The programme for the 49th Brighton Festival was published this morning (Wednesday 18 February).
Tickets go on sale to members tomorrow (Thursday 19 February) and to the public on Friday 27 February.
The Scottish author Ali Smith is the guest director this year. And she spoke about some of the events and themes of the festival which runs for three weeks from Saturday 2 May to Sunday 24 May.
She described the Brighton Festival as magical, saying: “The imaginative possibilities of this are just huge.”
During the planning meetings she said: “I could just throw these magic names into the room and people were saying: ‘Ok, we’ll ask.’”
It should be no surprise that she has attracted authors such as Jeanette Winterson, Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman and Jacqueline Wilson – and the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy.
The programme also features, as always, music, dance, theatre and film. And the civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti is making two appearances.
Ali Smith said: “Laurie Anderson is bringing a brand new show. I can’t believe it!”
Brighton Festival chief executive Andrew Comben told her: “You are the most self-effacing of artistic directors we’ve had so far.”
He said: “We’re very proud of the contribution we make to the city and the nation’s life.”
He thanked Brighton and Hove City Council, Arts Council England and all the individual and corporate sponsors.
Council leader Jason Kitcat praised England’s most popular arts festival and showed that politicians can have a sense of humour when he said: “I’ve been practising my interpretative dance performance!”
Councillor Kitcat is, of course, taking bookings from Thursday 7 May – the day of the local elections when he is standing down.
The council is one of the two key funders alongside Arts Council England.
The Arts Council’s south east director Hedley Swain said: “The Brighton Festival is one of the absolute highlights for England and internationally.
“The Arts Council are incredibly proud to be a key sponsor. You always get things of national and international quality.”
He spoke about the difficulties of the current economic climate but added: “Investment in arts and culture should be a win-win at every level.
“It brings benefits to communities and individuals. We are better individuals and we are better communities because of the arts. It also brings wealth.”
During the Brighton Festival, he said, “You can’t move for people spending money.
“Far more than that, it makes people happy and joyous.”
The Festival includes the Globe Theatre on Tour performing Romeo and Juliet at the new Brighton Open Air Theatre, in Dyke Road Park, Hove.
And of course it opens with the annual Children’s Parade involving more than 80 schools. The theme this year is taking flight.
For more information visit www.brightonfestival.org.
