The Brighton Festival, England’s largest multi-arts festival, has a guest director for this year’s events. Frank Cottrell-Boyce, best known for his work as a children’s book author and screenwriter, is focused on the power of hope and how it can extract joy, even during turbulent times. In an interview, Cottrell-Boyce said: “I’ve been looking for somewhere to talk about hopeful things, so as soon as I was asked to curate Brighton Festival, it felt like the ideal platform. We’re in bad times, so we need to look for a way out.”
Cottrell-Boyce sought to offer an event filled with unmatched excitement, wonder, and joy. This year’s festival consists of over 120 events scheduled over a three-week period. Festivities will encompass various art segments like music, literature, theatre, circus, and others. The guest director doesn’t want positive moments limited by age. Hence, he has also planned an extensive children’s program for the festival to help highlight the power of arts in education.
Cottrell-Boyce began his involvement with the festival by curating an extensive line-up of performers, including the noted musician and poet Kae Tempest and illusionist Scott Silven. His inspiration for seeking out hopeful moments stems from a time when he could use one the most. “Just before my mum died, she had a birthday party and I organised a magician to come. She was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, as my father was dying. I watched this magician do close-up magic with her and she became a little child. I would like people who come [to the festival] to have that opportunity to be like a kid again – to be amazed.”
The Brighton Festival will take place from May 4 to May 26. With more than 120 events packed into three weeks, the festival offers something for everyone looking for hope and wonder during turbulent times
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