New Art Festival Coming To Swindon This Summer
In July and August, this year, Swindon will host the first Signal Festival, a new youth arts event inspired by young people's perceptions of the town.
Running from Monday 22nd July, to Sunday 3rd August 2024, Signal Festival Signal Festival aspires to nurture the arts and captivating audiences by supporting artists. The event will include two weeks of a variety of performances, career discussions, and workshops. There will be many opportunities for attendee participation and will feature pop-up events throughout Swindon, all designed to be as accessible as possible to all audiences.
The festival is led by six young producers, all under the age of 28, who grew up and created work in Swindon. These producers are involved in various creative industries, including visual art, theatre, music, and dance.
The inspiration for Signal Festival originated from the feedback of Swindon's youth. In 2023, the Swindon Borough Council conducted the Swindon Taskforce Secondary School Survey, which revealed that students overwhelmingly responded "Nothing" when asked what they liked most about the town. This feedback, combined with the results from the Needs Analysis for Wiltshire and Swindon 2023, helped shape the festival's vision.
Motivated by these insights, the young producers set out to create a Swindon where art is accessible to all, and young people are empowered to create it. Their goal is to showcase the exceptional work of Swindon-based artists, raise awareness of local creative opportunities, and inspire the younger generation to embrace their creativity and find support within their community.
Signal Festival is a collaborative effort, supported by funding from Arts Council England and partnerships with key local organizations such as Prime Theatre, Swindon Borough Council, GEL Studios, and The Listening Fund.
Additionally, the festival is backed by numerous sponsors, including the National Trust, Swindon Wyvern Theatre, Museum & Art Swindon, STEAM, and Create Studios. Many of these organisations are providing venues for the events throughout the fortnight.
To launch the first-ever Signal Festival, an Opening Showcase will be held on Tuesday 23rd July, at Swindon Dance, featuring an evening of music, dance, theatre, film, and spoken word performances by local artists.
On Wednesday 31st July, the Swindon Arts Centre will host Swindon's first theatre and film careers event, facilitated by Get into Theatre.
On Friday 2nd August, Signal Festival will take over Town Gardens for a full day of pop-up performances and creative arts workshops. Participants can either join the performances or relax and enjoy the talent showcased on the Band Stage and the Bowl Stage.
Photo Credit: Signal Festival
