The Bloomsbury Festival 2024 theme Human.Kind sparked a wide range of interpretations, presented through a programme of music, theatre, films, artworks, talks and walks. Audiences visited numerous venues and unusual spaces across Bloomsbury.
The Festival included around 150 events across 10 days offering art, performance, culture, exhibtions and outdoor events.
Alongside the events, the festival was partnered by Bloomsbury Institute’s Bloomsbury Radio across the 10 days, and a new focus on Instagram offered a visual overview of events through the festival.
In 2024 we welcomed new venues, new trainees, new participants and a new patron - The President and Provost of UCL, Dr Michael Spence
The Festival opened with a Big Night Out at Conway Hall showcasing talent from across the festival, in a takeover event attracting over 750 people, highlighting cultures from across the world.
Our open call for partner events was inspired by our theme Human.Kind, and attracted local and international artists and performers.
A wide range of classical, contemporary and world music included a unique concert from traditional Korean Piri specialist, SEAYOOL and the Ligeti Quartet, an exciting programme of jazz, folk and dance at the lively Kings Cross venue, Jamboree, and an explosion of world music at SOAS in Grupo Lokito: Congo Meets Cuba!
A programme of powerful exhibitions included ActionAid’s Women By Women and SHM Foundation’s
Shifting Perspectives outdoors at Brunswick Square Gardens. The theme also prompted discussion, learning and creativity, including hands-on workshops in South Asian embroidery, art, ceramics and lifedrawing, and The Rise Collective’s Amplify Live | Queer Joy offered a youth-led celebration of queer experiences.
A programme of global majority theatre, literature and storytelling offered South Asian performances, workshops for schools, and a number of partnerships including a celebration of Bloomsbury Publishing’s Lit in Colour campaign.
This free family event took place over 5 hours on the Saturday of the opening weekend, with a total estimated attendance of 2,000 visiting Cromer Street, Bramber Green, Holy Cross Church, art exhibitions and the YMCA.
Families enjoyed performances by Samka Meets Neo Norte (Andean culture, ritual and music), the Trans-Siberian Marching Band, the Weather Machine (family/children’s theatre), Swing Patrol (community dance participation) and Community Iberian Folk Dancers. The Dragon Café singers offered a performance and workshop at Holy Cross Church
and a music stage on Bramber Green featuring young emerging and other local bands was programmed in partnership with Camden New Journal.
Visitors took part in workshops in music, yoga, writing and singing, and children’s activities, as well as browsing a diverse craft and food market with Caribbean textiles, South American craft and Anatolian foods. Exhibitions were shown in Holy Cross Church, in the windows of Greater London Properties, and outdoors in nearby Brunswick Square Gardens.
With support from Camden Council, Capital City College (King’s Cross Centre) and as part of the Arts Council England funded Springboard Creatives Scheme, Bloomsbury Festival led a programme of cultural training for young people in Camden through September and October 2024.
The Springboard Collective and the Springboard training scheme offered 6 funded training opportunities and additional student placements to young people aged 16 to 25 to become involved in a pathway which introduced new creative skills, and an opportunity to benefit from
professional skills sessions through a two-month course of workshops, visits, curating and creative activities. The skills and creative training culminated in work experience and exhibition opportunities at the Festival.
“everyone’s just very supportive and very welcoming. And I feel like everyone that I’ve met genuinely cares about their work.” Participant
“I definitely feel more confident talking to people just in the two months I’ve been here. Professionally I’ve gotten opportunities to network at events and such.” Participant
Events took place in 34 indoor venues and outdoor locations across Bloomsbury.
Festival hubs, featuring numerous creative events, were generously hosted at Holborn Library, Conway Hall, City Lit, Holy Cross Church, Capital City College - King’s Cross Centre (formerly Westminster Kingsway College).
Conway Hall featured our exciting opening event and a packed weekend of events.
Holborn Library co-programmed workshops, talks, family events across the week.
Capital City College hosted the Festival’s Springboard Creative Traineeship – and presented a busy performance programme.
City Lit’s John Lyons Theatre, music recital rooms, gallery and public areas showcased performances, exhibitions and workshops.
Holy Cross Church provided a great acoustic setting for innovative international musicians and performances.
The festival was delighted to collaborate with the Commissioners of Russell Square to showcase a new sculpture in the gardens.
The festival website had over 151,000 unique visitors in the year to November 2024 with 40,500 visitors in October alone making 81,000 visits.
A full festival brochure designed and printed alongside a folded leaflet summarising the Festival Programme, which was distributed to 13,000 local addresses via Royal Mail, with a further 7,000 distributed locally.
The festival was very active on social media including Instagram and Facebook. Instagram has become the most popular platform with posts between July-October achieving 64,000 views.
Bloomsbury Institute’s Bloomsbury Radio provided 10 days of live coverage and numerous podcasts now hosted on the festival Spotify account.