launch the Bath-based book Manny and the Baby (Scribe UK). There will also be a writing day at Persephone Books with Harriet Evans and Juliet Pickering.
Kate Abbey, Bath Arts Collective director, said: "We are over the moon to be launching our first festival. We hope this varied programme of events inspires you to try something new, connect with thought-provoking ideas and have some fun. We’d love everyone in Bath to make March the month to get curious.”
Curious Minds is sponsored and supported by Mytton Williams, Mr B’s Emporium, Komedia, University of Bath, Persephone Books, FilmBath, Little Theatre Bath, TSL Consulting and Good Crowd Media.