News

Arts by the Sea, the South West’s biggest celebration of arts, culture, people and place, has revealed the festival’s headline artwork, created by illustrator and designer Rebecca Strickson, celebrating this year’s festival theme of TASTE. 

Rebecca, who is inspired by the power of community and collaboration and is this year’s Artist in Residence for Arts by the Sea, said: “I wanted to create a piece that truly embodies the theme of TASTE. My aim was to craft a vibrant and intricate design that captures the sensory delight and richness of taste. The bold, swirling patterns and vivid colours are intended to invite viewers into a visual feast, encouraging them to reflect on the myriad ways taste influences our perceptions and interactions. This piece was developed specifically for the festival, and I hope it sparks personal connections and a deeper appreciation for the theme. It’s an honour to have my work serve as the centrepiece for such a creative and exploratory event.”

Weaving the theme of TASTE into an impactful festival finale, organisers have today also announced the climax of the three day event, which will invite local communities to take to the streets (with torches!) in a beautiful ceremony of art and togetherness as part of Fireside, The Torchlit Taste Trail and the newly commissioned festival headline piece, in collaboration with Shambala, The Honey Pot…

Festival finale

Fireside – Nikki & JD x Lost Dog Dance
Sunday 29th September, 6.30pm, The Square 

In a dramatic retelling of the epic poem “Beowulf,” Fireside will highlight the enduring relevance of this classic Anglo-Saxon story by merging dance, circus and live music into a dark and dangerous yet lighthearted and humorous performance. Featuring creative contortions into imagined folklore monsters and dramatic acrobatic stunts, the 45-minute outdoor show will mark the beginning of the end of Arts by the Sea’s 2024 edition. This collaboration between award-winning performance powerhouses Lost Dog Dance and Nikki & JD will remind audiences of the destructive nature of human power while harking back to the age-old tradition of fireside storytelling, creating a mesmerising experience for the festival’s closing evening.

Nikki & JD, artists, said: “Our Fireside show is our way of telling the original horror story – the one about the monster, the monster’s mother, the dragon, the hero and the severed limbs! We can’t wait to see the reactions from Arts by the Sea visitors, as they join us for a journey that is as tense as it is funny – and as thrilling as it is dangerous.”

The Torchlit Taste Trail

Sunday 29th September, 7.30pm, From The Lower Gardens to yet-to-be-revealed final location 

After the performance of Fireside, the team behind the retelling will direct audiences to join The Torchlit Taste Trail as they make their way from the Lower Gardens to the final location (soon to be revealed!) of the festival. Along the way, chosen members of communities across the local area will hold lit torches on a leisurely stroll to their final meeting point at the new-for-2024 The Honey Pot.

Tor Byrnes, Creative Director at Arts by the Sea, said: “Join us for the grand finale of the festival, where members of multiple communities from across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) area will embark on a glittering trail celebrating their own unique tastes, flavours, smells and scents – whether it be in art, a family favourite dish or even just everybody joining together to have fun. Art and culture is a smorgasbord and we want to hear it all! Along with handmade art, influenced by our Artist in Residence, there will be a stunning display of light with torches, reminiscent of vibrant feast of light celebrations, as we head to The Honey Pot. Here, we can reflect, embrace and celebrate the diverse people of BCP. Our home is not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. We are different people with different beliefs, hopes and dreams, but we are one. Get involved!”

The Honey Pot

Sunday 29th September, 8pm

Headline piece, The Honey Pot, created by creative workshop Pyrite Creative workshop for Shambala Festival and Arts by the Sea, is a large-scale, abstract textured installation in the shape of a deconstructed honeycomb bowl. It will be a melting pot of all the ideas and thoughts that pass through during its stay in Bournemouth. Visitors will be asked to consider ‘What is bad taste?’ and will be encouraged to sit within its warm glow and write their thoughts directly onto the piece. 

Beatrix Eden at Pyrite Creative, said: “With this year’s theme being TASTE, we wanted to give festival-goers the opportunity to express their notions and understandings of what equates to both good and bad taste, by interacting with The Honey Pot. We can’t wait to showcase the piece, and we are honoured to have this as the final rousing moment of the amazing festival’s climax.”

Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band 

Sunday 29th September, various times and locations throughout the festival 

Leading the trail and first to arrive at The Honey Pot, will be the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band Band. Best known for their presence at major events across the country and beyond,  the band showcases Rajasthan’s rich culture with vibrant performances of Rajasthani folk, Bollywood hits, qawwali, Bhangra and pop. Musicians from Jaipur, Rajasthan, and the surrounding villages make up the band’s ensemble on trumpet, trombone, euphonium and sousaphone, supplemented with clarinet, and a background of percussion on side, bass and dhol drums. The band will also be performing in the Square on Sunday afternoon, so audiences have numerous opportunities to catch them. 

Andrea Francis, Creative Director at Arts by the Sea, said: “The final hours of Arts by the Sea 2024 are set to be some of our most spectacular ever. We hope that the Torchlit Taste Trail, led by members of our diverse Bournemouth communities, will foster a sense of unity with our audience, as they prepare to visit the final installation. With our theme of TASTE this year being so subjective, it will be a real moment to have everyone gathered to put forward their own thoughts and feelings. What a moment.”

Echo Puppets

Echo is a walkabout performance that uses puppetry to bring the beauty of bats to audiences in a fun and accessible way. This small colony of  bats travel far and wide sharing love and joy, in the hope to demystify their species. The creators, and the bats the show revolves around, believe all creatures can live harmoniously side by side, and so guests are invited to share an intimate experience with these beautiful creatures and connect with a species that is under threat. The bats featured, Crispin and Merlin, are inspired by bats rescued by Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire Bat Group.

Hannah Green, artist, maker and puppeteer, said: “Our walkabout performance is designed to surprise and delight audiences, while challenging preconceptions about one of nature’s truly misunderstood creatures. We hope that our display at Arts by the Sea, both during the day and at night, will not only add to the festival’s incredible experience but will also inform audiences about one of the nation’s endangered species.”

Arts by the Sea is a free festival that brings together large-scale spectaculars, diverse music, intriguing installations, dance, street theatre, participatory experiences and much more, in one unique and celebratory festival. It is founded by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) Council. Arts by the Sea festival receives regular funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation. From 2023-26 BCP Council will receive more than £150,000 per year to increase opportunities and improve access to creativity and culture in the region. With thanks to taxpayers and National Lottery players across the country.