Cheltenham Festivals
Encyclopedia
]
Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham
, Gloucestershire
: the Jazz
, Science
, Music
and Literature
. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use (eg. weddings and parties, presentations, conferences etc).
It also runs an extensive education programme, with events linked to each Festival. With the aim of involving the local community, such events range from family activity days to performances out and about in the local area.
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
was formed in 1996 and has a reputation for innovation and creativity. Acts in previous years include headliner Emma Vanden with her band Vixen backing, Herbie Hancock, Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea, John Scofield, Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, Jools Holland, Charles Lloyd, Bennie Maupin, Bob Brookmeyer, Madeleine Peyroux, the Guillemots, Curtis Stigers, Kyle Eastwood, Koop and the BBC Big Band, The Cinematic Orchestra, Zoe Rahman, Eartha Kitt, Van Morrison, Maceo Parker, Gwyneth Herbert, Tim Berne and Mr Scruff. It has a close relationship with BBC Radio 2,
Science
Cheltenham Science Festival
was formed in 2002 and hosts a science-based talent competition, NESTA
FameLab. Guests in previous years have included Robert Winston
, Richard Dawkins
, Richard Hammond
, Tony Robinson
, Jonathon Porritt
, Kevin Conrad
, Colin Pillinger
and Adam Hart-Davis
.
Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
was formed in 1945, and is the oldest member of the Festival family in Cheltenham. Events range from free family workshops and young artists’ projects, through to concerts from well-loved performers and the promotion of contemporary composers. Artists in previous years include Marc-André Hamelin, Craig Ogden, Calefax, the Dante Quartet, Noam Greenberg, Ingrid Fliter, Danjulo Ishizaka, the Pavel Haas Quartet, Danjulo Ishizaka, Allan Clayton, Paul Lewis, Manchester Camerata, the Schubert Ensemble, Ailish Tynan, Gareth Hancock, Alekzandar Madzar, Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies, John Potter, Kathryn Tickell, James Gilchrist and Taraf de Haidouks. The current director is Meurig Bowen
Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
was formed in 1949 and is now established as one of the country's principal literary events. It is the longest-running literature festival in the world. Most of the great names in modern literature have appeared at the festival at some time during its history. Guests include Toni Morrison, Ian Rankin, Kate Adie, Patrick Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Simon Schama, David Starkey, Antony Sher, Michael Parkinson, Terry Jones, Tony Robinson, Sandi Toksvig, Dawn French, Simon Armitage, Clive James, Ruth Rendell, Alexander McCall Smith, Bruce Parry, Ray Mears, Frank Skinner, Janet Street-Porter, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, John Barrowman, Russell T Davies, Dave Gorman, Charley Boorman, Alexei Sayle and Mark Thomas.
There is a general commitment to produce Festivals with 'attitude', 'bite' and 'edge', creating programmes that give audiences the opportunity to discover and participate in new and interesting work, as well as challenge their perceptions.
With the four festivals of Jazz
, Science
, Music
and Literature
, Cheltenham Festivals host hundreds of events across 12 months. The four festivals have worked together to ensure Cheltenham's enviable reputation as the festival capital of Britain, and attract some of the art's biggest names.
With combined ticket sales of over 125,000 the Jazz
, Music
, Science
, and Literature
Festivals all possess international reputations.
Each festival is programmed by an artistic director, all of whom are leaders in their fields. A commitment to celebrating new work and young artists ensures that the festivals never stand still and continue to receive international coverage with audiences and performers drawn from across the world. In addition there is a thriving education programme which aims to take the festivals out into schools and the community thus generating new audiences.
Previously linked with the Cheltenham Borough Council, in 2006 the four festivals set out on an independent journey as they collectively became Cheltenham Festivals. As a registered charity Cheltenham Festivals has its very own marketing, education and development teams, and for the first time in its history a Chief Executive, Donna Renney: according to Donna, the Festivals 'provide a place to explore interesting themes, to take part in debates, hear different and unusual music, challenge one's perceptions and enhance knowledge. In short, a spa for the mind'.
Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
: the Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
, Science
Cheltenham Science Festival
The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.-Introduction and History:...
, Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
and Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use (eg. weddings and parties, presentations, conferences etc).
It also runs an extensive education programme, with events linked to each Festival. With the aim of involving the local community, such events range from family activity days to performances out and about in the local area.
Festivals
JazzCheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
was formed in 1996 and has a reputation for innovation and creativity. Acts in previous years include headliner Emma Vanden with her band Vixen backing, Herbie Hancock, Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea, John Scofield, Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, Jools Holland, Charles Lloyd, Bennie Maupin, Bob Brookmeyer, Madeleine Peyroux, the Guillemots, Curtis Stigers, Kyle Eastwood, Koop and the BBC Big Band, The Cinematic Orchestra, Zoe Rahman, Eartha Kitt, Van Morrison, Maceo Parker, Gwyneth Herbert, Tim Berne and Mr Scruff. It has a close relationship with BBC Radio 2,
Science
Cheltenham Science Festival
Cheltenham Science Festival
The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.-Introduction and History:...
was formed in 2002 and hosts a science-based talent competition, NESTA
NESTA
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is an independent endowment in the United Kingdom established by an Act of Parliament in 1998....
FameLab. Guests in previous years have included Robert Winston
Robert Winston
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter and politician.-Early life and education :...
, Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
, Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson
Tony Robinson is an English actor, comedian, author, broadcaster and political campaigner. He is best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC television series Blackadder, and for hosting Channel 4 programmes such as Time Team and The Worst Jobs in History. Robinson is a member of the Labour Party...
, Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Porritt
Jonathon Espie Porritt, CBE, is an English environmentalist and writer. Porritt appears frequently in the media, writing in magazines, newspapers and books, and appearing on radio and television regularly.-Early life and family background:...
, Kevin Conrad
Kevin Conrad
frame|right|Amb. Conrad in GhanaKevin Mark Conrad, born in the United States to parents living in Papua New Guinea in 1968, is a Papua New Guinean lawyer and environmentalist...
, Colin Pillinger
Colin Pillinger
Colin Trevor Pillinger, CBE, is a planetary scientist at the Open University in the UK. He was the principal investigator for the British Beagle 2 Mars lander project, and has done much work studying a group of Martian meteorites.In May 2005 Pillinger was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.-Early...
and Adam Hart-Davis
Adam Hart-Davis
Adam John Hart-Davis is an English scientist, author, photographer, historian and broadcaster, well-known in the UK for presenting the BBC television series Local Heroes and What the Romans Did for Us, the latter spawning several spin-off series involving the Victorians, the Tudors, the Stuarts,...
.
Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
was formed in 1945, and is the oldest member of the Festival family in Cheltenham. Events range from free family workshops and young artists’ projects, through to concerts from well-loved performers and the promotion of contemporary composers. Artists in previous years include Marc-André Hamelin, Craig Ogden, Calefax, the Dante Quartet, Noam Greenberg, Ingrid Fliter, Danjulo Ishizaka, the Pavel Haas Quartet, Danjulo Ishizaka, Allan Clayton, Paul Lewis, Manchester Camerata, the Schubert Ensemble, Ailish Tynan, Gareth Hancock, Alekzandar Madzar, Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies, John Potter, Kathryn Tickell, James Gilchrist and Taraf de Haidouks. The current director is Meurig Bowen
Meurig Bowen
Meurig Bowen is artistic director of the Cheltenham Music Festival.Bowen was educated at William Ellis School, London, and King's College, Cambridge, where he was a choral scholar...
Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
was formed in 1949 and is now established as one of the country's principal literary events. It is the longest-running literature festival in the world. Most of the great names in modern literature have appeared at the festival at some time during its history. Guests include Toni Morrison, Ian Rankin, Kate Adie, Patrick Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Simon Schama, David Starkey, Antony Sher, Michael Parkinson, Terry Jones, Tony Robinson, Sandi Toksvig, Dawn French, Simon Armitage, Clive James, Ruth Rendell, Alexander McCall Smith, Bruce Parry, Ray Mears, Frank Skinner, Janet Street-Porter, Roger Moore, Tony Curtis, John Barrowman, Russell T Davies, Dave Gorman, Charley Boorman, Alexei Sayle and Mark Thomas.
Further Information
Cheltenham Festivals is responsible for two of the country’s oldest festivals and two of its newest. The first Music Festival was held in 1945 followed by a Literature Festival in 1949. These were augmented by the first Jazz Festival in 1996, followed by the Science Festival in 2002.There is a general commitment to produce Festivals with 'attitude', 'bite' and 'edge', creating programmes that give audiences the opportunity to discover and participate in new and interesting work, as well as challenge their perceptions.
With the four festivals of Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
, Science
Cheltenham Science Festival
The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.-Introduction and History:...
, Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
and Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
, Cheltenham Festivals host hundreds of events across 12 months. The four festivals have worked together to ensure Cheltenham's enviable reputation as the festival capital of Britain, and attract some of the art's biggest names.
With combined ticket sales of over 125,000 the Jazz
Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Cheltenham Jazz Festival is one of the UK’s leading jazz festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Science, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.]-Introduction and history:...
, Music
Cheltenham Music Festival
The Cheltenham Music Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in Britain, held annually in Cheltenham in June/July since 1945. The festival is renowned for premieres of contemporary music, hosting over 250 music premieres as of July 2004....
, Science
Cheltenham Science Festival
The Cheltenham Science Festival is one of the UK's leading science festivals, and is part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Literature Festivals that run every year.-Introduction and History:...
, and Literature
Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, a large-scale international festival of literature in the Spa town of Cheltenham, and part of Cheltenham Festivals: also responsible for the Jazz, Music and Science Festivals that run every year....
Festivals all possess international reputations.
Each festival is programmed by an artistic director, all of whom are leaders in their fields. A commitment to celebrating new work and young artists ensures that the festivals never stand still and continue to receive international coverage with audiences and performers drawn from across the world. In addition there is a thriving education programme which aims to take the festivals out into schools and the community thus generating new audiences.
Previously linked with the Cheltenham Borough Council, in 2006 the four festivals set out on an independent journey as they collectively became Cheltenham Festivals. As a registered charity Cheltenham Festivals has its very own marketing, education and development teams, and for the first time in its history a Chief Executive, Donna Renney: according to Donna, the Festivals 'provide a place to explore interesting themes, to take part in debates, hear different and unusual music, challenge one's perceptions and enhance knowledge. In short, a spa for the mind'.
External links
- Cheltenham Festivals official website
- Cheltenham Festivals Myspace Page
- Facebook page for the Cheltenham Festivals
- Guide to Cheltenham and its festivals
- Folk Festival Information
- Cheltenham Town Hall
- Pitville Pump Room Information
- The Everyman Theatre
- Listen again to celebrity interviews and see photos of the Cheltenham Literature Festival 2007
- Gloucestershire festivals guide on SoGlos.comSoGlos.comSoGlos.com is an online magazine for Gloucestershire covering Cheltenham, the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury – with an editorial remit focused on arts, entertainment and leisure.-Overview and ownership:...