Sparkfest 2023

Welcome to

Welcome to SparkFest 2023

This is an invitation to celebrate the creative work from students, alumni, staff and our collaborators across the School of Music and Performing Arts at Bath Spa University, produced by the School’s own production company, Bath Spa Productions in partnership with Bath Festivals.

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. They perform in the streets, across the city and beyond; The Egg or YouTube, Victoria Park or Widcombe Social Club, the Mission Theatre or Holburne Museum Gardens, Komedia or Old Theatre Royal, Burdall’s Yard or of course at our very own beautiful landscape and performance spaces at Newton Park Campus. We are offering live and digital experiences throughout the festival and we invite you to watch our performances, enjoy our online digital productions and debate in our panel events.

We make it with our talent and passion, our skill and determination, but most of all we make it for you. Come and join us.

How to book

Book tickets at Bath Spa Live: www.bathspalive.com or Bath Box Office (paid events only): www.bathboxoffice.org.uk or Tel 01225463362

*booking fees apply

These productions will be online, and will be available on demand until the end of summer 2023.

These shows will be live events, booking for these shows is essential.

Help empower and support our SparkFest performers and creatives to forge forward in their professional careers. Every ticket sold will include a 50p donation to NewSparks see back page for full details on what NewSparks is all about.

@sparkfest_bath

@SparkFest

@sparkfestbath

SparkFest & Bath Spa Productions

SparkFest is the largest and most ambitious project produced by Bath Spa Productions throughout the year. Its guiding principle is to champion the work of all the artists who participate in the festival. However SparkFest offers more than a stage to showcase work, through our 2023 programme we are offering:

Artist Support

Our NewSparks initiative runs throughout the festival. Each ticket sold will include a 50p donation to support the creatives of the future and their work.

Artist Development

EMERGE offers a unique multidisciplinary creative practice studio for Bath Spa University alumni who have graduated within the last two years. It is a creative incubator, designed to help emerging talent through giving vital space, training, and meaningful support at a pivotal time within an individual’s career pathway, bridging the gap between University and the professional world.

See www.sparkfest.co.uk for full details of this programme

9 MAY 7PM

NEWTON PARK CAMPUS (ANG15)

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Murder Mr. Ree (The Improvised Whodunnit)

Mr. Ree has been murdered. Again.

Join this comic quintet for an entirely improvised, riotously ridiculous crime thriller. You, the audience, dictate the unusual suspects, scene of the crime and the title of the play and, then, comediecrew are off, striving to get to the bottom of it all… before the murderer strikes again!

With no two shows ever the same, every investigation is a nail-biter.

Who knows whodunnit? We certainly don’t.

Third Space

Third Space 2023 - the annual Bath Spa Dance degree shows. This year’s programme aims to demonstrate how dance can be a powerful force in allowing people to explore, question and re-present the world around them. From solo performance to larger ensemble choreographies, the work is a celebration of the rich and creative imaginations of these exciting emerging artists.

All events are free to attend.

MAIN HOUSE (MH111)

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Dark Mother

Calling the sweet, the courageous, the devoted and the broken to a ceremony of twinkling in the depths: a ritual of healing, a prayer to Mother and an unquantifiably silly time in the dark.

Brought humbly to you by everybody’s favourite clown-priestess, light-braider, shadow-dancer and Dark Mother Lucy Hopkins. Utterly loving, always preposterous.

Behold! A shining light in the deepest depths!

Don’t be afraid of the dark. Mummy’s here.

‘Why’? is both a tender and exhilarating aerial duet exploring themes of life, loss, surrender and acceptance in a soft and moving way. The piece offers a visceral experience for its audiences that not only legitimises the emotional one but creates space for the viewer to bring their own understanding to it, triggering a resonance, not dictating their experience.

Performed in two parts, ‘Why?’ uses climbing harnesses and abseil lines to dance on a bespoke free-standing wall - ‘vertical dance’. Originally created in 2004, it formed the keystone for Gravity & Levity’s first full-length production which toured nationally in 2005. In 2019 the piece was re-imagined with the same creative team and cast 15 years on and is performed to a powerfully haunting commissioned sound score, with spoken word interspersed throughout the piece.

Bath Spa University postgraduate students respond to the collection, the space and the history of the Holburne Museum in a playful, cross-disciplinary collaboration, combining artwork, music and dance.The building will be reanimated with contemporary artwork and site-specific performance that takes as its starting point the possibilities and limitations of translation from one form to another: space –sound – movement – object. Short performances will be happening in different places throughout the evening and audience members can come and go as they please. Please pick up a programme on arrival.

13 MAY 5PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Sixteen

Lauren has made a silly mistake out of rage. After a messy breakup, 16 year old Lauren finds herself reflecting on her two year relationship with the boy who she thought was “the perfect boyfriend”. But was everything really as perfect as it seemed? This touching one woman show is a hard-hitting coming of age story of a young girl experiencing love for the very first time.

Through a series of heartrending but comedic monologues, Lauren retells and relives the delightful but damaging memories of her first relationship.

13 & 14 MAY 7PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£8

An Evening of Dark Matters

The first play ‘Bogie’ is a dark comedy that explores themes of guilt, identity, and mental health through the lens of a nightmarish hallucinogenic trip.

The second play ‘Incident’ explores themes of identity, classism, and Islamophobia. A security guard radicalises his colleague to take part in a disturbing plot at the FA cup final.

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

The Story of Florence Nightingale... Sort of

A wacky play about two bumbling actors tasked with retelling the story of Florence Nightingale. As the two actors struggle to remember the historical details, they veer off course into a series of absurd, comical tangents, bringing their own unique spin to the famous nurse’s life story, as they bring the audience on a wild journey through history. Through rhyming couplets, slapstick humour, and questionable intentions, it is an absurd take on a historical figure, reminding us that even the most serious stories can be retold with a comedic twist.

14 MAY 3PM

BURDALL’S YARD £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Common Passage

An intimate, gritty onewoman show about the clarity that clinical hospital walls bring. This is the stark story of a young woman navigating her way through being sectioned.

Written and performed by Lia Parry and directed by Kaia Doig, both graduating BA Acting students.

14 MAY 5PM

BURDALL’S YARD FREE (no booking required)

Sitcom (Screening)

Join us for an evening of short sitcoms from graduating students of BA Comedy and BA Acting. The final year students have been tasked with exploring the collaborative process of creating original material for their Sitcom projects and interpreting text for short extracts of recorded media.

14 MAY 9PM

BURDALL’S YARD £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Destructuralism

Destructuralism is an interactive, collaborative performance piece which brings together Artists and Dancers. Together they have investigated the beauty of organic and inorganic forms and structures. Performed choreographed and created by postgrad students from Bath Spa University, This piece will keep you guessing as it shifts in front of your eyes. Encapsulating the ever changing nature of life, It refuses to take on a singular form and instead explores how material limitations can serve as an artistic device. Performed by yoyo Peng, Simone xu and Lulu Jin Choreographed and directed by Lior Borochov-hutchings and Lulu Jin With the sculptures and creations of Bryan Rawlings.

15 MAY 1PM | 4PM | 7PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£6 | £4 BSU / CONCESSION

Already Torn

An Elevator. Rising and falling, only for it to rise again. Already Torn is about the journey of finding love in the most unlikely of all places. The process of falling in love and then rising above it all to walk away from a toxic relationship. All of this of course taking place in the most inconvenient of all places, an elevator...

15 MAY 9PM | 17 MAY 7PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£7 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

She Will Regret

An immersive experience; with an introduction to the weird and wonderful minds of Role Play Game fanatics and The first chapter of She Will Regret, a RPG based fiction set in a world of beasts and thieves. You are Sitka, a four year old gnome, facing up to monsters, who invade your home. With a twenty sided die in hand, the fate of this child is with you.

16 MAY 7PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Allons-Y

Calling all Whovians! Frank Hussey invites you to a oneman show where we celebrate his love for the TV show about adventures in time and space. Join this fanatic as he shares his passion for the series and how it inspired him in his life. As a wise man once said “Allons-y”!

18 MAY 19:00

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Double Bill: Stand-up Comedy Showcase & If All Else Fails…

Join us for a brilliant night of brand new comedy as the second year Bath Spa University BA Comedy students take to the stage for their debut stand-up comedy performances. Then the third years present their playful swan song sketch show. Don’t miss their final performance together!

19 MAY 7PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Shakers: The Immersive Experience

Ever felt “left out” by the actors onstage? Ever wanted to be on the other side of the fourth wall? Shakers - The Immersive Experience breaks that wall and invites you to spend an evening of drinks, stories and laughter from the play Shakers by John Godber. You will be introduced to our lovely waitresses as they whisk you through the shenanigans of an average night at Shakers Cocktail Bar!

19 MAY 9PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

No Strings Attatched

This laugh-out-loud play tells the story of Stan and their struggle to find their place in the world. Everyone around them has purpose, love and success…Stan has their parents’ basement. Join Stan and their best friend on a whirlwind quest to find a little romance…or failing that a quick shag behind the bins.

Five operas set to the same libretto - The Judgement of Paris was a competition meant to revive English opera. Telling a story from Roman mythology that begins with the god Mercury descending with the golden apple of Discord and asking Paris to award it to one of three goddesses. Paris’ solution ultimately started the Trojan War. This ‘Re-mix’ blends two of the original scores and then adds a modern musical theatre twist.

20 & 21 MAY 1PM - 4PM

HOLBURNE GARDENS

FREE (no booking required)

Lazy On The Lawn

Join us on the back lawn of the majestic Holburne Museum and soak up a feast of music and performance treats. An afternoon of mellow music and family fun which will entertain the garden visitors. SparkFest provides an afternoon of free music and performance in what was once the pleasure gardens of Bath, sit back, bring a picnic and relax.

Full Programme details can be found on www.sparkfest.co.uk

20 MAY 3PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Murder Mr. Ree (The Improvised Whodunnit)

Mr. Ree has been murdered. Again.

Join this comic quintet for an entirely improvised, riotously ridiculous crime thriller. You, the audience, dictate the unusual suspects, scene of the crime and the title of the play and, then, comediecrew are off, striving to get to the bottom of it all… before the murderer strikes again!

With no two shows ever the same, every investigation is a nail-biter.

Who knows whodunnit? We certainly don’t.

20 MAY 5PM

BURDALL’S YARD

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

It Was Just A Fight

Join us for Jazz night at Burdall’s Yard. Two women are in the jazz bar and they find out they have more in common than they thought. But will the night go to plan? Are you where you think you are? Or are you involved in a murder?

BURDALL’S YARD

£8 | £5 CONCESSION | £3 BSU

ROCK BOTTOM

‘You don’t know what to be, or not to be’ - Shakespeare’s best-loved clown, Bottom, is re imagined in Fresh Life Theatre’s one-person show. When Bottom arrives at the theatre, ready to perform, and finds the rest of his cast have left him, he needs to improvise. Dealing with the trauma of pushing his friends away and needing the audience to like him is a cocktail for trouble. As his plan falls apart, he is forced to come to terms with who he is. Shakespeare’s Bottom, alone in the real world.

20 MAY 9PM

BURDALL’S YARD £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Out of Office

What if you could go on holiday without missing any days of work? You get some well earned rest and we take care of your life! Paired with an original score, ‘Out of Office’ takes you through 21 days of the life of Dave… but is Dave really there at all? And if he’s not there to appreciate the small things, someone else will be…

Recommended ages 14+

22 MAY 7PM

In The Pocket

Ever been curious as to what happens behind closed doors? With an underscoring of jazz, these flatmates welcome you into their home to show you just how fluidly they move as one, playing together In The Pocket. But what is the consequence of something else living rent free in their head?

Little Revolution

In the summer of 2011, London was burning. From the helicopters circling overhead to the burnt out buildings on the street, This explosive play portrays the voices and stories of a community in Tottenham as the riots happened to their present-day aftermath in their own words.

This amateur production of “Little Revolution” is presented by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.

The Wrong Pod

Nothing beats a good old fashioned threesome… not like that, you cheeky bugger. Welcome to the Shoddy Foddy Poddy, brought to you by hosts who love to talk - but hate to listen. Follow Mary Crizmas, Mo Pedalo and Emma Roids as their wires cross and fuse together in this podcast-centred farce. Exposing the behind the scenes chaos of their comically tragic lives, they are faced with the question, ‘Is anyone really listening?’ If you’re looking for meaning in the theatre you watch, this is The Wrong Pod for you.

23 MAY 7PM

THE MISSION THEATRE

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

The Sofa

Nick and Simon are like the chuckle brothers, if they were in their early 20’s, obsessed with Eminem, and only dream of their next doner kebab. But when the harsh reality of life hits on the friendship you can’t help but notice the difficult balance between grief, recovery and friendship. Join us in this heartwarming comedy, making you truly have an insight of what it means to be a friend..

23 MAY 7PM

UNIVERSITY THEATRE

FREE DRAMA STUDENTS

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

The Day Off

Based on the Icelandic women’s strike in 1975, ‘The Day Off’ is a play that focuses on the importance of women in society as workers, political figures, mothers and much more. Our part of the performance looks at the effects of the strike on the daily functions of society, and how the absence of women grinds society to a halt.

24 MAY 4PM

THE MISSION THEATRE

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Psalm Chants

Arranged For Female Voices

This concert presents a series of Psalm Chants arranged for female voices. The work will be performed in a secular setting inviting us to analyse the Psalm Chants on their musical merit alone, independent of their religious connotations. The aim of this concert is to explore the way in which both music and religion interweave and work together in tandem. This will be a thoughtprovoking discursive concert that seeks to invite debate around why historically Psalm Chants have not been arranged for female voices and whether a more inclusive High Anglican Church can prevail.

24 MAY 7PM

UNIVERSITY THEATRE FREE DRAMA STUDENTS £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Influencer

Act One, Influencer is a modern multi-media piece following a young Armenian girl named Zada and her journey from being a free runner to becoming a priest. However with her family always on her back it will not be an easy journey. Act Two, is about (the influencer herself) Zada wanting to become a priest in her Armenian community. This comes with controversy due to the gender divide in the community and Zada’s online preaching turning young girls away from church. Shown from a cyber and interpersonal perspective you question if Zada will get what she wants or if the ‘rules’ of the church will power her silence.

24 MAY 7PM

THE MISSION THEATRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Forward

A dark comedy following two young women with very different views on the meaning of life and death. When cheeky and bold ghost Amina, gets trapped in her old flat with a depressed human Freyja, all hell and heaven breaks loose. Hands are thrown, tears are shed, and laughs are shared.

24 MAY 9PM

THE MISSION THEATRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Kilig

Is love enough to keep two people together? Through 3 mediums, 2 perspectives, 1 journey, a fusion of movement, film and music tell this story of two people falling in and out of love. An exploration of harmony, intimacy and a juxtaposition of two states of minds, these two souls are destined to meet, however butterflies don’t last forever.

25 MAY 1PM

MICHAEL TIPPETT CENTRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION BSU STUDENTS FREE

Bristol Ensemble

Bristol Ensemble perform new pieces written for them by second year BA Music students.

25 MAY 7PM

THE MISSION THEATRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Musical Magic To Do

Join the BA Music students from Bath Spa University for an evening of song and ensemble music, spanning the repertoire of the 20th century.

25 MAY 7PM

UNIVERSITY THEATRE FREE DRAMA STUDENTS

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Remote

Have you ever begun to consider how the media’s broadcasting of life’s tragedies affects our young people?

After Antler smashes up her phone she climbs up a big old rustic-looking tree, looking out for change, listening out for change. Meanwhile, the lives of seven teenagers intertwine during this one evening on this seemingly normal Autumn night.

This amateur production of “Remote” is presented by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.

25 MAY 9PM

THE MISSION THEATRE

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

A Bad End

THE BEASTS HAVE TAKEN OVER.

They’re stampeding down the high street.

They’ve smashed all the park benches.

They’ve trampled your cat.

In a town on the skids, sanity doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell. One (somewhat spindly) man will resist the hysteria. He will resist coming to… A BAD END.

An absurd solo clown shows about surviving in a world gone to the dogs.

Dumb Found Theatre present their latest work in progress of a new show that has the possibility of making you laugh, cry and have a very good time.

In association with Calf 2 Cow and EMERGE.

26 MAY 7PM

THE MISSION THEATRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Tomfoolery & Concerto

Tomfoolery - Three idiots bring you along for a ten minute, magical journey, full of downright ludicrous comedy. Hold onto your hats, folks, coz we’re just as lost as you are! Concerto - A brilliantly relaxing, straight-forward, sensible concert… presented by an orchestra of clowns. Not much music, tbh. Join us for an evening of physical comedy, astonishing absurdity and utterly nonsensical nonsense, as fifteen clowns (from the BA Acting & Comedy courses, past and present) and proper real professional clowns (from Norway, Australia, Estonia & Kazakhstan) come together in this farcical cabaret, all wrangled, expertly, by the multi-award-winning Julia Masli and Viggo Venn.

26 MAY 7PM

WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB

£5 ADULT | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

New Impluses

Young performers from England and beyond are coming together to bring an exciting programme of dance to the centre of Bath. Get a unique glimpse into the new impulses in movement by watching a varied collection of solo dance performances and engaging in conversation during a space for exchange afterwards.

26 MAY 9PM

THE MISSION THEATRE

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Breathe In For Four

Breathe in for four...

Recreational drugs, booze, a college party, and 4 clashing personalities make for a deadly cocktail. When a group of friends witness a traumatic event, they are faced with a choice; stick together or rip apart. Will harmony prevail, or will chaos ensue? Whenever in doubt: just remember, breathe in for 4…

26 MAY ONLINE APP FREE VISIT WWW.SPARKFEST.CO.UK FOR MORE DETAILS

Human Disruption

Human Disruption is an immersive walk that invites you to develop a closer relationship with the sounds of the natural world and hear everyday sounds in a different perspective. This audio installation uses field recordings from across Bath with the hope of highlighting how animals are affected by sound pollution, both manmade and natural.

This will be accessed via an app called ‘Sonic maps’, which will be linked on the SparkFest website on this date (www.sparkfest.co.uk)

The Ringmaster

Harvey always had a dream of starting his own circus, and one summer he did just that! Join the magical adventure which will take you on a journey of friendship, love, and determination. Harvey, with the help from his friends and his trusted companion Coco, put together a show that would capture the imagination of the neighbourhood. Come and dream under the twinkling big top that graces the stage and tell a story that unfolds in front of your eyes. So, ask yourself, would you run away and join the circus?

Impression and expression: “La Cathedrale Engloutie”

by Debussy

Have you ever imagined a castle or cathedral under the deep ocean? Does it sound mysterious? Dramatic? Impossible? Let’s see and treasure this submerged Cathedral together with Debussy’s impressive music.

27 MAY 7:30PM

UNIVERSITY THEATRE FREE DRAMA STUDENTS £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Blue Murder

‘It is nice, yes. Funny too. People pretending to be what they’re not.’

Pornography, murder, and weed killer. Two intruders threaten to blackmail a young actor’s apparently law-abiding family… who are anything but. A farce about middle class hypocrisy, and the role of censorship in art.

This amateur performance is performed with kind permission of Concordia Ltd UK.

27 MAY 9PM

THE MISSION THEATRE

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Chasing Whiskey

Wind back the clocks to 1950. Swing belts through the gramophone. Cigarette smoke pollutes the air. You are cordially invited to attend this year’s CIMA’s; the somewhat prestigious Critics’ Independent Motion-picture Awards! A night of drinking and lavish celebration awaits, in the company of showbiz finest and most self-involved. Danger looms; this immersive theatre experience takes a turn for the worse when a dead body is found. It is now up to you to help our cast unmask the killer before it’s too late…

28 MAY 1PM | 2:30PM | 4PM VICTORIA PARK FREE (booking required)

Echoing Love

To Mr. Cut Tree,

We were told that you know a story about two girls that found love where you live. We are trying to find love too! But we don’t know what it looks like or where to start looking… Would you be able to point us in the right direction? Spike is a bit slow but we should make it by the 28th of May. See you soon!

Yours sincerely, Eki & Spike

This is a promenade piece, taking place in Victoria Park. Full details of the meeting point and performance will be provided on your ticket.

29 & 30 MAY 7:30PM

THE UNIVERSITY THEATRE FREE DRAMA STUDENTS

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Carrie

Carrie the Musical, based on the classic horror by Stephen King, follows a young girl who is ostracised from high school society because of her shy demeanour and religious upbringing. Plagued by guilt for the way they treat her, Sue and Tommy try to find a way to show Carrie some kindness. But as Carrie discovers that she is far from ordinary, her power grows causing pain and suffering for those at Chamberlain High and her Bible-Bashing Mother who has kept her in the shadows all these years. This cult classic musical adaptation is definitely a must see that is brought to you by One More Time Productions.

This amateur performance is performed with kind permission of Concordia Ltd UK.

31 MAY | 1 & 2 JUNE 6PM KOMEDIA FREE

Bath Spa Music Festival

A three day festival of Bath Spa 3rd year Commercial Music Students brought to you by Ease Events. Stunning audio-visual performances across 2 stages.

1 JUNE 7PM WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB FREE ENTRY (no booking required)

Creative Music Technology Graduate Show

A curated evening celebrating the highly original creative and technical work of final year BA (Hons) Creative Music Technology students at Bath Spa University. Expect a diverse range of produced music, sound and composition, multimedia screenings, audio postproduction for film, game sound and sonic performance.

1 JUNE 7:30PM UNIVERSITY THEATRE FREE DRAMA STUDENTS £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

The Ballad Of Maria Marten

‘The woman who left the village’.

The untold story of Maria Marten, a woman who grew up too young, and trusted too much. Maria’s childhood, life, death, and legacy, all once stolen by men, are finally reclaimed. A heart-breaking but ultimately life affirming exploration of female identity and solidarity.

2 JUNE 11AM

WIDCOMBE

Traditional Tales (Workshop)

Creative Workshop for Children

Come along to a fun-filled workshop that will explore traditional tales through the medium of music, art and storytelling. The workshop will include three activities, each run by a specialist in that discipline. At the end of the workshop, everyone will come together to share the magical tales they have created.

Recommended for children at Key Stage 1 school age.

2 & 3 JUNE 7PM

UNIVERSITY THEATRE £5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

King Lear

Join the Bath Spa University BA Acting students for an (almost) full-length version of Shakespeare’s epic tragedy, retold by an ensemble of 40 actors.

2 JUNE 7PM

WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB FREE ENTRY (booking required)

Emerge Panel (Talk)

EMERGE is a Creative Graduate Studio offering over twenty-month residences to Bath Spa University graduates. Supporting you with rehearsal space, mentorship and coaching, hot desking, performance opportunities and more. Join us for this Q&A panel event as we meet current and past residents, sharing top tips on how to develop your career and learn how to become a part of the EMERGE community.

SOCIAL CLUB FREE ENTRY (booking required)

3 JUNE 7PM

WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Independent Digital Collection 1 (Screening)

The first screening of two collections of digital work created by both graduating students, and alumni from Bath Spa University’s performing arts courses.

The final year students have been tasked with exploring the collaborative process of making a new performance piece, either from an existing text or an entirely new work, whilst our alumni have embarked on their own journey and process in curating these digital productions.

Films to be screened:

South and North

Impression and expression: “La Cathedrale Engloutie” by Debussy

WONDERLANE

4 JUNE 3PM

WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Murder Mr. Ree (The Improvised Whodunnit)

Mr. Ree has been murdered. Again.

Join this comic quintet for an entirely improvised, riotously ridiculous crime thriller. You, the audience, dictate the unusual suspects, scene of the crime and the title of the play and, then, comediecrew are off, striving to get to the bottom of it all… before the murderer strikes again! With no two shows ever the same, every investigation is a nail-biter. Who knows whodunnit? We certainly don’t.

4 JUNE 5PM

WIDCOMBE SOCIAL CLUB

£5 | £3 BSU / CONCESSION

Independent Digital Collection 2 (Screening)

The second screening of short films and other digital productions created by both graduating students, and alumni from Bath Spa University’s performing arts courses.

The final year students have been tasked with exploring the collaborative process of making a new performance piece, either from an existing text or an entirely new work, whilst our alumni have embarked on their own journey and process in curating these digital productions.

Films to be screened:

Rumplestiltskin

Claire’s House

Admitting Defeat

One Really Long Day

The Withered Lily

7 JUNE 11AM - 6PM

Plus Minus Ensemble

Our visiting ensemble Plus Minus return to rehearse and perform new pieces by MA and third year BA Music composers. Observe the process of making new pieces in collaborations between composers and performers over the course of the day.

Blah Blah Blah...

HIKIKOMORI. A severe form of social withdrawal known in Japanese, closely translated as ‘to pull back’ or ‘to shut oneself in’. ‘Tangping’, in China, refers to lying flat; reflecting a mentality amongst young people to avoid the rat race, when all of your hardest efforts are often disregarded. As Huazhong Luo put it:

‘I can be like Diogenes, who only sleeps in his barrel and basks in the sun, or like Heraclitus, who thinks of Logos in a cave. Since there is no real thought of uplifting human subjectivity in this land, I can make it for myself. Tangping is the wise man’s choice, and only the Tangping man is the measure of all things.’

When our views and the philosophical system behind them can no longer guide us in the present reality, can we be flexible enough to shift the worldly standards that our subconscious mind is convinced of?

MICHAEL TIPPETT CENTRE FREE ENTRY (no booking required)

8 & 9 JUNE 7PM | 10 JUNE 10:30AM & 2:30PM THE EGG THEATRE

THE CORNERSHOP GOBLIN

Memphis the goblin works at the cornershop. They’re busy preparing for the Queen’s 1953 coronation. It’s a very exciting time.

It’s also where they serve the best porridge in the world. Porridge! It’s sweet and salty and tastes of cinnamon and chocolate and deliciousness! All Memphis wants is his share of the porridge. It’s a good life, for a Goblin.

The only problem is the noises which come from the attic. Bits of stories float down from above and Memphis is getting caught up in them. How will Memphis ever get all their work done, when the stories from above just keep getting more exciting?

Bath Spa Productions brings Hans Christian Anderson’s little-known story to life in this lively, funny, and exciting production where Phillip the parrot talks nonsense (or is it?), potatoes fly, and cheese wrappers have stories written on them.

VENUES

Newton Park Campus:

- The Michael Tippett Centre

- University Theatre

- Main House

- ANG15

Bath Spa University

Newton Park

Newton St Loe

Bath BA2 9BN

Widcome Social Club

Widcombe Hill

Bath BA2 6AA

Holburne Museum

Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB

Burdall’s Yard

7a Anglo Terrace

Bath BA1 5NH

Victoria Park

Marlborough Ln

Bath BA1 2NQ

The Mission Theatre

Corn Street

Bath BA1 1UF

Komedia

22-23 Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EP

Old Theatre Royal 12 Old Orchard Street

Bath BA1 1JU

The Egg Theatre

Saw Close Bath BA1 1ET

Tickets: www.theatreroyal.org

DIARY

Book tickets at Bath Spa Live: www.bathspalive.com or Bath Box Office (paid events only): www.bathboxoffice.org.uk or Tel 01225463362 *booking fees apply

These will be live events, booking for these shows is essential, unless stated otherwise.

These productions will be online, and will be available on demand until the end of summer 2023.

See page 26 for venue details

NewSparks is an exciting new funding initiative that we are running alongside our SparkFest festival of live and digital performance this spring.

Money raised through a ticketing donation will be available to graduating Bath Spa students and alumni who have participated in SparkFest. Now more than ever these future creatives need our support. Your donation can make a huge difference in a creative’s future and will help ensure that their creative voice is heard. This is important not just for them as artists but as a way forward for them to contribute in rebuilding the creative industries in the UK.

We are inviting you to invest in the creatives of tomorrow.