Festival Stories

There are lots of ways to enjoy the Festival. You might come and see one special artist, or you could build an adventure through the programme, choosing familiar favourites but also taking a risk on shows which look fun and different.

To help you navigate the Festival we’ve identified some Festival Stories, which weave their way through the programme. Some of these Festival Stories are ideas or questions which we think are important and want to share and others occur naturally as we group themes explored by artists. We’ve approached this brochure a lot more like a magazine (creating a brochure-zine!) which includes all event listings but also articles and artistic contributions introducing our Festival Stories. It is an exciting time for us as we begin to look to our 250th anniversary in 2022. This year’s Festival is the first in a trio in which we think about our history and look to our future, and

this is ref lected through The Passing of Time (p34) being a key story of this year’s Festival. In this story we celebrate anniversaries, revisit seminal works, think about the journeys of our lives and try to make sense of where we are now. It is especially exciting to launch three projects – Common Ground, Lost and Found Films of Norfolk and The Two Fif ty – all of which share an inclusive community spirit and will culminate in 2022 (p26). Community Gathering (p12) tells the story of how we come together to celebrate, collaborate and create. Whether community groups across Norfolk making a radio show together, or a mass community endeavour to perform a great orchestral and choral work, these are the projects and events which show us what we can achieve and experience together. From writers in the City of Literature Weekend to family theatre at the Norwich Puppet Theatre, artists responding to the climate crisis can be found throughout the Festival. Nature Tales & Trails (p60) brings these voices together in a Festival Story focusing our attention on a true challenge of our time. The stories enable you to link ideas between artists and across artforms. We hope you enjoy exploring the connections of the Festival Stories and encourage you to construct your own – there are a lot of potential starting points including fresh perspectives on our city, queer voices and local talent.